Home Sour Home: Flashy Freshmen Shunned NCAA-Bound Mizzou and SLU

Protecting your home turf frequently is the difference between headlines and heartache. For instance, Missouri (30-5) and Saint Louis (26-8) enjoyed ultra successful seasons. But would either of them still be playing if the following local prize products had remained home rather than showing off-the-chart promise with sterling freshman seasons in the Big East Conference and SEC?

• Bradley Beal (St. Louis County) - All-SEC first-team selection as a swingman is Florida's leading rebounder and second-leading scorer

• Otto Porter (Sikeston, MO) - forward was Georgetown's leader in rebounding and field-goal percentage

• BJ Young (North St. Louis) - guard was Arkansas' leading scorer with 15.3 ppg and an All-SEC second-team selection, pacing the league's freshmen in scoring