Ranking the 10 Best Players in All of College Basketball
In case you haven't noticed, the college basketball season is once again in full swing.
As usual there are some big-time players showcasing their talents.
While there are definitely a lot of "good" players out there, I'm attempting to separate the good from the great.
I will attempt to count down the best talents in the world of college basketball and let you know who I think is the best player in the country.
Regardless if you agree with the order of my picks, I would advise that you store these names away in your memory banks when you are filling out your brackets in March.
As always, feel free to let me know if I'm speaking the truth or if I have no idea what I'm talking about.
10. Kawhi Leonard (San Diego State)
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San Diego State head coach Steve Fischer pulled off the ultimate recruiting coup when he landed forward Kawhi Leonard from nearby Riverside, California.
Leonard came in as one of the most heralded recruits in SDSU history and was ranked as a consensus top 100 recruit by Rivals, Scout and ESPN recruiting services.
In his first two years at San Diego State, Kawhi has lived up to Aztecs fans' expectations and then some.
As a freshman Kawhi almost averaged a double-double, scoring 12.7 points and pulling down 9.9 rebounds per game.
While those numbers were impressive, he has kicked into another gear this year and is averaging 16 points and 10.6 rebounds per game for the Aztecs.
Kawhi has been one of the major catalysts of San Diego State’s 20-1 start and subsequent climb to the top ten of the AP and USA Today Top 25 rankings.
While Aztec fans would love to watch Kawhi lay waste to the rest of the Mountain West Conference for another two years, it’s unlikely that the forward will stick around that long.
NBA scouts are already flocking to San Diego State home games to watch the sensational sophomore. Kawhi’s draft stock is definitely on the upswing.
9. Kyle Singler (Duke)
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Singler came into Durham as a freshman and immediately showed promise, scoring 13.3 points per game and playing over 28 minutes per game in his first season on campus.
What makes Kyle Singler so special and unique is his commitment to Duke and Coach K; we are seeing more high-profile college players make the early jump to the NBA rather than finishing out their college career.
Singler bucked that trend, even though he already has a national title to his name, along with a considerable draft buzz.
The end result has been that Singler has consistently improved his game throughout his time at Duke and now, as a senior, Kyle is truly a nightmare for opposing coaches.
At 6'8", 230 lbs, the forward can either post opposing players up in the paint or fire from three-point range, where he shoots 38 percent.
Singler also shoots 81 percent from the free-throw line, which makes him truly capable of putting points on the board on any given possession.
Finally, Kyle’s length and size make him tough defensively and help him on the boards, where he snags 6.3 rebounds per game.
The result is a four-year player with a complete skill set who is one of the driving forces behind yet another Duke national title run.
8. Marcus Morris (Kansas)
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Marcus, along with his twin brother Markieff, have become the driving force behind Bill Self’s Kansas squad.
While Markieff is very talented in his own right, Marcus has shown to be the more dominant member of the duo and definitely deserves to be ranked on this list.
Marcus fills up the stat sheet in a big way for Coach Self, scoring 17 points per game and pulling down 6.8 rebounds per game.
What makes Marcus Morris so special, though, is the way he gets his work done.
Obviously, Marcus has no problem bullying opponents on the low block and scoring from in close, but he is also a surprisingly efficient outside shooter, shooting 36 percent from three-point range.
If you combine all that with the fact that the 235-lb big man is also skilled in moving up and down the court and scoring in transition, then you can see how Marcus is involved on every possession.
Like the aforementioned Leonard and Singler, Marcus Morris has NBA potential and will likely don an NBA jersey sooner rather than later.
The only question remaining is if Marcus will return to Kansas for one final season.
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7. Derrick Williams (Arizona)
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Williams is a threat to make the Sportscenter Top 10 anytime he is on the court.
The sophomore from Mirada, California, has already reached legendary status on YouTube with his jaw-dropping dunks.
Derrick is not all flash and no substance though; he is averaging 19.8 points per game this season and has been blisteringly hot from behind the arc, shooting 68 percent from three-point range.
Last season, Arizona had their remarkable streak of 25 straight NCAA tournament appearances snapped.
Williams is doing everything in his power to ensure that the Wildcats won’t be watching the games from the couch again this season.
At 17-4, second-year head coach Sean Miller is hitting his stride in Tucson. He can certainly thank Derrick Williams for a lot of the Wildcats' success so far this season.
6. Terrence Jones (Kentucky)
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Jones was originally a Washington commit, but had a late change of heart and took his talents to Kentucky.
In doing so, Terrence kept the Wildcats in the top tier of college basketball’s pecking order.
The freshman burst onto the scene by scoring 69 points during his three-day stay in Hawaii for the Maui Invitational.
Terrence’s level of play didn’t drop once Kentucky left the islands, either, and Jones has become the leader of the young Kentucky team.
Jones plays with a high motor and is the ultimate competitor on the court. These characteristics mesh well with his athleticism and skill set.
Terrence is averaging 18.3 points and 8.9 rebounds for Kentucky and has definitely lived up to his McDonalds All-American status.
5. Jordan Hamilton (Texas)
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At 6’7", 220 lbs, Jordan is a skilled ball handler and can play both as a guard or forward.
Jordan can score in both the half court and in transition situations, which makes him a handful to guard against.
He is also tough on the boards and leads the Longhorns in rebounding pulling down 7.4 per game.
Along with Corey Joseph and Tristan Thompson, Jordan has paced Texas this season and is helping make sure they don’t suffer another second-half collapse like they did last season.
Hamilton shoots 43 percent from three-point range and 75 percent from the foul line, which makes him a threat to always put the ball into the basket.
Jordan’s height and length combine with his great ball skills making him an ideal NBA candidate.
It remains to be seen whether this will be his last season at Texas, but regardless, Longhorn fans are living in the moment and enjoying the time they have with him.
4. Nolan Smith (Duke)
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Nolan Smith joins fellow senior Kyle Singler and becomes the second Blue Devil on the top 10 list.
Nolan is truly special because of his ability to score the ball himself and also distribute the ball to his teammates as well.
He is the floor general for head coach Mike Krzyzewski and dishes out 5.7 assists per game in addition to scoring over 20 points per game as well.
Of course, Smith like Singler already has a national title under his belt, but you know he would love to bring another championship back to Durham.
Nolan has improved and continuously taken on a larger role throughout his four years at Duke and now as a senior, he is without a doubt one of the top players in the country.
He is a coach’s dream and is the ultimate team guy, which makes him an ideal leader for Coach K.
These traits, along with his impressive statistics, earn him a spot in the top five.
3. Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)
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You often hear coaches use phrases such as "Needs time to develop" or "One day he will be a great player for us."
Neither of those phrases applies to Jared Sullinger, and I’m guessing he developed all he needed to do by the time he was wrapping up his junior year at (Columbus) Northland High School.
Sullinger began the season by tearing up Florida’s big men at the O’Connell Center, scoring 26 points and 10 rebounds as Ohio State easily laid waste to the Gators 93-75.
Nineteen games later, no one has been able to slow down Mr. Sullinger or the undefeated Buckeyes.
Sullinger is averaging 17.8 points and 10 rebounds per game thus far and has clearly established himself as the top freshman in the country.
Jared combines his brute strength with a vast assortment of low-post moves to put the ball into the basket for the Buckeyes.
He is strictly a meat and potatoes type of player; he only shoots 22 percent from three-point range and averages only 1.4 assists per game.
Despite the fact that he lacks these guard qualities, you have to like the fact that Jared knows he is a highly talented post player and doesn’t attempt to be something he is not.
2. Kemba Walker (UCONN)
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It was always said that New York City produces some of the best guards in the country. I have to say that the NYC guard pipeline was starting to lose a lot of its luster.
Recently, New York City gave us guards such as Sebastian Telfair and Lance “Born Ready” Stephenson, and it’s safe to say that right now those players don’t look like the next big NBA floor generals.
With that said, Kemba Walker has brought a lot of credibility back to New York City. Walker, a point guard out of Brother Rice High School in the Bronx, has displayed a vast amount of toughness, confidence and moxie this season while running the offense at Connecticut.
Kemba averages a stunning 24.4 points per game and is pulling down over five rebounds per game for head coach Jim Calhoun.
While all that is impressive and will land you a spot in any top 10 list in itself, it's Kemba’s toughness and willingness to take the big shot that moves him up to the No. 2 spot on my list.
He has buried heavyweights Michigan State, Texas and Villanova by hitting last-second shots to put the Huskies over the top.
Say what you will about Mr. Walker, but without him I doubt that UConn is still holding their top 10 ranking.
1. Jimmer Fredette (BYU)
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Jimmer’s 27.4 points per game is best in the country and his legend hit an all-time high after his 43-point performance against previously undefeated San Diego State.
While the obvious comparison is now being made between Fredette and former Davidson star Stephen Curry, Jimmer really stands in a class of his own.
The senior from Glen Falls, New York shoots 48 percent from the field, is hitting 42 percent of his shots from three-point range and connects 90 percent of the time from the foul stripe, which makes him dangerous from anywhere on the court.
Whether he is a slashing to the hoop, connecting from long range or putting in chippies from the foul line, this guy is always putting the ball in the basket.
His performances of 47 points against Utah, 43 points against San Diego State, 42 points against Colorado State and 39 points against UNLV confirm that.
It may seem odd to favor a Mountain West conference player over the stars from heavyweight conferences such as the Big East, ACC and Big Ten, but that is how high I am on Mr. Fredette.
Look for his legend to peak once the NCAA Tournament rolls around in March.
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