CBS Sports activities launched its Prime 100 And 1 participant rankings and the 2024-25 season is anticipated to be outlined by excellent guard play. Alabama’s Mark Sears and North Carolina’s RJ Davis are the highest two gamers on our preseason record.
Facilities and bigs dominated the highest of our rankings final season — headlined most notably by two-time nationwide participant of the yr Zach Edey, who’s off to the NBA after a stellar profession at Purdue. Even with Edey gone, there are nonetheless star facilities returning to high school. Kansas‘ Hunter Dickinson and Creighton‘s Ryan Kalkbrenner had been voted on the CBS Sports activities All-American workforce final season and checked in at No. 4 and 5 on our preseason rankings.
We broke our rankings into seven positions: level guard, lead guard capturing guard, small ahead, wing, energy ahead and middle. Energy convention gamers dominated the highest of the record.
Rating prime gamers by place
Level guards
Smith checks in as our top-ranked true level guard. Smith was voted the preseason Massive Ten Participant of the 12 months and can shoulder extra of a scoring accountability after Edey left. One other notable choice on this record is Harper – the No. 3 general prospect within the 2024 recruiting cycle by 247Sports. Harper has been in comparison with former Oklahoma State star Cade Cunningham – the No. 1 general decide within the 2021 NBA Draft. Lipsey, Roach and Harris are all veteran starters for his or her respective groups.
Lead guards
The highest two ranked gamers on our Prime 100 And 1 record are lead guards. That will be Sears and Davis – two of the highest contenders to win nationwide participant of the yr. All 5 gamers are seasoned veterans who’ve performed at the least three seasons at this degree. Sallis is coming off a breakout season after spending the primary two years of his profession at Gonzaga.
Taking pictures guards
All 5 capturing guards listed are prime 25 gamers on our preseason record. Love earned All-American honors in his first season at Arizona after transferring from North Carolina. Taylor is as soon as once more a well-liked decide to earn All-American honors and would be the head of the snake for Texas A&M. Edgecome was one of many highest-ranked freshmen on our record and will probably be an X-Issue for Scott Drew at Baylor.
Small forwards
The very best-ranked small ahead on our record was Karaban. Sandfort, who went via the NBA’s predraft course of this summer time and elected to withdraw and return to Iowa, ranked second. Ranked just a few spots beneath the returning star is McNeeley — the fifth-highest-ranked freshman on our record. McNeeley will play a key position for the two-time reigning nationwide champions.
Wings
Each workforce within the nation is searching for the following nice wing, and this record is filled with them. Murray-Boyles had a standout freshman season at South Carolina and will play his means right into a lottery decide. Hopkins is coming off a devastating knee damage that ended his season prematurely. Bailey is a contender alongside Flagg to go No. 1 within the 2025 NBA Draft.
Energy forwards
The headliner of this record is Flagg, who many imagine is the consensus No. 1 NBA Draft decide already with out taking part in a single faculty sport. Flagg is a sport wrecker on each ends of the ground and enters faculty as some of the hyped-up prospects within the fashionable period. Osobor is Washington’s “$2 million” man. Ososbor adopted his coach, Danny Sprinkle, from Utah State to Washington this offseason and is anticipated to be one of many prime gamers within the new-look Massive Ten. Dixon is a scoring machine for Villanova.
Facilities
| Middle | |||
| Rank (General) | Participant | Faculty | Class |
| 1. (4) | Ryan Kalkbrenner | Creighton | Senior |
| 2. (5) | Hunter Dickinson | Kansas | Graduate |
| 3. (18) | Oumar Ballo | Indiana | Redshirt senior |
| 4. (20) | Robbie Avila | Saint Louis | Senior |
| 5. (35) | Cliff Omuruyi | Alabama | Graduate |
Sure, Edey is gone, however faculty basketball could have loads of star facilities to observe. Kalkbrenner and Dickinson are dependable veterans who will anchor their respective groups. The identical may be stated about Ballo, Omoruyi and Avila. All three gamers transferred into a brand new program this offseason.