10 Players Who Will Become Household Names in 2014-15 College Basketball Season
College basketball had an array of veteran stars last season, with several seniors making the various All-American teams. Whether any became true "household names," however, is up for some debate.
This season doesn't feature a guy mounting an assault on the all-time record books the way Doug McDermott did. It's unclear whether any of the sport's top players will turn into athletes' rights crusaders the way Shabazz Napier did at the national title game.
What these 10 guys will do is play hard for good teams and help create highly compelling storylines from November to March. If your household is one that pays attention to the game of college basketball, these are guys you need to know.
Sam Dekker, Wisconsin
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It was the Summer of Sam, and it was hot, cool and righteous for Wisconsin fans.
Badgers forward Sam Dekker, previously listed at 6'7", grew two inches sometime this summer, measuring in at 6'9" at the Kevin Durant Skills Academy, as reported by DraftExpress. His game similarly increased in stature, as insiders including Jeff Goodman, Fran Fraschilla and Jay Bilas (Insider subscription required) were all touting Dekker as one of, if not, the best player at the LeBron James camp in July.
The Badgers return everyone except sharpshooter Ben Brust, but forgotten in the wake of Dekker's 32.6 percent three-point shooting from last season is that he was a potent gunner himself as a freshman. If he rediscovers something close to his 39.1 percent stroke from 2012-13, the Badgers may not miss Brust as much as most observers expect.
A 6'9" Dekker hitting from the perimeter and cutting aggressively without the ball could contend for a Big Ten scoring title and aid Wisconsin in its quest to not only make the Final Four again but also perhaps get there this time as Big Ten champions.
In the post linked above, Bilas wrote, "If there were a draft among the players at the camp, Dekker would be the first overall selection." For a camp that also featured the likes of Kansas' Kelly Oubre and Perry Ellis, Stanley Johnson of Arizona, Jordan Mickey of LSU, Bobby Portis of Arkansas and Utah's Delon Wright, that's an impressive statement.
Ryan Harrow, Georgia State
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The last time the basketball world at large paid much attention to Ryan Harrow was when he left Kentucky under a cloud following the Wildcats' crushing 2012 NIT loss to Robert Morris. Harrow's dismal 2-of-15 shooting night in an SEC quarterfinal loss to Vanderbilt doomed the Wildcats' last-ditch NCAA push.
Last season, Harrow was allowed to play immediately at Georgia State, but the Panthers' loss to Louisiana-Lafayette in the Sun Belt Championship Game cost Harrow an opportunity to prove he could lead a team to the NCAA tournament.
With ULL losing NBA lottery pick Elfrid Payton, the two best players in the Sun Belt may very well be Harrow and his backcourt mate R.J. Hunter. Both were named All-Sun Belt selections after combining for 36.1 points per game.
Despite losing a couple of starters, GSU is still considered one of the most dangerous mid-majors in America entering the season. Harrow's a big reason, and he'll become a focal point if the Panthers crack the Top 25 and/or reach the NCAA tournament this year.
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
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Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield could be said to already be a household name in two places. One is Norman, Oklahoma, where fans watched him average 16.5 points per game en route to second-team All-Big 12 honors. The other is Lawrence, Kansas, a town that certainly took notice of one offseason comment, whether it took the sentiment seriously or not.
At the LeBron James Skills Academy, via Brian Spaen of Clones Confidential, Hield told CBS Sports' Jeff Borzello, "We're gonna win the Big 12." Several other Big 12 rivals—not just 10-time defending champion Kansas—surely beg to differ, but Hield's confidence lends the league's race yet another compelling storyline.
The Sooners have a very strong group of guards led by Hield, but that skilled group still needs a lot of things to go right before it overtakes Kansas, Texas and Iowa State for a run at the conference title. No matter where the Sooners travel in Big 12 competition, fans will certainly have some choice words and signs for Hield.
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Kasey Hill, Florida
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Despite losing four senior starters, Florida is still expected to provide Kentucky's stiffest competition in the SEC. Of course, that was the prevailing sentiment entering last season as well, and the Gators completely ran the table to a conference title.
Key among the replacements for those departed players is point guard Kasey Hill, who has the tall task of taking over for SEC Player of the Year Scottie Wilbekin. Hill's not a total stranger to the starting role, as he opened eight games last season, including the first four while Wilbekin served a suspension.
Of course, being the full-time starter is a whole different role. Hill will need to produce a lot more than 7.6 points, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game as the new leader of the Gator offense. The entire SEC will be watching, looking to see if the Gators can be the one to slow Kentucky's roll.
Brice Johnson, North Carolina
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If you're a North Carolina fan, you have to absolutely drool over the numbers I'm about to lay on you: 21.0 points, 12.4 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 2.6 blocks.
Those are the averages per 40 minutes for the first two seasons of rising junior forward Brice Johnson. The 6'9" jumping jack carries All-American potential if he can simply stay on the court. Another per-40 number—5.8 fouls—has held Johnson back from realizing that potential. A February win over Duke was a highlight for the Heels, but it was a glum evening for Johnson, who fouled out in a mere 14 minutes.
With James Michael McAdoo off to the NBA, Johnson should be expected to assume not just a starting role but a starring role on a potential Final Four team. UNC is always in the college basketball spotlight, and Johnson's ability to remain on the court will be essential if he's going to shine next to National Player of the Year candidate Marcus Paige.
Bobby Portis, Arkansas
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Is it *GASP* possible that the best big man in the SEC may not reside in Lexington, Kentucky? Arkansas fans certainly believe so.
Sophomore Bobby Portis, a 6'10" forward capable of scoring anywhere on the court, was occasionally inconsistent as a rookie. Still, he put up a very solid 12.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game on a balanced Razorback team. A 35-point, nine-rebound, six-block outing against Alabama offered a tantalizing look at the Little Rock native's capabilities.
There aren't a ton of players in the SEC who can stop Portis when he's determined to get position on the low block, but he frequently lets opponents off the hook by falling in love with his jump shot. If he decides that he'd rather be unstoppable inside, he could earn All-SEC honors, and the Hogs can redeem themselves for last year's late-season flop that doomed them to the NIT.
Rodney Purvis, UConn
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During the year that Rodney Purvis sat out after transferring from NC State to UConn, Huskies coach Kevin Ollie was frequently moved to refer to the rising sophomore as a Ferrari in the garage, as reported by David Borges of the New Haven Register.
Just like a sleek Italian sports car draws attention when it peels down the street, the 6'4" guard is set to catch some eyes as a key producer for the defending national champions.
Purvis shot 38.5 percent from three-point range as a freshman on a disappointing 2012-13 Wolfpack team that featured five double-digit scorers. This year's Huskies may not have that many players putting up big numbers, but it's a safe bet that Purvis will be much more than the sixth option.
How UConn adapts to life after Shabazz Napier will be a major story to watch this season. How Purvis adapts to UConn will be a key to the program's evolution.
Jarvis Summers, Ole Miss
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If you think Ole Miss basketball is going to be a lot less interesting because Marshall Henderson is no longer around to heave 40-foot jumpers, troll fans and hit up the local watering holes, then you obviously weren't watching for anything resembling basketball.
Henderson's backcourt mate Jarvis Summers was the Brain to Henderson's Pinky (or the Brain to his Inspector Gadget, depending on what generation you're from), making plays to dig the Rebels out of holes that Henderson's crazed shooting landed them in. Summers ranked among the SEC's top 10 in scoring, assists, field-goal percentage and a host of advanced metrics tracked by Sports-Reference.com.
Now, the Rebels are completely Summers' team, and they're a team with a bounty of weapons for Summers to utilize. Add transfers M.J. Rhett, Terence Smith and Stefan Moody, along with touted freshman Marcanvis Hymon, to returning veterans, such as Aaron Jones, Sebastian Saiz and Anthony Perez, and it equals a Rebel team deep enough to compete with any in the SEC.
With so many potential scorers, defenses won't be able to key on the efficient Summers, giving him ample opportunity to set up teammates or call his own number when needed. The rare feat of leading a major conference in both scoring and assists is a difficult one, but in Summers' case, it may not be totally out of the question.
Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
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Denzel Valentine was one of Michigan State's highest-energy players last season, making it all the more impressive that he was the only one to suit up in every game for the injury-plagued Spartans.
State lost a lot of star power to the pros, so hustle like Valentine's and Branden Dawson's will be essential to remaining near the top of the Big Ten.
Valentine has one of the more versatile games in the country, as evidenced by him finishing second on the team in both total rebounds and assists. A solid shooter, Valentine must learn to finish at the rim (49.3 percent at the tin, per www.hoop-math.com) to truly maximize his scoring ability on a team that will certainly need it.
In the meantime, we'll sit back and wait to see if Valentine is the man to produce the nation's first triple-double this season.
Delon Wright, Utah
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Speaking of triple-doubles, Utah guard Delon Wright will take a backseat to no one in that race. The one thing keeping Wright from national recognition is the fact that he plays for Utah, but even that might be overcome if he lives up to his All-American potential.
Wright led his team in scoring, assists, steals and blocks—ranking in the Pac-12's top 10 in all four—while shooting 63.3 percent on two-point shots and 79.3 percent from the foul line. His numbers weren't quite video-game absurd night in and night out, but they were frequently close.
Utah returns nearly all of its weapons from last season, meaning Wright has a lot of support as he tries to drag the Utes back to the NCAA tournament for only the second time since 2005. By season's end, Wright and company may be the closest challengers to Arizona's Pac-12 supremacy, making their two meetings with the Wildcats must-see TV, even if they do air somewhat late.
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