NCAAB · 1 year ago

Top 5 Players in College Basketball Entering the 2024-25 Season

David Connelly

Host · Writer

5. Hunter Dickinson - Kansas
Things didn't exactly go as planned for Hunter Dickinson and Kansas in 2023-24. Despite being ranked No. 1 in the preseason, the Jayhawks dealt with injury and depth issues for most of the season, leading to their early demise in the NCAA Tournament. Dickinson didn't entirely take the step forward many had hoped for, but he is one of the country's best big men. With plenty of talent surrounding him again in Lawrence, he'll make another run at National Player of the Year in 2024-25.
1. R.J. Davis - North Carolina
RJ Davis will likely be the Preseason National Player of the Year, and it comes with good reason. He has slowly become the face of North Carolina basketball as he enters his fifth season with the program and will enter the 2024-25 season as one of the country's most feared scorers out of the backcourt. His smooth movement and his ability to score at all three levels make him such a joy to watch. The Tar Heels may need every ounce of his scoring this season with a roster that looks a bit lacking on the offensive end.
2. Mark Sears - Alabama
What a senior year it was for Mark Sears in Tuscaloosa in 2023-24. After being a starter alongside Brandon Miller, Noah Clowney, and Jahvon Quinerly on the Alabama team that was the top overall seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Sears was given the keys to the car last season and helped lead the Crimson Tide on a dream run to the Final Four. While taking on a more significant workload as the team's first option, he still found a way to improve his shooting splits, raising his field goal and three-point percentages by ten points from his junior to senior season. Watch out for Sears as a First-Team All-American and dark horse National Player of the Year candidate.
3. Johni Broome - Auburn
When Johni Broome was taking the Missouri Valley by storm with Morehead State as a sophomore, it was clear that he was destined to be something special. After two impactful seasons with Auburn, it's time for Broome to enter the national spotlight and contend for First-Team All-American status. With his mobility, outside shooting, and playmaking out of the post, he is a modern big with lottery written all over him if he has another big-time season with the Tigers.
4. Ryan Kalkbrenner - Creighton
Ryan Kalkbrenner has been terrorizing the Big East paint for some time now, and he's back for one last dance with the Bluejays. He has steadily improved throughout his four years at Creighton and will pull off the rare feat of being a five-year impact player at one location despite the temptations of the NBA and the transfer portal. The area that could take his game to the next level would be the development of an outside jump shot. If the big man can start knocking down triples at a higher clip, he could push for a candidacy at National Player of the Year in 2024-25.
5. Hunter Dickinson - Kansas
Things didn't exactly go as planned for Hunter Dickinson and Kansas in 2023-24. Despite being ranked No. 1 in the preseason, the Jayhawks dealt with injury and depth issues for most of the season, leading to their early demise in the NCAA Tournament. Dickinson didn't entirely take the step forward many had hoped for, but he is one of the country's best big men. With plenty of talent surrounding him again in Lawrence, he'll make another run at National Player of the Year in 2024-25.
1. R.J. Davis - North Carolina
RJ Davis will likely be the Preseason National Player of the Year, and it comes with good reason. He has slowly become the face of North Carolina basketball as he enters his fifth season with the program and will enter the 2024-25 season as one of the country's most feared scorers out of the backcourt. His smooth movement and his ability to score at all three levels make him such a joy to watch. The Tar Heels may need every ounce of his scoring this season with a roster that looks a bit lacking on the offensive end.

Top 5 Players in College Basketball Entering the 2024-25 Season

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