After months of movement, speculation, and anticipation, we’re on the brink of the latest season of college basketball. A lot has happened in the world of this sport since we last saw on-court action back in early April. Several teams have changed leagues or announced changes, a handful of coaches have shiny new gigs, and thousands of players entered the Transfer Portal and produced quite a flurry of activity in the offseason.
Regardless of what may or may not have happened in recent months, we’ve finally reached the point where everything comes to fruition. No matter the practices, the recruiting, or anything else, the games start counting and real stories start being told. We’re just seven months removed from another fantastic story at the hands of UConn, who won their second consecutive national championship.
However, UConn’s run was not the only repeat tale. After an incredible season showcasing talent across the country, one many stood out as the top player in college basketball. Even before he led Purdue all the way to the national championship game, Zach Edey was named National Player of the Year for a second-straight season. The talented, sturdy big man put an emphatic end to his collegiate career and ensured he’d stand out in the history of this sport.
The sport unquestionably survives without Edey and the other talent lost from last season, though new faces will start to dominate this game. There are a handful of intriguing freshmen in this year’s class that should make national waves, while a number of seniors are exhausting their fifth and final years of eligibility for their final rides. Some very familiar names should continue to make waves as we prepare for another season where anything can happen.
Today’s focus isn’t specifically on which teams will succeed or which programs made the right or wrong moves; we’re just thinking about individual players. Specifically, with Edey off to the NBA, someone new is going to win the National Player of the Year awards. We’ve taken the time to look through ten of the very best players from this upcoming season; will one of them gain the hardware come March as the nation’s top college basketball player?