10 players to watch in men’s college basketball

Coaches made headlines in the college basketball offseason, but the players are ready to take the spotlight as the season begins. The NBA and transfer portal ensures annual roster turnover at a higher rate than ever before.

Who are the players to watch and what team will they suit up for? Here are 10 to keep an eye on ahead of the new season.

Cooper Flagg | Duke | Freshman | Guard/Forward

How good is Flagg? The nation’s No. 1 recruit turned heads over the summer in a scrimmage against the United States men’s basketball team. His play prompted LeBron James to declare that Flagg would be a “big-time player” for Team USA down the road. At 6-foot-9 with jaw-dropping athleticism, Flagg enters college with hype levels not seen since Zion Williamson. 

Hunter Dickinson | Kansas | Super Senior | Center

Dickinson is back for a fifth year and has designs on a national championship for Kansas. The AP First Team All-American averaged 17.9 points and a nation and career-best 10.9 rebounds. The hope for Dickinson is that he raises his NBA Draft stock. Last season he was slated to be a late second-round pick. Expect the same scoring and rebounding numbers, but keep an eye on his defense and outside shooting. Those two things could impact the Jayhawks in the short term and Dickinson’s NBA dreams long term.

Braden Smith | Purdue | Junior | Guard

Purdue is Smith’s team now with the departure of Zach Edey to the NBA. While Edey grabbed headlines and accolades, Smith shined last season with averages of 12.0 points, 7.5 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. The preseason Big Ten Player of the Year will need to find another level this season to keep the Boilers near the top of the league.

RJ Davis | North Carolina | Super Senior | Guard

Davis has seen it all in college basketball and he has one more round left in him. He needs 785 points to pass Tyler Hansbrough as North Carolina’s all-time leading scorer. He scored 784 points last season and he will have the opportunity to shoot more without the graduated Armando Bacot inside. He’ll go down as an all-time great either way.

Johnell Davis | Arkansas | Super Senior | Guard

Davis was the hero during Florida Atlantic’s Cinderella run to the 2023 Final Four. He’s now at Arkansas to finish his career under new head coach John Calipari. Davis elevated his scoring from 13.8 points per game in 2023 to 18.2 last season. A full season against SEC competition will be telling as he looks to a future in the NBA.

Dylan Harper & Ace Bailey | Rutgers | Freshmen | Guards

Rutgers? Yes, Rutgers. Harper and Bailey are five-star prospects with sights set on the Final Four. Harper is 6-foot-5, while Bailey is 6-foot-10. Both are explosive athletes and are expected to be lottery picks in the NBA Draft. Flagg is rightfully getting plenty of press, but don’t sleep on these two diaper dandies in Piscataway.

Mark Sears | Alabama | Super Senior | Guard

Sears led Alabama to its first-ever Final Four last season, averaging 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.6 steals. The Tide are expected to be in the thick of the national championship conversation and Sears will play a major role in that. He was deadly from deep last season, shooting 43.6% from three-point land en route to an AP First Team All-American honor.

Wade Taylor IV | Texas A&M | Senior | Guard

Taylor is a certified bucket. He averaged 19.1 points per game last season but had six 30-point games and a 41-point outburst against Arkansas in January. He’s seen his shot attempts rise each year and it’s expected they will again this year. His play will determine if the Aggies can compete for an SEC title. They’re picked fifth in the SEC preseason poll. 

Ryan Kalkbrenner | Creighton | Super Senior | Center

Kalkbrenner is a three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year. The only player to win the award four times? Patrick Ewing. That’s great company to potentially be in. Kalkbrenner averaged a career-best 3.1 blocks last season along with 17.3 points. In a game that’s increasingly becoming guard-oriented, Kalkbrenner is a big man worth tuning in for.