Why Kevin Love Is the Best Big Man in College Basketball

I’m not talking about numbers. So don’t quote a bunch of statistics. It doesn’t matter that one or two other big men like Tyler Hansbrough have slightly better overall numbers. What particularly interests me are Kevin Love’s intangibles. Namely, instinct and savvy. After leading UCLA to a 76-57 win over Xavier, Love wound up with his twenty-third double-double this season, scoring 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Although 23 double-doubles is an impressive number for any college player, Love is only a freshman, which makes his achievement even more impressive.  Add to this the fact that the PAC-10 was not an easy conference.  The top three teams all made it to the Sweet Sixteen. Built more like a defensive end, the 6-10, 271-pound Love is not terribly fleet afoot. In fact there are probably quite a few defensive ends who could beat him handily in a 40-yard dash. He doesn’t have such a great verticle leap either. But Kevin Love is a ... [link]