The Most Entertaining Players in the 2014-15 College Basketball Season

College basketball is, by its very nature, one of the most exciting sports in America.

After all, the postseason is an entire month of one-and-done thrill rides, student sections are right on top of opposing players and the game itself is only 40 minutes long. Dunks and three-point shots are integral plays on a nightly basis, and the magic of an upset can still bring the sports world together for an evening.

Naturally, some of the individual players bring that excitement to the arenas every night. With that in mind, here is a look at the most entertaining players in the country for the 2014-15 season.

It is important to note that this is not just a list of the nation’s best dunkers, although the ability to bring the crowd to its feet with a rim-rattling slam helps in this discussion. What's more, only one player per team was considered, which is why someone like Ohio State’s Sam Thompson would qualify as an honorable mention here.

All statistics are current as of Tuesday, Feb. 10.

D’Angelo Russell, Ohio State

No player in the entire country has elevated their individual profile this season more than Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell.

He went from a freshman with a high ceiling to a potential top-three pick in the next NBA draft almost overnight. A major reason why is because of his smooth and exciting style of play and his ability to create jaw-dropping highlights with his passing.

So many exciting players create excitement from dunks, but Russell does it with incredible court vision, one-handed passes that weave their way through defenders and the tendency to hit ridiculous fadeaway three-pointers over the outstretched arms of defenders.

Jahlil Okafor, Duke

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Big men may not gracefully soar through the sky like guards throwing down dunks, but there is something to be said about Jahlil Okafor’s power and raw ability.

Rob Dauster of NBC Sports named Okafor as one of the country’s most exciting players:

"

Okafor is the most dominant low-post player that we’ve seen come through the college ranks in a long time. His footwork, his post moves, his passing ability, the way he reads double-teams. He’s a throwback, and while the things he does don’t involve high-flying acrobatics or ankle-breaking crossovers, even the most surly basketball fans will be able to appreciate big men with moves.

"

College basketball fans better enjoy Okafor now because he will almost surely be dominating in the NBA after this season.

Jerian Grant, Notre Dame

There are few offenses in college basketball as efficient as Notre Dame’s, and Jerian Grant is the leader of the group.

Grant scores 16.8 points and dishes out 6.3 assists per game, but it is his overall control of the offense that makes him so exciting. He seems to always make the right play, comes through in the clutch and is a much better dunker than he gets credit for.

Just look at the above slam against Georgia Tech for proof.

Larry Nance Jr., Wyoming

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

Larry Nance Jr. is a dunk machine, which should not come as a surprise to basketball aficionados who remember his father winning a Slam Dunk Contest.

Nance Jr. could make this list on the back of his dunks alone, but he does much more than that on the court. He is a force on the glass at 6’8” (thanks largely to his leaping ability), averages more than a block a game and can extend his shooting range all the way beyond the three-point line if necessary.

Wyoming has an excellent chance to make the NCAA tournament out of the Mountain West Conference, and Nance is a major reason why.

Keifer Sykes, Green Bay

Keifer Sykes may play for a mid-major school, but he is an absolute superstar and a treat to watch for fans.

He is averaging 18.3 points, four assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game for Green Bay and helped the Phoenix shock Miami in the nonconference portion of the schedule. He also has his team at 19-5 and challenging for a spot in the Big Dance.

What makes him so exciting, though, is his ability to soar up and throw down dunks despite his 6’ frame. He is a scoring machine who could explode on any given night and would be appointment viewing in March.

Montrezl Harrell, Louisville

Anyone who has seen Montrezl Harrell throw down dunks understands why he is on this list.

Outside of bruising rims with his sheer power on those slams, Harrell is an exciting player because of his ability to control the flow of the game on the defensive side. A blocked shot may be the most exciting play in basketball outside of a dunk or buzzer-beater, and Harrell can swoop in from almost anywhere on the floor and swat shots into the fifth row.

He could be a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

Michael Qualls, Arkansas

Bobby Portis may be Arkansas’ best player and leading scorer and rebounder, but nobody in the SEC (and arguably college basketball) posterizes players like Michael Qualls.

What’s more, Arkansas consistently puts pressure on the opposing offense with an uptempo style of play and harassing defense, and that helps Qualls get dunking opportunities in transition. Rarely does he disappoint.

He does more than just dunk, though, and averages 15.1 points per game. The next question is whether he and Portis can get the Razorbacks into the NCAA tournament.

Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin

Jim Slosiarek/Associated Press

Frank Kaminsky isn’t going to land on any top-10 highlight reels because of amazing dunks or soul-crushing blocks, but there is something exciting about playing a different style than most.

Dauster also mentioned Kaminsky in his list of the nation’s most exciting players:

"Kaminsky is a seven-foot center with the perimeter skills of a point guard. He can hit threes, he can beat you off the dribble and he’s an excellent passer. If you try to put a smaller defender on him, he can overpower them in the post."

The Wisconsin big man is the closest thing fans have to a Dirk Nowitzki at the college level, and his penchant for turning in double-doubles and critical threes in the biggest moments make him an exciting player.

John Brown, High Point

High Point may not land on the register of many college basketball fans right now, but it will if the 17-7 Panthers make the NCAA tournament out of the Big South Conference.

John Brown is their leading scorer at 18.2 points per game and the leading rebounder at 5.8 boards a night, but he is on this list because of his ability to sky-walk to the basket and bring the house down with dunks.

He is also capable of lighting up the stat sheet (see his 33-point game against Winthrop), which adds another element of excitement to his game.

Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky

Kentucky was caught in a slugfest in its last game at Florida, and the undefeated record was on the line. However, everything changed when Willie Cauley-Stein silenced the crowd with an incredible dunk.

Guard Aaron Harrison described the play, via Kyle Tucker of The Courier-Journal: "We got excited. I was screaming like I did it. One of your teammates dunks on somebody like that, it's a great energizer."

All Cauley-Stein does is energize the Wildcats with his incredible dunks and guard-like skill set in a 7’ frame. He runs the floor in transition, is a walking highlight reel when he dunks and can change the momentum of a game with one play.

Sounds like an exciting player.