Ranking the Nation's Top 20 Power Forwards for 2015-16 NCAA Basketball Season
The most difficult decision to make this year in the preseason positional rankings was who to put No. 1 at power forward.
Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer is coming off an historic junior campaign. He had one of the most efficient offensive seasons in the past 12 years. LSU freshman Ben Simmons, the other candidate, will be the most talented player in the country. He's the favorite to go No. 1 in the 2016 NBA draft, and his game should translate well to the college level.
Then there's Iowa State's Georges Niang to consider. Niang is almost a blend of Wiltjer and Simmons, and his combination of skills makes him one of the toughest guys to guard in the college game.
If this were an NBA mock draft, the choice would be easy: Simmons. But the purpose of this exercise is to try to predict who will have the most impactful 2015-16 season in college basketball.
So you know the top three, in some order; check out who won out and the other 17 best power forwards in the country.
Just missed the cut: Jameel Warney, Stony Brook; Markus Kennedy, SMU; Reid Travis, Stanford; Anton Grady, Wichita State; Shaq Goodwin, Memphis
This is the fourth installment in B/R's positional-ranking series for the 2015-16 season. Here are the other positional rankings: the top 20 shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards and centers. And here is the series finale: the top 100 overall players in college basketball.
20. John Brown, High Point
1 of 20
Class: Senior
2014-15 Stats: 19.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.0 BPG
John Brown is not only the biggest, baddest man in the Big South, he's also probably one of the oldest. He's already 23 and will be 24 this coming year. Point being that this is a grown man in the college game.
That's not to take away from Brown's ability or argue he wouldn't be as effective if he were younger. Sure, age helps his case, but he has been a beast throughout his college career at High Point. Brown does a lot of his damage in the paint and has been known to abuse a rim or two. Do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to watch some of his best work.
19. Winston Shepard, San Diego State
2 of 20
Class: Senior
2014-15 Stats: 11.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.9 APG
San Diego State has ranked 17th, ninth and fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency in Winston Shepard's three years at San Diego State, per kenpom.com.
Head coach Steve Fisher does a great job of recruiting long, quick and versatile athletes like Shepard to make it difficult for the other team to score. That recruiting philosophy hasn't always led to great offense, and Shepard, the team's leading scorer last season, isn't exactly the ideal go-to guy.
He's inefficient and not a great shooter, but he's always done a great job of getting to the free-throw line, and that's made him productive.
18. Jalen Jones, Texas A&M
3 of 20
Class: Senior
2014-15 Stats: 13.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 0.7 APG, 1.0 SPG
Transfers Jalen Jones and Danuel House immediately made a huge impact on a Texas A&M offense that wasn't good in 2013-14. Jones is a bit undersized at 6'7", but he can bulldog his way to the basket and has always been good at getting to the free-throw line.
The Aggies upgraded their talent with a great recruiting class and should rise from a bubble team to the Top 25. Jones will work well next to A&M incoming bigs Tyler Davis and Elijah Thomas, and with his slashing abilities, he could see some time at the 3 in bigger lineups.
17. Justin Sears, Yale
4 of 20
Class: Senior
2014-15 Stats: 14.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 2.4 BPG, 1.1 SPG
Justin Sears has a funky-looking shot, and he's not the smoothest of scorers, but the guy produces. His quick burst and length—some may call him lanky—also make him a dangerous weapon on the defensive end.
Sears was the Ivy League Player of the Year last season, and before you minimize that accomplishment as the best player among a bunch of smart kids, remember that Harvard is recruiting at a pretty high level these days and has won two NCAA tournament games in the last three years.
Sears and the Bulldogs nearly ended Harvard's NCAA tourney run last year, but they lost on a buzzer-beater to Dartmouth on the final day of the regular season, then lost by two to Harvard in a one-game playoff for the conference title.
16. Robert Carter, Maryland
5 of 20
Class: Junior
2013-14 Stats (at Georgia Tech): 11.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.1 BPG
Two years ago, Robert Carter averaged 16.7 points per game over the final six games of his freshman season at Georgia Tech. That was on a bad team, but it was in the ACC, and it was obvious that Carter had ability during his first two years with the Yellow Jackets.
While sitting out a year after transferring to Maryland, he reportedly went to work on his body. He lost nearly 20 pounds, and his body fat went from 18 percent to 12 percent, according to Don Markus of the Baltimore Sun. Carter and Diamond Stone both give the Terps the back-to-the-basket inside scorers they sorely lacked a season ago.
15. Alec Peters, Valparaiso
6 of 20
Class: Junior
2014-15 Stats: 16.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.2 APG
Alec Peters is one of the best shooters in college basketball and certainly the best shooter at his position.
Peters made 83 three-pointers last season and shot 46.6 percent from deep. He had only three games in which he didn't make a three. He's not just a one-trick pony, either, as he made more baskets inside the arc than he did outside it last season.
The Crusaders were close to advancing in the NCAA tournament last season, losing by just three points to Maryland as Peters dropped four threes and 18 points. That's a Maryland squad that some outlets had as the preseason No. 1 this year. At 6'8", Peters is a high-major talent playing for a team that no major program will want to see come March.
14. Caleb Swanigan, Purdue
7 of 20
Class: Freshman
2014-15 Stats (High school): 22.6 PPG, 13.7 RPG
Caleb Swanigan could easily go with the centers, but we'll grant him his wish. Swanigan, who originally committed to Michigan State, is at Purdue in part because he wanted to play power forward.
The Boilermakers have triplet towers with Swanigan joining 7-footers A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas. The shorter Swanigan, who is 6'9", will likely be the best rebounder among the trees. He led the EYBL in rebounding in the summer of 2014, and he does a great job using his big backside to carve out space.
Swanigan can knock down the occasional outside jumper, but he would probably be better suited playing next to a stretch 4 type, as he's best on the blocks with his back to the basket. It bears watching how head coach Matt Painter designs his offense. Nevertheless, Swanigan is too promising of a talent not to produce, especially on the boards.
13. James Webb III, Boise State
8 of 20
Class: Junior
2014-15 Stats: 11.2 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 0.6 APG, 1.1 SPG
James Webb III's story is pretty unreal. He started his career at a JUCO, North Idaho College, where he averaged 9.2 points per game. He transferred to Boise State after one year at North Idaho and redshirted his first season in Boise. He then began last season glued to the bench, going scoreless in 13 minutes over the first five games with two "did not plays."
Then Boise State star wing Anthony Drmic got hurt, and Webb came out of nowhere to become the team's second-leading scorer and one of the most efficient players in the country. Now he's a legit NBA prospect, whom DraftExpress has going 41st in the 2016 draft.
12. Alex Poythress, Kentucky
9 of 20
Class: Senior
2014-15 Stats (8 games): 5.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 0.3 APG, 1.5 BPG
The last time Alex Poythress was playing exclusively at power forward was in the summer of 2014 in the Bahamas, and Poythress was Kentucky's best player on that trip. He led the 'Cats in scoring and made 83.3 percent of his shots inside the arc.
Poythress got off to a slow start last season before tearing his ACL eight games in, but he was playing out of position at small forward. He's a better fit as a small-ball 4. It's hard to say how head coach John Calipari's rotation will shake out this year, but Kentucky's best lineup will likely include Poythress at the 4.
He can be used similarly to Willie Cauley-Stein on the defensive end, able to switch screens and guard on the perimeter, and he's best offensively when he's hanging around the rim. His return is one of the most overlooked reasons why UK will once again be a title contender.
11. Rico Gathers, Baylor
10 of 20
Class: Senior
2014-15 Stats: 11.6 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 0.5 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Rico Gathers is the Dennis Rodman of college basketball if Rodman had been built like a defensive end. Gathers is a 6'8", 275-pound immovable object. He's also athletic and runs the floor well. The man is a beast.
Gathers is likely to lead the country in rebounding this season—he finished tied for third last year—and he's a double-double threat every night out. He's not super skilled, but he's developed a nice jump hook. And no shocker here, he does a pretty good job at establishing position and posting guys up.
10. Troy Williams, Indiana
11 of 20
Class: Junior
2014-15 Stats: 13.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG
Troy Williams isn't exactly a stretch 4. He's capable of shooting the 3—and he'll probably take more threes this season—but he only attempted 13 shots from beyond the arc last season. He's certainly not a traditional power forward, as you'll rarely ever see him catch the ball with his back to the basket. The term that best defines Williams is a playmaking 4, a role similar to what Draymond Green played for the Golden State Warriors last year.
Williams is one of the most explosive athletes in college basketball, and head coach Tom Crean has had success utilizing the speed of his 4 or 5 men. He did it with Cody Zeller, and Williams was a big reason why the Hoosiers offense became elite last year. Crean made it almost impossible to load up the help side when Williams had the ball by surrounding him with shooters. He even played Williams some at the 5.
The Hoosiers will have a more traditional look this season with the addition of big man Thomas Bryant. His presence should only help Williams, as he will not have to concentrate as much on rebounding and can leak out more in transition, where he's even more dangerous than in the half court.
9. Henry Ellenson, Marquette
12 of 20
Class: Freshman
2014-15 Stats (High school): 27.4 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, 2.4 BPG
Henry Ellenson is just oozing with skill. The 6'11" big fella can shoot it, handle the ball, pass and score with either hand. He reminds me of Marcus Morris when he was at Kansas, and similar to Morris at KU, Marquette will try to feed Ellenson all over the floor. He even had the green light to rebound and bring the ball up the floor himself this summer on their trip to Italy.
It's clear that Ellenson will be the Golden Eagles' star right away and is a one-and-done candidate. On Marquette's summer trip to Italy, Ellenson averaged 21.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
8. Brice Johnson, North Carolina
13 of 20
Class: Senior
2014-15 Stats: 12.9 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 0.9 APG, 1.1 BPG
This is what makes North Carolina so difficult to defend: Brice Johnson, who could be the star for many teams, is the third—maybe even fourth—option for the Tar Heels.
Johnson has improved every season in Chapel Hill, and it's good to see him back for his senior season. He could have left and been drafted. Instead, he's back, giving the Heels a shot of having a special season. Johnson is the rare jumping-jack big man with a jumper. His turnaround baseline J is borderline unguardable and is the type of shot we don't see that often anymore in college basketball.
7. Ryan Anderson, Arizona
14 of 20
Class: Senior
2013-14 Stats (at Boston College): 14.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.4 APG
Ryan Anderson was a star for a mediocre Boston College program for three years, and he transferred up to play his final season at Arizona. The last transfer head coach Sean Miller pulled in from a mediocre team was point guard T.J. McConnell. That seemed to work out pretty well.
Anderson just so happens to be Arizona's most proven scorer. Miller will be able to use him inside and out, similarly to how he used Brandon Ashley. Ashley is a better outside shooter, but Anderson is a better scorer around the bucket. The fact that Miller can plug him in as the starting 4 makes the loss of Ashley one that shouldn't hurt the Wildcats too much.
6. Anthony Gill, Virginia
15 of 20
Class: Senior
2014-15 Stats: 11.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 0.9 APG
Anthony Gill was an advanced stats darling last season. Gill finished seventh in Ken Pomeroy's Player of the Year standings, which is the highest among returning players in college basketball.
The reason Pomeroy's system loved Gill was his efficiency. He made 58.2 percent of his shots and got to the free-throw line for nearly five attempts per game. He also ranked 13th nationally in offensive rebound percentage. Plus, he played on one of the best teams in the country with the nation's top defense.
Gill is not just taking wide-open layups, either. He's a good back-to-the-basket scorer, and he does get some easy buckets off the offensive glass. Like most the guys on Tony Bennett's roster, Gill is a heady player who understands his strengths and doesn't get away from who he is. That's part of what makes Virginia so good.
5. Perry Ellis, Kansas
16 of 20
Class: Senior
2014-15 Stats: 13.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.2 APG
Perry Ellis has put up almost identical averages over the last two years, but he did see a drop in his field-goal percentage last season—from 54.9 percent to 45.7 percent.
What should help Ellis this season is the chance to play next to better players at the 5 spot for the Jayhawks.
His sophomore efficiency came when Joel Embiid was on the roster. This year, the expectation is that Cheick Diallo will be an improvement over Cliff Alexander, and the Jayhawks had to be pleasantly surprised this summer at the World University Games with what they got out of Hunter Mickelson. Both big guys can knock down the mid-range jumper, which should free up Ellis for better opportunities in the post out of KU's high-low offense.
Ellis has also shown an ability to step away from the basket, knocking down the perimeter jumper or attacking off the bounce. He's one of the nation's best inside-out scorers at his position.
4. Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin
17 of 20
Class: Junior
2014-15 Stats: 12.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.0 APG
Now that Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker have moved on to the NBA, it's time for Wisconsin's offense to run through Nigel Hayes.
The Badgers' program is known for player development, and Hayes is one of the workers the coaching staff was raving about at the Final Four last year. The big improvement between his freshman and sophomore season was his outside shot. He went from not attempting a single three-pointer as a freshman to making 40 threes and shooting 39.6 percent from deep as a sophomore.
"I know he was bound and determined to be a three-point shooter," Wisconsin assistant Gary Close told B/R last April. "He wants to be a complete player."
Hayes has the skill set for the Badgers to use him similarly to how they used Kaminsky. It'll be hard to duplicate the numbers Kaminsky put up, but with fewer scoring options on the roster this year, Hayes is definitely going to get plenty of opportunities.
3. Georges Niang, Iowa State
18 of 20
Class: Senior
2014-15 Stats: 15.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.4 APG
Iowa State had one of the most innovative offenses in college basketball with Fred Hoiberg at the helm, and it wasn't just because of the former head coach. Yes, Hoiberg was the mastermind, but adding to his creativity was the ability to use a power forward with elite post moves on the interior and point guard skills on the perimeter.
That player, obviously, was Georges Niang. Hoiberg left to coach the Chicago Bulls, but the Cyclones will still be a feared offense with the guys they have returning, led by Niang.
Niang arguably has the best footwork on the blocks of any big man in the country, and he handles the ball and passes better than any big man, too. (Ben Simmons is the only guy who will be in his class on those last two points.) Niang also is coming off a season in which he shot a career-best 40 percent from beyond the arc. There's really nothing he can't do on the offensive end.
2. Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga
19 of 20
Class: Senior
2014-15 Stats: 16.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.9 APG
Kyle Wiltjer had one of the most impressive offensive seasons in recent college basketball memory, and it went slightly underappreciated. Probably because it happened at Gonzaga.
Wiltjer's offensive rating, a stat used to reflect offensive efficiency, was 128.2 last season. And only five players in the last 12 seasons have had a high offensive rating and used at least 24 percent of their team's possessions, according to kenpom.com. (And none of those players were taller than 6'6".)
At 6'10", Wiltjer made 46.6 percent of his threes. (That's not fair.) Everyone knew that he could shoot when he was at Kentucky, but Wiltjer has been able to show at Gonzaga that he has a lot more game outside of just draining threes. He is extremely difficult to guard with his back to the basket. He has such great feel for how to get the shot he wants, using an assortment of moves, counters and shot fakes. It's like an old NBA veteran putting a clinic on a rookie.
Some will question Wiltjer's numbers because Gonzaga plays in the WCC. They shouldn't. I watched him school some of the best bigs in the country at the Nike Skills Academy this summer. Hopefully Wiltjer gets the love he deserves this season if he can duplicate (or maybe even improve upon) his historic junior season.
1. Ben Simmons, LSU
20 of 20
Class: Freshman
2014-15 Stats (High school): 28.0 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 4.0 APG
I'll never forget watching Ben Simmons in the summer of 2014 at Peach Jam. He had just grabbed a rebound and was racing the ball up the floor, and a major-conference assistant coach next to me says, "Forget college. He's ready for the League."
Thanks to the one-and-done rule, we get to see one season of Simmons in college. Simmons is an unorthodox talent. His best comparison would probably be Lamar Odom. He can pass and handle, and I'd expect LSU to use him as sort of a point forward.
The only real question mark with Simmons on the offensive end is his jumper, and he got off to a good start with the Tigers shooting the ball this summer. He made four of nine threes on a trip to Australia. He also averaged 20.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists. He is going to do a little bit of everything for LSU this season, and then it's likely off to the NBA.
C.J. Moore covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @CJMooreBR.
All stats from the 2015 Pan-American Games and U-19 World Championships via USA Basketball. All advanced stats via kenpom.com. Unless otherwise noted, all high school statistics via each player's official university website.
