For the second year in a row, an international player could be selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, with French prospects Alex Sarr and Zachary Lizacher expected to be at the top of the list. Although the NBA game has become more global, college basketball still has plenty of talented players that are making this season very interesting, regardless of their individual draft stocks.
Seniors Zach Eady (Purdue) and RJ Davis (North Carolina) lead their respective conferences in scoring and are strong candidates for the Player of the Year award.
There are a few freshmen who are like veteran upperclassmen who always show up. This year, they happen to be on the same team. Kentucky has No. 1 freshmen coming in this year, led by five-star prospects Justin Edwards and DJ Wagner, but the best freshmen for the Wildcats this season are Rob Dillingham and Reed Shepard.
Currently the No. 1 team in the nation, UW is looking to make another run in the NCAA Tournament and perhaps win another national title. His UConn this year is led by senior transfer Cam Spencer, who has become the glue alongside Tristen Newton, Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle.
Who else will help the team in March, and who will NBA scouts be watching to close out the season? Yahoo Sports introduces his 10 players who will be watching the rest of the college hoops season.
Zach Eady, Purdue
No player in college basketball has had a more dominant presence than Eadie this season.
The 7-foot-4 senior opted to return for his senior season after testing out the NBA realm last spring and getting feedback from his team. He entered the season in much better shape, beating opponents up and down the court in transition and establishing position, and improved his footwork.
Eadie is averaging 23.3 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, and has scored 30 or more points six times this season. Last weekend, Eadie hit his first career 3-point shot (banked in) against Indiana. Purdue is the No. 2 team in the country and a serious title contender, with Eady being productive in the lane even when double-teamed (and sometimes triple-teamed) for the majority of the game. .
RJ Davis, North Carolina
Davis has emerged as one of the best lead guards in college basketball this season thanks to his quick decision-making (particularly as a pick-and-roll option with Armando Bacot) and ability to score on all three levels. . His body control around the rim has improved, he can finish more consistently with both his right and left hands, and his 3-point shooting percentage has improved from last season (40.2% from behind the arc).
North Carolina just lost on the road to unranked Syracuse, but its defense has been consistently tough all season, with Davis typically leading the break with his speed. Davis had one of his most complete games on February 10 against Miami, recording 25 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
Knecht was one of the hottest players in the transfer portal after spending his first year in the JUCO, two seasons at Northern Colorado, and then transferring to Tennessee for his senior season. He chose the Vols over Kansas State or North Carolina and was one of the main reasons Tennessee remained a top-10 team for most of the season.
Knecht is a tough guard who is one of the best scorers in the country. He is the No. 1 option for the Vols, reads the defense well, doesn't force anything, and lets the game go to him. If the defender goes under the screen and there's no hedge, he's going to let it fly. He is very creative in the lane, distributing the ball and getting into position, averaging 20.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
Rob Dillingham and Reid Shepherd, Kentucky
No freshman duo has been more fun to watch this season than Dillingham and Shepard.
At the start of the season, NBA scouts questioned Dillingham's ability to create space off the dribble with his size, but he showed he was fine with that. He’s a great passer and loves going downhill. His 3-point shooting was the biggest surprise of the season, as he shot consistently both in catch-and-shoot situations and off the dribble. Dillingham doesn't shy away from big moments and wants to get the ball in his hands when the shot clock is winding down or the game is on the line.
Shepherd is a traditional Kentucky kid whose parents played basketball for the Wildcats in the '90s. The 6-foot-3 freshman can slide into any position on the perimeter and positively impact the game. He knocks down threes from long range, can sneak behind the defense on the weak side for easy buckets, and is an elite defender who records 2.6 steals per game. His complete all-around game has caught the attention of NBA scouts, and both Shepard and Dillingham are expected to be lottery picks in the upcoming draft.
Devin Carter, Providence
Providence may be a bubble team this year at 16-9 and in fifth place in the Big East, but if there's one player who can help the Friars rack up more wins to close out the season, it's Carter. The 6-3 junior guard is a scoring machine and one of the best rebounding guards in the country. He is one of those guards who is dynamic in transition and is good at taking shots off of defensive pressure.
Carter is in his second season at Providence after spending his freshman year at South Carolina, and he has shown improvement in all aspects of his game from last year to now. Carter had a triple-double in overtime against Creighton on February 7, recording 28 points (5-of-8 3-pointers), 11 rebounds, and six assists.
After a disappointing freshman season, Filipovski elected to return for his sophomore season to extend his draft availability and develop a bit more, becoming one of the most consistent bigs throughout the season. Duke runs most of its offense with its 7-foot center, who is always trying to isolate Duke in mismatches. He was extremely versatile with pick-and-pops, preferring to double dribble to the left, spin to the right and finish at the rim, sometimes even splitting two defenders.
Filipovskiy isn't afraid to shoot threes and has gotten better at it, going from making just 28% of his shots as a freshman to now shooting 34.5% from deep. . Although his lateral movement on defense is still a work in progress, he has been a consistent asset for the Blue Devils and is a player to keep an eye on as Duke enters postseason play and looks to make a deep run in March. It will be.
Cam Spencer, University of California
Spencer really comes alive in the second half of the season and does a little bit of everything for the top-ranked Huskies. The 6-4 senior guard is extremely versatile and does a variety of things game-to-game to help UConn win. Sometimes it's his passing, his facilitation, and the way he draws defenders to find open teammates. His 3-point shooting was effective in other games, making nine threes in two consecutive games earlier this month.
Spencer plays hard, gets the ball 50-50, and is difficult to prevent off the dribble. He is in his fifth season after transferring from Rutgers and is averaging 15.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.
No one has been more fun to watch in transition this season than Bloom. He loves attacking the rim, is a deadly 3-point shooter, and has been a contributor down the stretch for Auburn. The Tigers just defeated South Carolina by 40 points on Wednesday night, and Bloom had 21 points and two blocks in 22 minutes. Bloom and Jaylin Williams combined for nine 3-pointers in the win and dubbed themselves the “Splash Brothers.” At the post-match press conference.
Bloom is averaging 16.1 points and 8.5 rebounds this season, while shooting 36.4 percent from 3-point range. He quickly befriended Morgan Freeman, but after he knocked his hand away, he realized that Freeman had grabbed him as he fell out of play.
Sallis transferred from Gonzaga as a junior and became one of the best two-way guards in the ACC. He has scored a total of 55 points in the past two games, shooting 60 percent from the field and 53.4 percent from 3-point range. Wake Forest ranks fourth in the ACC with his 16-8 overall record, and if Sallis continues to perform as well as he has as of late, the Demon Deacons will move from bubble watch to tournament time. could turn into a team that could upset some top programs.
draft watch
Colorado freshman Cody Williams is the younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams and is projected to be a top-five pick in the upcoming draft. The 6-8 wing reminds many scouts of Jaden McDaniels' defense, and he has great upside to grow his game.
NBA scouts have done their due diligence when scouting USC's Bronny James. Although his performance per game isn't all that impressive (5.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game), he is a good perimeter defender and has a high IQ. It's still too early to tell if he'll declare this year and try to play at the NBA level with his father LeBron, but knowing this duo could be a package deal, it's safe to say he'll be in the second round. He may be too attractive for a team to pick him.
Senior guard Tyler Kolek is another Player of the Year candidate after a strong season in the No. 4 market. He ranks first in the Big East in assists and fifth in all of college basketball, averaging 7.2 assists per game. The way he sees the court and supports his teammates has greatly impressed scouts, and Kolek could be a first-round pick in the upcoming draft.
Kevin McCuller Jr. has missed the last two games with a lingering knee injury. The senior guard is one of the best offensive players in the Big 12 and is a fourth-year player who could hear his name called in the first round.
Baylor freshman Eve Missi is one of the best rim-running centers in college basketball and has become more comfortable in the pick-and-roll as the season has progressed. Baylor has a lot of talent on the perimeter (including potential lottery pick Ja-Kobe Walter), which opens up space in the lane for Missy to thrive late in the season.
Jaylon Tyson has played consistently well throughout the season and has made a big splash at the University of California after transferring from Texas Tech in his junior year. The 6-7 guard is averaging 20.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and shooting 37.2 percent from 3-point range on four attempts per game.
