I just found out the preseason AP poll will be released on Thursday. Kansas will be the clear-cut No. 1 team in the land, but it'll be interesting to see who gets the nod at No. 2.

Personally, I like Kentucky – especially with the rave reviews coming out of Lexington about freshman point guard John Wall.

One NBA executive who was at practice recently raved about Wall's leadership.

"I've never seen anything like it from a freshman," the NBA executive told FOXSports.com. "You can tell he's all about winning."

Supposedly, Wall stood at midcourt and every single player on his team came over and slapped his hand.

The NBA guy also said that freshman big man Daniel Orton had his way on that afternoon with fellow frosh DeMarcus Cousins.

"He tore his #$% up," is what he told me.

SEVEN-FOOTER WITH SIX H.S. GAMES UNDER BELT HEADED TO PAC-10

USC coach Kevin O'Neill just got a commitment from a 7-footer who hasn't played a single minute of meaningful basketball.

It's a crazy story.

DeWayne Dedmon tried to persuade his mother to let him play basketball as a sophomore at Lancaster High (Calif.).

"She wanted my focus on religion and other things," Dedmon said. "She wouldn't let me."

Dedmon grew up as a Jehovah's Witness, but he tried again prior to his junior season in high school with a similar result.

Then, as an 18-year-old senior, he didn't really give his mother an option.

"You can't tell me what I can and can't do anymore," he told his mother. "I'm going out for the team."

So, midway through the season, the raw 6-foot-8 big man asked his high school coach if he could join the team. Dedmon was placed on the squad but appeared sparingly in just six games.

All blowout victories.

After the season, Dedmon took the trip about a mile or so down the road to Antelope Valley Junior College and asked coach Dieter Horton if he could try out for the team.

Horton took him through a brief workout and was not impressed.

"He didn't know anything," Horton said. "He didn't have a clue. He shot-putted the ball over the backboard. It was unbelievable."

But Horton decided to keep him on the team and greyshirt his big man, who sat out all of last season while watching and growing.

Dedmon became a 7-footer and also gained about 30 pounds to 225.

This past spring, Horton took his team to a summer event in July with college coaches in attendance.

"They went nuts," Horton said.

UNLV and Cal offered. Providence, Texas, LSU, Clemson and West Virginia all came in and were interested.

"He runs like a deer and has a motor like no other 7-footer I've ever seen," Horton said. "He doesn't have any bad habits."

"I had no idea," Dedmon added. "I just wanted to play. I realize I'm behind, and I want to catch up.”

Dedmon committed to USC on Monday afternoon and will have to wait a bit longer before he puts on a Trojan uniform. Horton said his big man will start this season when the team gets underway, but he won't arrive at USC until 2011 and will have two years of eligibility left.

"I feel like I need these next two years," Dedmon said. "To make me even better."

To check out Jeff Goodman's Twitter, click here.