10 Freakishly Athletic College Basketball Players in the 2014-15 Season

All Division I basketball players are, by designation, athletic. This term becomes increasingly relative the higher and higher up the ladder they climb. You sort of know it when you see it.

That can come from players whose jumping abilities are anti-gravity or a sub-6'0" guard slashing through the paint. Some of the players on this list are freakishly athletic by what they can do with their size—big or small.

Athleticism doesn’t always translate into great basketball skills, but it’s always best to gamble on athleticism than the alternative. 

That said, read on to see some of the most athletically gifted players on the college court today.

10. Cliff Alexander, F, Kansas

Watching how a player handles an alley-oop can tell you a lot about his athleticism. It takes coordination and targeted running without the ball.

Kansas freshman Cliff Alexander runs the floor and finishes impressively in the above video. Knowing this kid is 6’8”, 240 pounds and built like a fully loaded U-Haul makes it that much more impressive.

NBADraft.net writes, “He has a real nose for the ball and is good about putting himself in position for rebounds and loose balls around the hoop."

You don’t earn that kind of evaluation without being one of the more athletic big men in the country.

9. Karl-Anthony Towns, F, Kentucky

Karl-Anthony Towns, like his teammate Willie Cauley-Stein, towers at 7 feet tall with athleticism that belies his size.

He doesn’t just plug up the paint. He moves laterally and gets into position to block shots cleanly. He leads his team with 2.4 blocks per game in just over 20 minutes per game.

The subtext of what NBADraft.net says about Towns speaks directly to his athleticism:

"

Very good shot blocker. Though not a huge leaper, has excellent timing and shows the ability to use his great length as a rim protector ... Shows better speed than quickness, and can really motor once he gets a head of steam ... Hustles and shows the willingness to defend and play hard ... Underrated foot speed and perimeter defensive ability ... Doesn't seem to get winded easily, though the UK platoon system helps in this area ... Has shown the ability to defend players much smaller than himself with success on the perimeter ... 

"

Towns moves his 250 pounds with relative ease and shows greater signs of promise and progress as he develops.

8. Angel Rodriguez, G, Miami

The Blue Devils were tamed by an angel—Angel Rodriguez.

The 5'11" guard sliced, diced and julienned Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Jan. 13. He proved that, in this instance, size matters little. Just watch this Vine.  

Rodriguez nearly snapped off Duke's Tyus Jones' ankle with that move through the paint. 

Mike Rutherford of SB Nation writes:

"

Rodriguez has emerged as not only Jim Larranaga's most talented player, but his undisputed leader and most clutch performer. He scored 24 points in the Miami's November victory over then-No. 8 Florida, and dropped 25 in a double overtime loss to still undefeated Virginia. He's the single biggest reason why Miami appears on its way back to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year hiatus.

"

Rodriguez is listed at 5'11", which probably means he's even smaller than that. That makes him a freak at the D-I level.

7. Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame

Jerian Grant can run around you, by you or through you. He can pull up for three or drive the lane.

The above video was from a 2013 game against Louisville, which historically has aggressive, hungry defenders.

The fact that he can beat defenders in so many varied ways makes him a tough matchup because defenses can't go all-in on one aspect of his game.

And if all else fails, he can just do this. 

The Irish are one of the surprise teams in the ACC this year, amassing a record of 16-2 and 4-1 in the conference with key wins at North Carolina and at Georgia Tech.

6. Willie Cauley-Stein, F, Kentucky

Willie Cauley-Stein has proved to be one of the best defenders in the country, and if not for Kentucky head coach John Calipari’s platoon system, Cauley-Stein would be a National Player of the Year candidate.

In the above video, his incredible length disrupted the play, and he ran with—and ultimately away from (even if there was some contact)—Montrezl Harrell. Cauley-Stein corralled the ball and went up for the two-handed jam.

NBADraft.net opines, “Very fluid...light on his feet.”

And that’s not necessarily an assessment you’d expect from a 7-footer.

5. Stanley Johnson, F, Arizona

Stanley Johnson’s best asset—besides that 6’7”, 240-pound frame—may be the way he defends. Watch that video and don’t get consumed by the offensive end (as strong as that is).

Johnson is on the ball and smothers his assignment. Michigan’s Caris LeVert, who is projected to be a first-round NBA pick, can’t shake loose from Johnson.

Sure, Johnson’s shot is a little flat and, as the scouts say, with a release loaded too much in front of his face, but what can’t be denied is that he has an NBA-ready body and the speed of someone 30 pounds lighter.

He has all the tools, and the way he puts that NBA body in motion makes him one of the more dynamic and freakish athletes in this game.

4. Justin Anderson, G, Virginia

Justin Anderson is leading the undefeated Virginia Cavaliers with 14.5 points per game, making plays with his incredible explosiveness with the ball. 

He dropped some weight, and as a result, his athleticism has shined.

“I’m jumping much higher now," Anderson told Whitey Reid of The Daily Progress. "Coach Curtis was shocked. After practice the other day, I was doing a couple of dunks, and I could feel myself dunking it as I was still going up. I was like eye level with the rim. I was like, ‘Man, these workouts are great!’”

Rim? Eye level? That's a measure of freakish athleticism you don't often see.

3. Justice Winslow, G, Duke

A little context for that video. The Stanford player, Chasson Randle, was fouled before he attempted his shot so it stands to reason he didn’t put up a cautious shot.

That said, Justice Winslow displayed his incredible leaping ability and coordination to get a hand on this ball for the “block.”

NBADraft.net has this to say about Winslow:

"

Big time athlete with elite level speed and athleticism ...  Can finish at the rim with highlight dunks, and does a good job of utilizing his great body strength to absorb contact ... Very dangerous in the open floor with his speed and leaping ability.

"

Add that he’s a lefty to his already amazing athletic gifts and he becomes a tricky matchup on the next level.

2. Montrezl Harrell, F, Louisville

The video illustrates on a few levels the freakish athleticism of Harrell. After the rebound, he begins his charge down the entire length of the court.

Running with giant strides, he calls for the ball. He then elevates and meets the ball in mid-flight to throw it down one-handed.

Michael Baumann of Grantland writes:

"

So Harrell’s huge, but not unprecedentedly so. It’s the way he moves, though, that makes him special. Harrell is one of the best and most persistent dunkers in college basketball without being tremendously aggressive or springy about it; he lifts his arms and ascends toward the basketball, and when he does so you come to appreciate the physics of the game, the sheer force required to lift something that big that high into the air. It’s like watching a space shuttle lift off.

"

A 7'4" wingspan and the ability to leap and run the floor make Harrell the perfect hybrid of brawn and zip.

1. Sheldon McClellan, F, Miami

Sheldon McClellan is an on-demand highlight reel.

After clashing with his former head coach from Texas, McClellan took his talents to South Beach. McClellan's vertical is 40 inches, which means this guy can jump over three feet off the Earth's crust.

He can bound down the floor, and when he takes flight, he reminds you that he could be the greatest pure athlete in college basketball.

Just watch how he moves without the ball and slams down the alley-oop in this video. And here.

The way he moves makes him a man among boys.