Some Observers Prefer Justise Winslow To Jahlil Okafor

We've mentioned several times that it's a bit early to draw many conclusions about the college basketball season, and we would extend that to this nascent argument: who's better, Jahlil Okafor or Justise Winslow?

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Since we've only seen a handful of games, it's impossible to say. Okafor has a rare combination of power and finesse; Winslow has both and a higher level of athleticism and versatility. This play has a lot of people talking.

Both are remarkably smart players.

CBS's Matt Norlander comes down on the side of Winslow.

Here? Ask us Monday and we might agree; ask us Tuesday and we might take Okafor.

What's most impressive about both guy is how well they've blended in. Neither is a prima donna or only plays one end of the court. Both are excellent passers who make teammates better.

What we will say is this: we think we've gotten a much more complete impression of Winslow so far than of Okafor.

Winslow is a Swiss Army knife with fast-twitch muscles who can do just about anything on the court.

As for Okafor, we've seen a lot. His footwork is tremendous; he's agile and has spin moves that are amazing for a man his size. He knows how to work the backboard and he knows that being double-teamed is an advantage waiting to be exploited with a pass.

But we haven't really seen him get nasty yet. Yesterday we called him a blend of a ballerina and a Grizzly Bear. The Dancing Bear can move around people or bull through them and so far we've seen a lot more agility than hostility. That's not a knock or anything. He's still young and like Grant Hill before him, seems willing to defer. Hill ultimately learned how good he was and didn't defer to anyone.

Okafor's more aggressive play started to show up against Temple and Stanford, and as the defenders get bigger and more ruthless, his responses will as well.

In other words, Winslow has been more willing to assert himself so far. When Okafor asserts himself, fully and completely, the comparison will be that much more interesting.

What's really compelling though is how well the two of them are playing together.