We should all pay attention to Craig Brackins

When two respected and prominent college basketball writers feature an Iowa State forward...in the off-season...on consecutive days, even the casual fan should take heed of what's going on.

Craig Brackins, according to both ESPN's Andy Katz and Sports Illustrated's Luke Winn, should be figuring his new digs  as he prepares to get settled in whatever city is home to the NBA team that drafted him.  Brackins however just touched down in Serbia, with Team USA for the World University Games, as he's still in college, building on his game for his junior year in Ames, Iowa.

Both Katz and Winn are putting it together, a strong regular season finish by Brackins and captivating play in perpetration for the games these past two weeks in Colorado Springs is catching the attention of everyone running the circles of college basketball.

Brackins will look to pull the Cyclones out of the bowels of mediocrity next season, and is already an early season favorite for 2010 Big 12 Player of the Year.  Maybe then, will he assure himself of a first round draft pick.

Team USA is also led by 'Nova's Corey Fisher, Penn State guard Talor Battle, and Ohio State's emerging star in Evan Turner.