At midnight tonight, college campuses across the country will be jumping with excitement over their basketball teams. Midnight madness means the return of buzzer beaters, Duke vs North Carolina, Dickie V and our favorite college basketball analyst, Jay Bilas back on your T.V. screen. Unlike last year there isn’t a clear-cut two man race for college ball’s top dog. But the talent level on the youngin’s primed to carry the narrative this season is still high.
Want to know who you should pay attention to in the coming weeks? Of course you do. Read up on this season’s stars by clicking the arrows above.
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Nigel Williams-Goss, Washington
What’s the best way to describe Nigel Williams-Goss to someone who’s never seen him? We could take the easy way out and say he’s a west coast version of our favorite NBA Rookie, Suns guard Tyler Ennis. Or we could say he’s a young Jason Kidd with a little less vision, but a little more scoring ability. Neither declaration would be wrong, but we advise you watch the second year player in action and decide for yourself. Either way, you won’t be disappointed.
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Isaiah Whitehead, Seton Hall
There’s this notion that New York City has lost it’s edge, that the Big Apple no longer produces big players. Allow us to reintroduce the prototypical New York City baller, Brooklyn’s own Isaiah Whitehead. Stemming from the same Coney Island hoops family tree as NBA legend Stephon Marbury and current Charlotte Hornet, Lance Stephenson, Whitehead put Lincoln high school on his back. After deciding to stay close to home, the new Pirate is out to bring prestige back to New Jersey and East Coast college hoops.
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Tyler Ulis, Kentucky
Tyler Ulis might end up being your favorite player to watch this season. He’s only 5-foot-8 and is built like a 14-year-old and will have many wondering how he even got to Kentucky in the first place. That is until you watch him and realize he uses all the negatives against him and uses them to make defenders look stupid. With blazing speed (he recently ran 3/4’s of a full court in nearly 3.0 seconds), uncanny passing ability and ball handling skills that could break the internet, he’ll be fun to watch.
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Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Florida State
Oh, you thought Canada was done with its sudden wave of talented players infiltrating our beloved game? Think again, homie. Florida State guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes is a smooth, big guard with skills from the outside and a handle normally reserved for the famed Rucker Park. A high school teammate of Andrew Wiggins, Rathan-Mayes is very much used to the big stage. Get familiar with him. He might be the ACC player of the year.
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Stanley Johnson, Arizona
Picture James Harden only more athletic, a way better defender and with better kick game and you’ve basically got Stanley Johnson. Blessed with an NBA ready body, this 6-foot-7 man-child is a likely top 5 pro pick come next June. Johnson and last season’s Wildcat freshman phenom, Aaron Gordon were AAU teammates not long ago. Expect him to pick up where Gordon left off.
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Kelly Oubre, Kansas
How do you follow Andrew Wiggins’s footsteps? Well, being equally as athletic and even more aggressive than the recent No.1 overall pick is a good start. Kelly Oubre is more than ya college girlfriends #ManCrushMonday. The 6-foot-7 swing man is a walking mismatch for the Jayhawks. Too strong for the guards, too quick for the forwards. Too much to contain.
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Jahlil Okafor, Duke
It’s been a while since a college big man has truly dominated the game. Greg Oden was an asset back at Ohio Sate (and unfortunately, no where else) but not since the days of Shaq have we seen a big man quite like Okafor. He’s big, he’s mobile and he’s good enough that the Blue Devils can run the offense through him.
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Justin Jackson, North Carolina
UNC has been pure struggles-ville for the past few seasons, but bringing in Justin Jackson is a step in the right direction. If you’re a fan of highlight dunks, he’s not the guy for you. However, he can score in bunches. He’s basically a young Allan Houston: efficient scorer, long arms, team leader type of guy. Hopefully that means more wins this season for the Tar Heels.
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Devin Booker, Kentucky
Mississippi native Devin Booker is about one thing when it comes to basketball: buckets. He can shoot from mid-range, hit from the three and is crafty enough to get the rack when he wants to. On a team full of thoroughbreds, Booker might be the most polished scorer and the piece they need to finish on the winning end of the National Title game this season.
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Troy Williams, Indiana
If Troy Williams isn’t the most improved player this season (he spent the off-season making 10,000 3-pointers), he definitely is the most likely to end up on sportscenter. Trained from a family of basketball royalty, Williams is highly skilled at the things you can teach but possesses the speed, agility, quickness and jumping ability that you can’t. If the Hoosiers do make a deep run in March, Williams will be their driving force.
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Rodney Purveys, UConn
So just how do the defending National Champion Huskies prepare to rebuild after losing senior guard Shabazz Napier? They reload by bringing in super combo-guard Rodney Purvis. After transferring from North Carolina State, the 6-foot-3 North Carolina native is ready to help coach Kevin Ollie & Co. return to the Final 4.