Five up-and-coming stars you'll see be hearing about

By Jon Mahoney and Ryan Canner-O'Mealy, RISE
(SI.com)
11/21/06

Alexis Wangmene, 6-8, Sr., F, Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.)
Wangmene, a Cameroon native, came to the United States after being discovered by R.C. Buford, the San Antonio Spurs general manager. After playing last year at Central Catholic (San Antonio), he transferred to Blair so that he could play against better competition. The Texas-bound Wangmene averaged 22 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks last season.

Solomon Alabi, 7-1, Sr., Montverde (Fla.) Academy
He has improved dramatically since coming to the United States from Nigeria in the summer of 2005 and has already committed to Florida State. His enormous wingspan makes him a natural shot blocker and rebounder, and he has developed a soft touch around the rim. Alabi averaged 8.2 points and 6.3 rebounds last year, but those numbers should go up this season.

DeMarcus Cousins, 6-9, Soph., C, Erwin (Birmingham)
He's rated the nation's No. 7 sophomore by RISE even though he's only played basketball for three years. Cousins is a banger who already knows how to use his wide body to clear space in the paint; he averaged 21 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks last year.

James Johnson, 6-7, Sr., F, East (Cheyenne, Wyo.)
Wyoming isn't a hoops hotbed, so it's easy to see how Johnson had gone relatively unnoticed until last summer. His performance at the Nike Camp, where he earned all-star game MVP honors, changed that and ultimately got him a scholarship at Wake Forest. Johnson, who averaged 25 points and seven rebounds last season, uses his athleticism to score on the break.

Nasir Robinson, 6-3, Jr., F, Chester (Pa.)
For the past two years Robinson has played in the shadow of Tyreke Evans, the nation's top junior. But now that Robinson has transferred from American Christian (Aston, Pa.), he will have more opportunities to showcase his ability to take defenders off the dribble.

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