Michigan State vs. Notre Dame: Who wins the position battles?

Power forward: Bonzie Colson vs. Jaren Jackson Jr.

Jaren Jackson Jr. is the top-tier recruit brought in to solidify one of, if not the deepest frontcourt in all of college basketball. He averages 10.0 ppg and 8.2 rpg but has imposed himself on defense, blocking a couple of shots a game.

Jackson is far from a polished player at this point, with a few games where he disappeared offensively, including a three-point outing in 17 minutes played versus North Carolina. But that 19 point game against the top-ranked Blue Devils is evident of his ceiling if done consistently.

Consistency has been the trademark of senior Bonzie Colson, who’s on his way to an All-American season. He already is posting up 20.0 ppg and 10.5 rpg numbers, leads all ACC players in just about every advanced metric on offense, including player efficiency rating at 38.6.

It’s still amazing that he can do all of this at 6’5, especially at getting those rebounds. He’s also expanding his game in his final college season, shooting threes at a higher rate than ever. The results are mixed, with him shooting it at a 30% clip, but by just being a treat from deep makes the overall offense for the team that much more difficult to deal with.

If the battle between these two were just decided by the measurables, then Jackson would easily take this. But it’s never been about that with Colson, which is what makes him one of the best players to watch in all of basketball.

Edge: Colson