20 Players Every College Basketball Fan Must Watch in 2014-15 Season

If you're only looking for a list of the best players in college basketball, this isn't the place for you. Ranking the best of the best, before the season begins, is a crapshoot.

Instead, to get you prepared for the 2014-15 season, we've compiled the 20 players who are most worthy of your time when it comes to watching games. Each of these players brings something to the court that makes him stand out and causes you to take notice, whether it be his overall skill level and talent or his overwhelming presence. It just so happens that most of them are among the game's best.

We've even provided information on when they'll first be on your television to help your cause. When flipping through the channels, if one of these players comes across the TV screen, end the surfing and take in his play. You'll thank us for it.

Ron Baker, Wichita State

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Position: Guard

Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'4", 220 lbs

There are a lot of reasons for how Wichita State has so quickly ascended from just another of the many decent mid-major programs to one that's become a bona fide member of the elite. Coach Gregg Marshall was a big piece, as was a strong fanbase and the school's commitment to athletics.

Several players have been key to the rise, as well, but none as much as Ron Baker, whose fiery demeanor and neverending motor helped pace the Final Four drive in 2013 and the unbeaten run last season. Last year, he averaged 13.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists on a team that began 35-0, and with Cleanthony Early no longer around, Baker's production is apt to skyrocket.

First TV appearance: Nov. 18 vs. Memphis in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; 2 p.m. ET (ESPN)

D.J. Balentine, Evansville

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Position: Guard

Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'2", 210 lbs

The Missouri Valley Conference very likely will get dominated by Wichita State again, but the Shockers don't have a monopoly on must-see players in their league. Not with D.J. Balentine set to put together another explosive season pouring in points for Evansville.

The Purple Aces were only 14-19 last season, but that wasn't for a lack of effort from Balentine, who was seventh in the country in scoring at 22.8 points per game. That included 43 points against Northern Iowa and 31 against Wichita in the MVC tournament. 

Sadly, Evansville doesn't have any games scheduled for national television this season, which isn't surprising since it hasn't made the NCAA tournament since 1999. The only shot will be during the postseason, such as in the conference tourney.

First TV appearance: None

Montrezl Harrell, Louisville

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Position: Power forward

Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'8", 240 lbs

If there were a college basketball version of the English dictionary, Montrezl Harrell's picture and a YouTube video of his highlights would be attached to the definition of "beast." It's the simplest way to describe this ferocious player's approach to the game, which is heavy on raw, animal instinct.

Harrell was dominant in 2013-14 for Louisville, averaging 14 points and 8.4 rebounds per game while shooting 60.9 percent from the field. That was sixth-best in the country, as he devoured offensive rebounds and turned them into easy putbacks.

Harrell was a surprise choice to return to school for one more season, but that just means we get another year of watching him operate within Rick Pitino's system and further develop into a likely future NBA star.

First TV appearance: Nov. 14 vs. Minnesota in Puerto Rico; 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Arizona

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Position: Forward

Year: Sophomore

Height, weight: 6'7", 220 pounds

One of the most impactful bench players in the country last season, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was both instant offense and non-stop defense when he'd come into the game for Arizona as a freshman. He averaged 9.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in just over 25 minutes per game, providing a huge boost to whatever area he was needed in.

Expected to take on a much bigger role in 2014-15 as the Wildcats have to replace a pair of NBA draft picks in Aaron Gordon and Nick Johnson, Hollis-Jefferson's numbers should go way up. That also means a major rise in the number of times we'll see the "Rondae Shimmy," the name given to the little body wiggle he does prior to every free throw.

First TV appearance: Nov. 14 vs. Mt. St. Mary's; 8 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

R.J. Hunter, Georgia State

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Position: Guard

Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'6", 190 lbs

The son of a coach often has added expectations lumped onto him, but R.J. Hunter has had little trouble living up to (and exceeding) such conjecture. Last season, he averaged 18.3 points per game, having poured in 187.0 per game as a freshman in 2012-13.

Georgia State dominated the Sun Belt Conference right up until the very end last season, losing to Louisiana-Lafayette in the tournament final to miss out on the NCAA tourney. The Panthers will be right there again this year, with Hunter leading the charge.

First TV appearance: Nov. 17 at Iowa State; 9 p.m. ET, ESPNU

Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin

USA TODAY Sports

Position: Center

Year: Senior

Height, weight: 7'0", 242 lbs

Do you like your big men of the traditional kind, who post up and control the paint with their physicality and defense? Or is your preference a 7-footer who can spread the floor, hitting shots from the perimeter all the way to the paint?

Frank Kaminsky gives you all of that, as one of the most complete centers in college in some time. His emergence last season from a little-used reserve to Wisconsin's top scorer (13.9 points per game) came thanks to a shooting touch that was good from anywhere on the court. His ability to make a basket from outside (he made 37.8 percent of his three-pointers) forced defenses to stretch out to stay on him; then he'd drive past for a layup or easier jumper.

The player known as "Frank the Tank" will again be the biggest man on the court, not because of his size but because of his presence.

First TV appearance: Nov. 14 vs. Northern Kentucky; 9 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network

Shawn Long, Louisiana-Lafayette

Bill Haber/Associated Press

Position: Power forward

Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'9", 245 lbs

Shawn Long has two main goals when he's on the court: score and rebound. He's done both incredibly well for his first two college seasons, and when he ultimately gets to the NBA, you'll see much of the same. But let's not think about that yet. Let's enjoy him while he's still around.

Long has averaged a double-double for both seasons, last year averaging 18.6 points and 10.4 rebounds while shooting 52.2 percent from the field. Paired with electric point guard Elfrid Payton last season, he got Louisiana-Lafayette into the NCAA tournament, but this year he'll have to carry even more of the offensive load for the Ragin' Cajuns.

First TV appearance: Nov. 21 at Auburn; 9 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Net

Larry Nance Jr., Wyoming

Chris Schneider/Associated Press

Position: Forward

Year: Senior

Height, weight: 6'8", 235 lbs

When Larry Nance Jr. went down with a knee injury last February, it more or less killed Wyoming's season. The Cowboys lost six of seven after losing Nance, losing in the first round of the Mountain West tournament and the College Basketball Invitational.

Given a clean bill of health in October, Nance has been tabbed as the conference's preseason player of the year. He was a first-team all-Mountain West choice in 2013-14 despite missing the final month because he's been averaging 15.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. He was eighth in the country in defensive rebounds at 7.27 per game.

First TV appearance: Dec. 5 at SMU; 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU

Mamadou Ndiaye, UC Irvine

Don Ryan/Associated Press

Position: Center

Year: Sophomore

Height, weight: 7'6", 300 lbs

The above photo might seem like a bit of an exaggeration, but it's not. Mamadou Ndiaye does tower more than a foot over many other college players, including Oregon's 6'2" Joseph Young. But the Senegal native is not just a giant because of his height; he's a big man who can actually play.

Last season Ndiaye averaged 8.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 70.7 percent from the field and registering 106 blocks. That included an 11-block game against Long Beach State and an 18-point, eight-rebound, nine-block effort against Washington.

First TV appearance: Nov. 19 at Arizona; 9 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

Georges Niang, Iowa State

USA TODAY Sports

Position: Forward

Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'8", 230 lbs

Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg has established himself and his program as a go-to destination for transfers, keying the Cyclones' recent rise to prominence. But of all Hoiberg's players, the one most worth watching this season is one of the homegrown talents he got the old-fashioned way: from high school.

Georges Niang has been a key piece of Iowa State's lineup for the past two seasons, rising to another level in 2013-14 with 16.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. A guy who has the capability to play all five positions, his foot injury early in the NCAA tournament took a major weapon off the floor for the Cyclones.

First TV appearance: Nov. 17 vs. Georgia State; 9 p.m. ET, ESPNU

Jahlil Okafor, Duke

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Position: Center

Year: Freshman

Height, weight: 6'11", 270 lbs

While most of the people on this list are getting mentioned for what they're expected to do this season along with what they've already done, Jahlil Okafor makes the list purely based on hype and hope. Such is the territory for the nation's top-rated recruit, who just happens to also play for one of the most notable programs in Division I.

Okafor is expected to provide a major boost to the Blue Devils' inside play this season, both offensively and defensively, which was one of their few weaknesses in 2013-14. With size, athleticism and great quickness for a big man, Okafor could be even more integral to Duke's success than freshman phenom Jabari Parker was a year ago.

First TV appearance: Nov. 14 vs. Presbyterian; 6 p.m. ET, ESPNU

Marcus Paige, North Carolina

USA TODAY Sports

Position: Guard

Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'1", 175 lbs

Marcus Paige was as close to a one-man team as you'd find among the top teams in the country last season. Backcourt depth issues and a lack of assertive offensive options led to Paige leading the team in scoring (17.5 points per game) while also having team highs in assists and steals and providing more than half of the three-point shooting for the Tar Heels.

He has plenty of help around him this season, but Paige is still the engine that drives Carolina's offense. With the ability to shoot, distribute and drive, there are few guards who bring more to the floor than him.

First TV appearance: Nov. 14 vs. North Carolina Central; 8 p.m. ET, ESPNU

Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga

Denis Poroy/Associated Press

Position: Guard

Year: Senior

Height, weight: 6'2", 182 lbs

Most of the best Gonzaga teams of the past 15 years have had a great point guard, and this year's is no different. For Kevin Pangos, the change is that he'll be moving into more of a distributor role this season because of an abundance of other scoring weapons around him and the graduation of fellow guard John Stockton Jr.

Pangos has 103 career starts and was the Bulldogs' leading scorer last year at 14.4 points per game. He also had 128 assists and a 2.13-1 ratio of assists to turnovers.

First TV appearance: Nov. 17 vs. SMU; 11 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2

QJ Peterson, VMI

USA TODAY Sports

Position: Guard

Year: Sophomore

Height, weight: 6'0", 190 lbs

VMI led Division I in scoring last season, at 88.3 points per game, thanks to a shoot-first-and-then-shoot-again offense that coach Duggar Baucom put in place in 2005. The Keydets had three players average more than 18 points per game last season, but only QJ Peterson returns in 2014-15.

Peterson averaged 19.0 points per game as a freshman, the fourth-best average among first-year players. His 549 field-goal attempts were tied for fourth most in Division I, and despite all that ball-handling, he only managed to turn it over 76 times in 35 games.

First TV appearance: Nov. 26 at West Virginia; 7:30 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports

Terran Petteway, Nebraska

Nati Harnik/Associated Press

Position: Guard/Forward

Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'6", 215 lbs

After sitting out a year following his transfer from Texas Tech, Terran Petteway broke out and had a monster season that helped get Nebraska into the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998. He was the Cornhuskers' leading scorer, at 18.1 points per game, and also second in rebounding.

Petteway put on muscle during the offseason to be able to better handle taking the ball inside, according to Lee Barfknecht of the Omaha World-Herald. That's probably the last thing opposing players and their coaches in the Big Ten wanted to hear.

First TV appearance: Dec. 1 at Florida State; 7p.m. ET, ESPN2

Kenneth 'Speedy' Smith, Louisiana Tech

USA TODAY Sports

Position: Guard

Year: Senior

Height, weight: 6'3", 180 lbs

Despite having his name mentioned for a variety of coaching openings during the offseason, including Tennessee, Louisiana Tech's Michael White chose to stick with a team that has a very good shot at winning Conference USA this year. Knowing he'd get to have Speedy Smith at his disposal had to factor in that decision.

Smith finished second in Division I in assists per game last season, at 7.7, nearly topping his scoring output of 7.8 points per game. And it wasn't as if Smith got those assists in the midst of a world of turnovers, as he also ranked 10th in the country with a 3.23-1 ratio of assists to turnovers, while also ranking ninth with 2.5 steals per game.

First TV appearance: Dec. 14 at Syracuse; 4 p.m. ET, ESPNU

Tyler Ulis, Kentucky

James Crisp/Associated Press

Position: Guard

Year: Freshman

Height, weight: 5'9", 155 lbs

Because Kentucky plans to use a platoon of five-man units to deal with its immense depth and talent, we'll be lucky to see Tyler Ulis more than 20 minutes per game this season. Make sure to keep up with the Wildcats' Twitter account before each game, though, to make sure you know which parts of the game this speedy little fireplug will be playing.

Rated as the No. 19 overall prospect in the country this past year, Ulis plays far bigger than you'd expect from someone of his height and weight. He can take it in among the treetops in the paint, spot up outside or dish it out to an open teammate. And on defense, Ulis may be his most effective by being able to slip into passing lanes and disrupt plays like no one else.

First TV appearance: Nov. 14 vs. Grand Canyon; 8 p.m. ET, SEC Network

Alan Williams, UCSB

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Position: Power forward

Year: Senior

Height, weight: 6'8", 265 lbs

A handful of NBA stars each year come from schools you don't normally associate with being professional basketball breeding grounds. UC Santa Barbara has been cultivating one of these talents the past three years, with Alan Williams about to embark on his final year of college dominance.

A double-double machine last season, Williams finished in the top 15 in scoring (21.3 points per game) and rebounding (11.5), a total that was tops nationally. And that didn't all come against Big West competition, as he dropped 24 points with 12 rebounds in a win over California and went for 21 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in a win at UNLV.

The Gauchos have a few more showcases for Williams this season, including their opener at Kansas and visits to SMU and Oregon.

First TV appearance: Nov. 27 vs. Washington State in Anchorage, Alaska; 11:59 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

Nigel Williams-Goss, Washington

Stephen Brashear/Associated Press

Position: Guard

Year: Sophomore

Height, weight: 6'3", 190 lbs

Washington has fallen out of the national spotlight the past few seasons, but the Huskies still manage to produce some notable players. The latest is Nigel Williams-Goss, an electric guard who led all freshmen in the Pac-12 last season at 13.3 points and 4.4 assists per game. That's quite an accomplishment for a league that featured two NBA lottery picks who were freshmen in 2013-14.

If the Huskies bounce back and make noise this season, look for Williams-Goss to be the loudest of the pack.

First TV appearance: Nov. 14 vs. South Carolina State; 10 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

Delon Wright, Utah

Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

Position: Guard

Year: Senior

Height, weight: 6'5", 190 lbs

Delon Wright's official position on Utah's team is as its point guard, but to pigeonhole him into one spot is a waste of his many talents. While he was the Utes' leading scorer (16.9 points) and leader in assists (5.3), Wright also finished second in rebounding (6.8) and first in steals (2.5), while shooting a hefty 56.1 percent.

With the ability to contribute in all facets of the game, Wright became Utah's first-ever All-Pac-12 player in 2013-14. He's also likely to be the guy to lead the Utes to their first NCAA tournament bid since joining the conference.

First TV appearance: Nov. 14 vs. Ball State; 10 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.