As the calendar switches to 2025 and conference play begins for every conference across the country, we all collectively need to discuss something. Some players in the country are playing at a very high level; a lot of them are playing at a conference Player of the Year level, and a few of them are playing at an All-American level. They all share something in common, though. All these players are underrated, and not even so much underrated, but none of them get the publicity or the coverage they deserve.
Let’s change that and ensure these players get the recognition they deserve. Every one of these guys has stood out when you watch them play but don’t get their due for a lot of reasons. They may not play for a big-name team, they don’t play for a perennial contender, they are a transfer from a mid-major school, or they play at a mid-major school. Every one of these guys is in the middle of a breakout season and has always been overshadowed by another player at their school.
I have 15 players out of all 364 teams that I believe are underrated and are not getting the recognition they deserve. Why 15? As I went along to start compiling the list, 10 wasn’t enough because there were some players who were going to get left off again. 15 is the number I arrived on that made sure I got all of the players accounted for that I wanted to.
Is 15 enough? Out of 364 teams, probably not, but I do feel the list is as exhaustive as it can be for this exercise. Having this as your hobby opens a large network of folks who have a chance to watch players that I don’t always. I do watch a lot of college basketball, but a college basketball writer is only as good as the information they see. Multiple sets of eyes are always a good thing.
I utilized my peer groups around the country to help with this through texting, networking on social media, and calling and asking. Everyone I asked felt the names of the individuals was a good list and should get a lot of people talking about it. There are going to be more players that pop up that should be on this list as the year goes on. For now, as we head into January 2025, here are the 15 players' major networks, and the media that need to start talking about more.
Brice Williams - Nebraska Cornhuskers
Williams is the player that inspired me to do this list. He is the most underrated basketball player, and he will make people find out quickly. He had 30 against Indiana in the second conference game of the year. He then went for 32 against Hawaii and dominated that game on both ends of the floor. He followed it up with 25 against Oregon State in the championship game of the Diamond Head classic. The 20 points per game the guard is averaging is not done with a high volume of shots. He is the most efficient scorer on this list, shooting 51% from the floor 43% from deep, and over 90% from the line. He plays the wing, point, and off-guard for Nebraska and is effective at all of them. Williams isn’t in anyone’s shadow now. He is the man for the Huskers this year and is one of the three best players in the Big Ten.
Chase Hunter - Clemson Tigers
Hunter has been in College for 6 years, and the guard was one of the best players in the NCAA Tournament last season. He was awesome for the Tigers when they made their run to the Elite Eight. Even with all of that the guard still doesn’t get talked about on a national level. Clemson has a good team and they are loaded, but they are not even close to what they are without Hunter. His sixth year is turning into his best year. He is averaging 17 points per game and doing it on 50% shooting and 40% from deep, while playing elite defense. Please just watch Hunter play and you will all understand why he is on this list.
PJ Haggerty - Memphis Tigers
The former Tulsa guard has been one of the most prolific scorers in the NCAA for the last two seasons. He was named the freshman of the year at Tulsa two seasons ago and then averaged 22 points per game. He didn’t get much respect from the American while at Tulsa, so he decided to transfer to a better American team at Memphis. He is now the leading scorer at 22 points per game, shooting 40% from deep, six rebounds, and three assists. All of this is coming while playing on a loaded roster and one of the toughest schedules in the country. Haggerty is an elite defender and rarely leaves the floor for Penny. Hopefully playing on a good team will get him the respect he deserves.