Iowa Has The Best Fans. Change My Mind.

[dukedevilz]

Probably not the most accurate list out there. But, here's my top 150. I'm sure I missed a few.

Top 150
1. Cassius Winston, Michigan State
2. Myles Powell, Seton Hall
3. Markus Howard, Marquette
4. Jordan Nwora, Louisville
5. Udoka Azubuike, Kansas
6. Cole Anthony, North Carolina
7. James Wiseman, Memphis
8. Jalen Smith, Maryland
9. Jarron Cumberland, Cincinnati
10. Tristan Clark, Baylor
11. Devon Dotson, Kansas
12. Tre Jones, Duke
13. Kerry Blackshear, Florida
14. Lamar Stevens, Penn State
15. Antoine Davis, Detroit
16. Nico Mannion, Arizona
17. Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois
18. Anthony Edwards, Georgia
19. Sam Merrill, Utah State
20. Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky
21. Tres Tinkle, Oregon State
22. Jordan Ford, Saint Mary's
23. Andrew Nembhard, Florida
24. Anthony Lamb, Vermont
25. Lamine Diane, CS Northridge
26. Zavier Simpson, Michigan
27. Bryce Aiken, Harvard
28. Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State
29. Isaiah Stewart, Washington
30. Anthony Cowan, Maryland
31. Admon Gilder, Gonzaga
32. Omer Yurtseven, Georgetown
33. Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State
34. Skylar Mays, LSU
35. Jon Axel Gudmundsson, Davidson
36. Vernon Carey, Duke
37. Xavier Tillman, Michigan State
38. Breein Tyree, Ole Miss
39. Yoeli Childs, BYU
40. Marcus Evans, VCU
41. Mamadi Diakite, Virginia
42. Charles Bassey, Western Kentucky
43. Jared Butler, Baylor
44. Alpha Diallo, Providence
45. Ahston Hagans, Kentucky
46. McKinley Wright, Colorado
47. Killian Tillie, Gonzaga
48. Desmond Bane, TCU
49. Kamar Baldwin, Butler
50. Derek Culver, West Virginia
51. Payton Pritchard, Oregon
52. David Moretti, Texas Tech
53. Kira Lewis, Alabama
54. Christian Vital, UConn
55. Neemias Queta, Utah State
56. John Mooney, Notre Dame
57. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova
58. Mitch Ballock, Creighton
59. Terry Taylor, Austin Peay
60. Reggie Perry, Mississippi State
61. Tyler Bey, Colorado
62. JaQuan Lyle, New Mexico
63. Joshua Langford, Michigan State
64. Scottie Lewis, Florida
65. Josh Green, Arizona
66. Dejon Jarreau, Houston
67. KJ Feagin, San Diego State
68. Seth Towns, Harvard
69. Ochai Agbaji, Kansas
70. Samuel Williamson, Louisville
71. Markell Johnson, NC State
72. Ty-Shon Alexander, Creighton
73. Chris Clarke, Texas Tech
74. Joe Wieskamp, Iowa
75. Elijah Hughes, Syracuse
76. Grant Riller, Charleston
77. Trevion Williams, Purdue
78. Chris Duarte, Oregon
79. Khalil Whitney, Kentucky
80. Quinton Rose, Temple
81. Xavier Johnson, Pittsburgh
82. Colbey Ross, Pepperdine
83. AJ Lawson, South Carolina
84. Nathan Knight, William & Mary
85. Xavier Sneed, Kansas State
86. Nojoel Eastern, Purdue
87. Nick Rakocevic, USC
88. Collin Gillespie, Villanova
89. Trent Forrest, Florida State
90. Obi Toppin, Dayton
91. Nick Muszynski, Belmont
92. Matt Coleman, Texas
93. Malik Fitts, Saint Mary's
94. Garrison Brooks, North Carolina
95. Jaden McDaniels, Washington
96. Matthew Hurt, Duke
97. Paul Scruggs, Xavier
98. Jon Teske, Michigan
99. AJ Harris, New Mexico State
100. Corey Kispert, Gonzaga
101. Braxton Key, Virginia
102. Lindy Waters, Oklahoma State
103. Trent Frazier, Illinois
104. Lamonte Turner, Tennessee
105. Precious Achiuwa, Memphis
106. Eugene German, Northern Illinois
107. Silvio De Sousa, Kansas
108. James Akinjo, Georgetown
109. Chris Lykes, Miami
110. Nate Reuvers, Wisconsin
111. Kellan Grady, Davidson
112. Jermaine Marrow, Hampton
113. Remy Martin, Arizona State
114. Dwayne Sutton, Louisville
115. Ivan Aurrecoechea, New Mexico State
116. Javonte Smart, LSU
117. Nathan Hoover, Wofford
118. De'Riante Jenkins, VCU
119. Samir Doughty, Auburn
120. Tyrique Jones, Xavier
121. Michael Jacobson, Iowa State
122. Luther Muhammad, Ohio State
123. Malachi Flynn, San Diego State
124. Evan Leonard, UC Irvine
125. LJ Figueroa, St.John's
126. Bryan Antoine, Villanova
127. Cassius Stanley, Duke
128. Ethan Thompson, Oregon State
129. TJ Haws, BYU
130. Cyril Langevine, Rhode Island
131. AJ Brodeur, Penn
132. Prince Ali, UCLA
133. N'Faly Dante, Oregon
134. Mark Smith, Missouri
135. Isaiah Joe, Arkansas
136. Jalen Crutcher, Dayton
137. James Banks, Georgia Tech
138. Kobe McEwen, Marquette
139. Jordan Bowden, Tennessee
140. Brady Manek, Oklahoma
141. Jonah Mathews, USC
142. Myles Cale, Seton Hall
143. Mario Kegler, Baylor
144. Cameron Krutwig, Loyola Chicago
145. Sa'eed Nelson, American
146. EJ Montgomery, Kentucky
147. Savion Flagg, Texas A&M
148. David Collins, South Florida
149. Vance Jackson, New Mexico
150. D'Mitrik Trice, Wisconsin

 

[JimboBBN]

People sleeping on Ashton.

 

[dukedevilz]

People sleeping on Ashton.

I only have 6 SEC guys ahead of him. 45th is really solid. I mean, he's sandwiched in between Alpha Diallo (2019 Big East 2nd Team All-Conference) and McKinley Wright (2019 Pac-12 1st Team All-Conference). When you see I only have a few SEC guys ahead of him, I don't think it look bad at all, actually.

SEC
13. Kerry Blackshear, Florida
18. Anthony Edwards, Georgia
20. Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky
23. Andrew Nembhard, Florida
34. Skylar Mays, LSU
38. Breein Tyree, Ole Miss
45. Ashton Hagans, Kentucky

 

[WeAreDePaul]

Thanks DD, love the time and effort you put into these.

I'll only comment for now about my two teams. I think you really missed the boat on LSU and DePaul. Skyler Mays is not the 34th best player in the country. And Javonta Smart is not 116. If anything, those two should be reversed as Smart is about 2x the player that Mays is. Mays sucks.

As for DePaul I'm not surprised you forgot about us since we barely exist, but you really dropped the ball on Paul Reed. Junior big man, he was Big East most improved player last year. Led the Big east in rebounding. in the post season he averaged 18/10 in the CBI. This summer in their 2020 mock, NBA draft had him going 36th overall!

Cmon DD, you really gonna tell me a guy who is projected as a possible high second round pick and who just won Bigeast most improved can't find a spot in your top 50 let alone your top 150?????


Don't make me go all Michigan on you!

 

[AWilli6995]

People sleeping on Ashton.

I agree and disagree. He's a lock down defender that can't shoot. Tony Allen 2.0 but he has time to improve his shot.

 

[dukedevilz]

Thanks DD, love the time and effort you put into these.

I'll only comment for now about my two teams. I think you really missed the boat on LSU and DePaul. Skyler Mays is not the 34th best player in the country. And Javonta Smart is not 116. If anything, those two should be reversed as Smart is about 2x the player that Mays is. Mays sucks.

As for DePaul I'm not surprised you forgot about us since we barely exist, but you really dropped the ball on Paul Reed. Junior big man, he was Big East most improved player last year. Led the Big east in rebounding. in the post season he averaged 18/10 in the CBI. This summer in their 2020 mock, NBA draft had him going 36th overall!

Cmon DD, you really gonna tell me a guy who is projected as a possible high second round pick and who just won Bigeast most improved can't find a spot in your top 50 let alone your top 150?????


Don't make me go all Michigan on you!

You certainly know LSU better than I do. When I was compiling my list, I noted that Skylar Mays had a much higher efficiency rating than Smart (18.6 to 12.8). Now, the sophomore year IMO is the hardest year to project. Lots of guys take HUGE strides forward. And perhaps that will be Javonte Smart. I think his shooting percentage is what scared me the most.

As far as Paul Reed, I actually did have him on my radar. However, I'm going to penalize players if they play for a sub-par team. I formulated my list by including players from each conference that I suspected could make the top 150. Reed was on my list. To be fair, I didn't have a master list to compare all of the stats. I zoomed through the last 50 players fairly quickly. the two players underlined are the only ones that I left off of my list (added Bryan Antoine to the top 150, as well).

 

[Fight r8rs Fight!]

Jahmius Ramsey will make lots of noise in the Big 12.

 

[dukedevilz]

Jahmius Ramsey will make lots of noise in the Big 12.

I expect he'll start and play a key role for TTU. Do you think he'll be the primary ball handler?

 

[Fight r8rs Fight!]

I expect he'll start and play a key role for TTU. Do you think he'll be the primary ball handler?

I think it'll be a mix between him and Moretti. In crunch time if a bucket is needed he'll be our one on one option based off what we saw from his Jamaica performance.

 

[GE Nole]

I only have 6 SEC guys ahead of him. 45th is really solid. I mean, he's sandwiched in between Alpha Diallo (2019 Big East 2nd Team All-Conference) and McKinley Wright (2019 Pac-12 1st Team All-Conference). When you see I only have a few SEC guys ahead of him, I don't think it look bad at all, actually.

SEC
13. Kerry Blackshear, Florida
18. Anthony Edwards, Georgia
20. Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky
23. Andrew Nembhard, Florida
34. Skylar Mays, LSU
38. Breein Tyree, Ole Miss
45. Ashton Hagans, Kentucky

Nembhard ain’t a top 25 player. I’d probably put Scottie Lewis ahead of him. 105.7 offensive rating last year with a TS% of 51.2%. He was literally non existent on the offensive glass (0.6%) and his free throw rate is ehh.

Heck just compare him with Trent Forrest (who is no where near a top 25 player—probably more like 50-65):

Forrest has a higher offensive rating, higher usage rate, higher TS%, far higher OR%, higher DR%, lower turnover rate, higher steal rate, higher block rate (nearly double), double the number of fouls drawn per 40 min, more than double the FT rate, higher FT%, and a higher 2pt%.

Basically, Nembhard has a better assist rate (though both are good) and a better 3pt% (though both suck).

And again, that’s just a comparison with a top 75 type player. I like your list but Nembhard just really jumps out as way too high.

 

[JimboBBN]

I agree and disagree. He's a lock down defender that can't shoot. Tony Allen 2.0 but he has time to improve his shot.

Yes he does. He actually shot pretty well down the stretch after stinking it up earlier. Him and Maxey are going to be one hell of a backcourt

 

[dukedevilz]

Nembhard ain’t a top 25 player. I’d probably put Scottie Lewis ahead of him. 105.7 offensive rating last year with a TS% of 51.2%. He was literally non existent on the offensive glass (0.6%) and his free throw rate is ehh.

Heck just compare him with Trent Forrest (who is no where near a top 25 player—probably more like 50-65):

Forrest has a higher offensive rating, higher usage rate, higher TS%, far higher OR%, higher DR%, lower turnover rate, higher steal rate, higher block rate (nearly double), double the number of fouls drawn per 40 min, more than double the FT rate, higher FT%, and a higher 2pt%.

Basically, Nembhard has a better assist rate (though both are good) and a better 3pt% (though both suck).

And again, that’s just a comparison with a top 75 type player. I like your list but Nembhard just really jumps out as way too high.

Seems reasonable. I certainly wouldn't have him as a top 25 player based on statistics from last year. Not even in the top 100. I'm expecting a jump from Nembhard, more than anything. He did something right to make Canada's national team for the FIBA World Cup. I've seen a couple others that are really high on Nembhard's progression. So that ranking is more of a guess, not so much merit-based.

 

[RR30]

People sleeping on Ashton.

Not a fan at all honestly. I think UK will be better with Maxey running the show and Quickley/Juzang off ball to provide shooting.
On the UK team I am really high on Brooks and Whitney though. I think both are gonna be real good.

Other thoughts-
I think Tre Jones is too high and Carey too low. Carey is gonna be a double double machine this year imo.

I love Kira Lewis' potential too. Wouldn't be surprised if he ends up a 1st team all sec caliber player.

 

[dukedevilz]

Not a fan at all honestly. I think UK will be better with Maxey running the show and Quickley/Juzang off ball to provide shooting.
On the UK team I am really high on Brooks and Whitney though. I think both are gonna be real good.

Other thoughts-
I think Tre Jones is too high and Carey too low. Carey is gonna be a double double machine this year imo.

I love Kira Lewis' potential too. Wouldn't be surprised if he ends up a 1st team all sec caliber player.

I love Kira Lewis. He's going to kill it this year. He absolutely could end up 1st Team All SEC.

And yes, Tre's ranking isn't truly merit based (or Jalen Smith). The one thing that keeps lingering in my head is the fact that Tre was in the top 50 assists last year (5.3 assists per game), while constantly deferring to Zion and RJ. He'll have the ball in his hands much, much more this season. Wouldn't be surprised if he averages more than 8 assists per game (realistic chance to lead the nation in assists). He's already one of the best defenders in college basketball. Struggled to shoot from deep, but I'm always more comfortable in someone's progress if they're a good free throw shooter (76%).

As far as Carey, yeah, he probably could be higher. I've been worried about his conditioning more so than anything else. Just read a headline on rivals that he recently dropped some pounds. So maybe my concern was much ado about nothing. I could probably go ahead and revise my rankings a little, but I think I'll keep it as is.

 

[lurkeraspect84]

Not a fan at all honestly. I think UK will be better with Maxey running the show and Quickley/Juzang off ball to provide shooting.
On the UK team I am really high on Brooks and Whitney though. I think both are gonna be real good.

Other thoughts-
I think Tre Jones is too high and Carey too low. Carey is gonna be a double double machine this year imo.

I love Kira Lewis' potential too. Wouldn't be surprised if he ends up a 1st team all sec caliber player.

Agree. I do feel like they're being overlooked. I'm really, really excited about Whitney.

 

[RR30]

I love Kira Lewis. He's going to kill it this year. He absolutely could end up 1st Team All SEC.

And yes, Tre's ranking isn't truly merit based (or Jalen Smith). The one thing that keeps lingering in my head is the fact that Tre was in the top 50 assists last year (5.3 assists per game), while constantly deferring to Zion and RJ. He'll have the ball in his hands much, much more this season. Wouldn't be surprised if he averages more than 8 assists per game (realistic chance to lead the nation in assists). He's already one of the best defenders in college basketball. Struggled to shoot from deep, but I'm always more comfortable in someone's progress if they're a good free throw shooter (76%).

As far as Carey, yeah, he probably could be higher. I've been worried about his conditioning more so than anything else. Just read a headline on rivals that he recently dropped some pounds. So maybe my concern was much ado about nothing. I could probably go ahead and revise my rankings a little, but I think I'll keep it as is.

I think Hagans and Jones are very similar and overrated players. Jones had a ton of easy assists last year to Zion and Barrett. Zion at the back let him be super aggressive all year too. But he was an atrocious shooter and was a negative by the end of the year offensively because you were basically playing 4 on 5. Hagans had a few really good games that showed his potential if he put it together, but was also a non shooter that really hurts at the PG spot and was probably the biggest reason UK lost to Auburn in the E8.

As always I appreciate you doing this because it's good discussion this early before the season starts and we have breakouts that always happen.

 

[JimboBBN]

Not a fan at all honestly. I think UK will be better with Maxey running the show and Quickley/Juzang off ball to provide shooting.
On the UK team I am really high on Brooks and Whitney though. I think both are gonna be real good.

Other thoughts-
I think Tre Jones is too high and Carey too low. Carey is gonna be a double double machine this year imo.

I love Kira Lewis' potential too. Wouldn't be surprised if he ends up a 1st team all sec caliber player.

I think you are underrating how good of a defender he is. I think having him play point and Maxey at the two will probably work best. Having IQ come back was huge. Not many teams have an All American point coming off the bench

 

[Deathclutch]

No love for Daniel Oturu? Averaged 11ppg and 7 rpg as a Freshman in the Big Ten.

 

[UL_1986]

Solid list

 

[SheriffBufordTJustice]

Efficiency rating is stat driven anf often misses basketball plays because someone doesn't get credit.
I am not big on the rating. Plus there isn't a difference of when the stats happened. Someone scores points in garbage time isn't the same as when the game is on the line.
Same with rebounds, assists and steals

 

[hailtoyourvictor]

Thanks DD, love the time and effort you put into these.

I'll only comment for now about my two teams. I think you really missed the boat on LSU and DePaul. Skyler Mays is not the 34th best player in the country. And Javonta Smart is not 116. If anything, those two should be reversed as Smart is about 2x the player that Mays is. Mays sucks.

As for DePaul I'm not surprised you forgot about us since we barely exist, but you really dropped the ball on Paul Reed. Junior big man, he was Big East most improved player last year. Led the Big east in rebounding. in the post season he averaged 18/10 in the CBI. This summer in their 2020 mock, NBA draft had him going 36th overall!

Cmon DD, you really gonna tell me a guy who is projected as a possible high second round pick and who just won Bigeast most improved can't find a spot in your top 50 let alone your top 150?????


Don't make me go all Michigan on you!

Hold my beer

 

[hailtoyourvictor]

Teske too low.

 

[dukedevilz]

I think you are underrating how good of a defender he is. I think having him play point and Maxey at the two will probably work best. Having IQ come back was huge. Not many teams have an All American point coming off the bench

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who's this All American coming off the bench that you're describing? Surely you're not talking about Quickley?

No love for Daniel Oturu? Averaged 11ppg and 7 rpg as a Freshman in the Big Ten.

I like Oturu. Very solid player. But, I'm going to penalize players that aren't on great teams. Maybe I should entitle the list, "Most Impactful Players." I see Minnesota more as an NIT Team. If it was based on talent alone, Oturu absolutely would be deserving to be on this list.

Teske too low.

Honestly, anyone on this list is a really, really good player. There are no duds here. It's easy to look at a number like 98, 116, or whatever and feel like your team/player has been insulted. Anyone in the top 50 is a legit All-American Candidate. Anyone in the top 150 could make 1st or 2nd Team All Conference.

 

[SheriffBufordTJustice]

One player I would consider that is not on your list is Lindy Waters.

His three point percentage jumped between his Sophomore year and junior year.
He is just a grinder in the gym. Him and Dziawga are going to be tough because they both can shoot, drive, pass and move without the ball.

They are why I think Oklahoma State is probably the sleeper in the Big 12.
Waters is the better of the two I think he has a huge senior season.

 

[dukedevilz]

I think Hagans and Jones are very similar and overrated players. Jones had a ton of easy assists last year to Zion and Barrett. Zion at the back let him be super aggressive all year too. But he was an atrocious shooter and was a negative by the end of the year offensively because you were basically playing 4 on 5. Hagans had a few really good games that showed his potential if he put it together, but was also a non shooter that really hurts at the PG spot and was probably the biggest reason UK lost to Auburn in the E8.

As always I appreciate you doing this because it's good discussion this early before the season starts and we have breakouts that always happen.

Sure, he had some easy assists. But, he didn't have the ball in his hands all the time like a typical point guard. Essentially whoever grabbed the defensive rebound (except Bolden/DeLaurier) would bring the ball up court. He will have control of the ball on a regular basis this season. I'm expecting 13-15 ppg and 7-8 assists. And he should be a finalist for NABC DPOY. Maybe those stats don't merit the ranking, but I absolutely believe he's the most important player for Duke next season.

 

[dukedevilz]

One player I would consider that is not on your list is Lindy Waters.

His three point percentage jumped between his Sophomore year and junior year.
He is just a grinder in the gym. Him and Dziawga are going to be tough because they both can shoot, drive, pass and move without the ball.

They are why I think Oklahoma State is probably the sleeper in the Big 12.
Waters is the better of the two I think he has a huge senior season.

I have Waters at 102, actually. It's a long list. I know it's a lot of players to sort through. Waters can certainly shoot. No doubt about that.

 

[SheriffBufordTJustice]

I have Waters at 102, actually. It's a long list. I know it's a lot of players to sort through. Waters can certainly shoot. No doubt about that.

I missed him. My eyes getting messed up.

He is an all around player. The back story between him and Trae Young has put a chip in his shoulder. They played high school together but disliked each other and Young has been pretty disrespectful

 

[dukedevilz]

I missed him. My eyes getting messed up.

He is an all around player. The back story between him and Trae Young has put a chip in his shoulder. They played high school together but disliked each other and Young has been pretty disrespectful

Yeah, remember seeing recently that he's from Norman. I always think it's interesting when a player is at a school where their arch rival is located in their hometown - ala Trey Burke, a Columbus, Ohio native.

 

[hailtoyourvictor]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who's this All American coming off the bench that you're describing? Surely you're not talking about Quickley?



I like Oturu. Very solid player. But, I'm going to penalize players that aren't on great teams. Maybe I should entitle the list, "Most Impactful Players." I see Minnesota more as an NIT Team. If it was based on talent alone, Oturu absolutely would be deserving to be on this list.



Honestly, anyone on this list is a really, really good player. There are no duds here. It's easy to look at a number like 98, 116, or whatever and feel like your team/player has been insulted. Anyone in the top 50 is a legit All-American Candidate. Anyone in the top 150 could make 1st or 2nd Team All Conference.

I just think defense can get undervalued in lists like this. Teske is one of the best defensive bigs in the country (if not the best), but that's hard to quantify.

And I'm not insulted or criticizing the list. Just giving my two cents.

 

[lurkeraspect84]

I just think defense can get undervalued in lists like this. Teske is one of the best defensive bigs in the country (if not the best), but that's hard to quantify.

And I'm not insulted or criticizing the list. Just giving my two cents.

There's no doubt more emphasis is put on scoring,rather than keeping ppl from scoring.

 

[hailtoyourvictor]

There's no doubt more emphasis is put on scoring,rather than keeping ppl from scoring.

I'm in bed, can't answer the phone.

And offense trumps defense no doubt. Look what Cassius Winston did to Simpson and Michigan last year. Simpson is one of the best defensive guards in the country and it mattered not against elite offense.

 

[lurkeraspect84]

I'm in bed, can't answer the phone.

And offense trumps defense no doubt. Look what Cassius Winston did to Simpson and Michigan last year. Simpson is one of the best defensive guards in the country and it mattered not against elite offense.

I understand.

I can't help but think about Anthony Davis. He didn't do shit offensively in the title game but completely dominated the game on the defensive side and got MVP, etc .

 

[JimboBBN]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who's this All American coming off the bench that you're describing? Surely you're not talking about Quickley?



I like Oturu. Very solid player. But, I'm going to penalize players that aren't on great teams. Maybe I should entitle the list, "Most Impactful Players." I see Minnesota more as an NIT Team. If it was based on talent alone, Oturu absolutely would be deserving to be on this list.



Honestly, anyone on this list is a really, really good player. There are no duds here. It's easy to look at a number like 98, 116, or whatever and feel like your team/player has been insulted. Anyone in the top 50 is a legit All-American Candidate. Anyone in the top 150 could make 1st or 2nd Team All Conference.

 

[dukedevilz]

Gotcha. I don't think I'd be scratching my head if you mentioned McDonald's All-American.

 

[MGC_07]

For MSU

Cassius- Just Right, although I’m not sure he will put up the “stats” to bring home the wooden award. If we are the best team in the country though, he will probably get it regardless.

Tillman- He’s better than Skylar Mays. Second best player on a Final Four team. I’d definitely have him higher.

Josh Langford- He’s still not 100%, and most don’t expect him to be by the time the season starts. Probably a bit overrated at 63.

No Aaron Henry? I assume you forgot about him. He belongs somewhere on this list. He was really good the second half of last year, and apparently he has had a really good offseason. Our insiders have been raving about him.

Overall, really solid list though. I can imagine this took a long time.

 

[toonces11]

dude looks 32

 

[RR30]

Sure, he had some easy assists. But, he didn't have the ball in his hands all the time like a typical point guard. Essentially whoever grabbed the defensive rebound (except Bolden/DeLaurier) would bring the ball up court. He will have control of the ball on a regular basis this season. I'm expecting 13-15 ppg and 7-8 assists. And he should be a finalist for NABC DPOY. Maybe those stats don't merit the ranking, but I absolutely believe he's the most important player for Duke next season.

I might be wrong, but I just don't see him averaging 2-3 more assists a game after you take away all of the easy assists he had last year. I think him not having a huge offensive role made it easier to go all out on defense as well. Can he play with that same effort on both ends all game?

I think you are underrating how good of a defender he is. I think having him play point and Maxey at the two will probably work best. Having IQ come back was huge. Not many teams have an All American point coming off the bench

Hagans had like a 5 game stretch where he was the best player on the team. The game against UNC was one of the best defensive performances of the year imo. But the defensive performances only started going downhill after sec play started. He couldn't stay in front of anyone and was a disaster in the tournament. Hopefully going against Maxey in practice really helps him grow because he has the talent.

 

[dukedevilz]

Just picked up a copy of Athlon's College Basketball preview last night. Here are their top 100 players. My rankings are in parenthesis. Kind of surprising to see some of the similarities. We both had 3 of the same players in the 91-100 range (bolded). I think I'm a little more generous on including mid-majors.

1. Cassius Winston, Michigan State (1)
2. Markus Howard, Marquette (3)
3. Myles Powell, Seton Hall (2)
4. Devon Dotson, Kansas (11)
5. Jordan Nwora, Louisville (4)
6. Cole Anthony, North Carolina (6)
7. Jarron Cumberland, Cincinnati (9)
8. Tre Jones, Duke (12)
9. Isaiah Stewart, Washington (29)
10. James Wiseman, Memphis (8)
11. Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois (17)
12. Reggie Perry, Mississipip State (60)
13. Kerry Blackshear (13)
14. Udoka Azubuike (5)
15. Anthony Edwards, Georgia (18)
16. Jalen Smith, Maryland (8)
17. Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State (33)
18. Andrew Nembhard, Florida (23)
19. Jordan Ford, Saint Mary's (22)
20. Yoeli Childs, BYU (39)
21. Nico Mannion, Arizona (16)
22. Lamar Stevens, Penn State (14)
23. Killian Tillie, Gonzaga (47)
24. Kira Lewis, Alabama (53)
25. Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky (20)
26. Ashton Hagans, Kentucky (45)
27. Breein Tyree, Ole Miss (38)
28. Anthony Cowan, Maryland (30)
29. Payton Prtichard, Oregon (51)
30. Antohny Lamb, Vermont (24)
31. Kamar Baldwin, Butler (49)
32. Sam Merrill, Utah State (19)
33. Tres Tinkle, Oregon State (21)
34. Jon Axel Gudmundsson, Davidson (35)
35. Alpha Diallo, Providence (44)
36. McKinley Wright, Colorado (46)
37. Isaiah Joe, Arkansas (135)
38. Xavier Tillman, Michigan State (37)
39. Tristan Clark, Baylor (10)
40. Scottie Lewis, Florida (64)
41. Naji Marshall, Xavier (NR)
42. Ty-Shon Alexander, Creighton (72)
43. Aaron Henry, Michigan State (NR)
44. Neemias Queta, Utah State (55)
45. Joe Wieskamp, Iowa (74)
46. Skylar Mays, LSU (34)
47. Vernon Carey, Duke (36)
48. Precious Achiuwa, Memphis (105)
49. Charles Bassey, Wesetern Kentucky (42)
50. Markell Johnson, NC State (71)
51. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova (57)
52. Mamadi Diakite, Virginia (41)
53. Xavier Johnson, Pittsburgh (81)
54. Jaden McDaniels, Washington (95)
55. Zavier Simpson, Michigan (26)
56. Aaron Nesmith, Vanderbilt (NR)
57. Mustapha Heron, St.John's (NR)
58. Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State (28)
59. Omer Yurtseven, Georgetown (32)
60. Matthew Hurt, Duke (96)
61. Joshua Langford. Michigan State (63)
62. Chris Clarke, Texas Tech (73)
63. Paul Scruggs, Xavier (97)
64. Javonte Smart, LSU (116)
65. Davide Moretti, Texas Tech (52)
66. James Akinjo, Georgetown (108)
67. Jalen Pickett, Siena (NR)
68. John Mooney, Notre Dame (56)
69. AJ Lawson, South Carolina (83)
70. Jared Butler, Baylor (43)
71. Kellan Grady, Davidson (111)
72. Josiah-Jordan James, Tennessee (NR)
73. Derek Culver, West Virginia (50)
74. Desmond Bane, TCU (48)
75. Tyler Bey, Colorado (61)
76. Xavier Sneed, Kansas State (85)
77. Josh Green, Arizona (65)
78. Saddiq Bey, Villanova (NR)
79. Nathan Knight, William & Mary (84)
80. Antoine Davis, Detroit (15)
81. Kobe McEwen, Marquette (138)
82. Rayshaun Hammonds, Georgia (NR)
83. Kahlil Whitney, Kentucky (79)
84. Matt Haarms, Purdue (NR)
85. Bryan Antoine, Villanova (126)
86. EJ Montgomery, Kentucky (146)
87. AJ Reeves, Providence (NR)
88. Braxton Key, Virginia (101)
89. Wendell Moore, Duke (NR)
90. TJ Gibbs, Notre Dame (NR)
91. Filip Petrusev, Gonzaga (NR)
92. Nick Musyznski, Belmont (91)
93. Paul Reed, DePaul (NR)
94. Elijah Hughes, Syracuse (75)
95. Kristian Doolittle, Oklahoma (NR)
96. Corey Kispert, Gonzaga (100)
97. Jon Teske, Michigan (98)
98. Trevion Williams, Purdue (77)
99. Derrick Alston, Boise State (NR)
100. Remy Martin, Arizona State (113)

As soon as I posted my 150 last night, I thought of Aaron Henry. I actually meant to put him in the 150 somewhere. Everyone else that is an NR (Not Ranked) is someone I had on the radar, with the exception of Derrick Alston (Boise State).

 

[hailtoyourvictor]

Saw a couple lists that had Teske 34 and 67. I like those better.

 

[hailtoyourvictor]

For MSU

Cassius- Just Right, although I’m not sure he will put up the “stats” to bring home the wooden award. If we are the best team in the country though, he will probably get it regardless.

Tillman- He’s better than Skylar Mays. Second best player on a Final Four team. I’d definitely have him higher.

Josh Langford- He’s still not 100%, and most don’t expect him to be by the time the season starts. Probably a bit overrated at 63.

No Aaron Henry? I assume you forgot about him. He belongs somewhere on this list. He was really good the second half of last year, and apparently he has had a really good offseason. Our insiders have been raving about him.

Overall, really solid list though. I can imagine this took a long time.

In conference play Henry had 6 points and 4 rebounds. Sounds like he’s poised for a big jump though.

Is Tillman that much better than Teske?