2023-24 Best college basketball players: Top 25 players in first 25 days of the season
We are 25 days into the college basketball season, and while we are only in the month of November, this span has allowed for enough time for teams to form a first impression. One of the selling points of this sport right now is that there are plenty of returning, recognizable stars across the country because of name, image and likeness, and the fact that there are great college players who can earn more money now than they would if they went pro. We've seen this with big men particularly, and those centers that we focused on as part of our "Big Man Ladder" have been as advertised.
But what about the rest of the country? Who are those emerging stars in college hoops? We packaged together a list of 25 stars who have shined in the first 25 days of the season.
Here we go with our list of players, ranked from 1-to-25.
1. Zach Edey, Purdue
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 7-4, 300 pounds
Stats: 21.9 PPG, 10.7 RPG
In this particular season, there should be an Edey-specific award, and then a national player of the year honor for everybody else. He put up four straight 20-point, 10-rebound games for the first time in his career in wins over Xavier, and then the Maui Invitational victories over Gonzaga, Tennessee and Marquette. Just how dominant is the Purdue senior? Look at KenPom's player of the year rankings.
2. Tyler Kolek, Marquette
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-3, 195 pounds
Stats: 13.9 PPG, 5.1 APG, 5.0 RPG
Kolek is the best point guard in college basketball. The senior guard plays with a chip on his shoulder, created by the fact that he received no high-major interest out of high school and started his career at George Mason. Now at Marquette, he's leading a Golden Eagles team that showed at the Maui Invitational that they are a national title contender. Kolek's 24-point, six-rebound, four-assist performance on a bad ankle in a win at Illinois was so impressive, and he went for 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the Maui final against Purdue.
3. Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 7-2, 260 pounds
Stats: 21.7 PPG, 12.7 RPG
Not only is his level of productivity sensational, but the Kansas big man is shooting a career-high 67% from the floor, including a whopping 62% from 3-point land. His 27-point, 21-rebound performance in the Champions Classic win over Kentucky saved the day for the Jayhawks, and the 17-point, 20-rebound game against Tennessee led KU to a third-place finish at the Maui Invitational. Dickinson is the known community for the Jayhawks. Perimeter help has to be supplied.
4. Jaedon LeDee, San Diego State
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-9, 240 pounds
Stats: 24.0 PPG, 10.4 RPG
He is the most improved player in the country to this point. LeDee, who is on his third college stop after starting at Ohio State and TCU, is actually in his sixth year of college hoops after transferring and sitting out in 2021-22 with the Aztecs. For a program that lost Matt Bradley, Keshad Johnson and Nathan Mensah from a national runner-up team, someone had to step up to supply more on offense. LeDee can play bully-ball with his physicality and is a high-level rebounder.
5. PJ Hall, Clemson
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-10, 238 pounds
Stats: 21.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG
I fully believe Hall could win ACC Player of the Year. Let that sink in. Yes, Armando Bacot or Kyle Filipowski could just as easily take the honor, but let's not put Hall behind them because he plays for a non-blue blood. Clemson is 6-0 for the first time in 15 years and Hall is the No. 1 reason for it. He's had four 20-plus point performances already, and his 21-point, eight-rebound game in just 21 minutes in the win over Alabama was strong in the midst of some foul trouble. He controls the way a game is played when he's on, and his size and versatility make him really difficult to defend.
6. Armando Bacot, North Carolina
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-11, 240 pounds
Stats: 16.7 PPG, 11.6 RPG
After a couple of tough performances in Atlantis, the fifth-year senior showed why he's one of the best talents in the country with a 22-point, 11-rebound domination of Tennessee on Wednesday night. Bacot is already the Tar Heels' all-time leading rebounder at 1,416 career boards and counting. The potential redemption tour for Bacot and the Tar Heels is already well underway.
7. Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Class: Sophomore
Height/Weight: 7-0, 248 pounds
Stats: 19.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG
The reigning ACC Freshman of the Year and Kyle Macy National Freshman of the Year has upped his field goal percentage from 44% to 54% this season. While they have both resulted in losses, Filipowski has put together two great performances against Arizona and Arkansas, scoring a combined 51 points on 48% shooting from the floor.
8. Boogie Ellis, USC
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-3, 190 pounds
Stats: 21.5 PPG, 3.2 APG
Ellis is wired to score at the highest level, as evidenced in his latest performance on Wednesday. In a win over Eastern Washington, he shot 8-for-10 from 3-point territory and scored 28 points in 27 minutes. With a 24-point performance in a season-opening win over Kansas State and a 22-point showing in a victory over Seton Hall, he's shown up in big spots and delivered throughout his career.
9. Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-6, 204 pounds
Stats: 20.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG
First and foremost, I speak for everybody when saying we hope Knecht is OK after he hurt his ankle late in the 100-92 loss at North Carolina on Wednesday night. As for his first month as a Volunteer, WOW!
The Northern Colorado transfer is a dynamic wing who has a ton of different scoring tools in his bag, shooting 51% from the floor and 41% from 3. Beyond the incredible 37-point showing against the Tar Heels, he led the Vols to a gutsy road win at Wisconsin with 24 points. Knecht is simply put … a matchup nightmare!
10. Isaiah Stevens, Colorado State
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-0, 185 pounds
Stats: 17.9 PPG, 8.3 APG
He has four performances of 20-plus points through seven games this season, and in back-to-back wins over Creighton and Colorado State, Stevens has absolutely dominated with a combined 40 points and 18 assists. With three games with 10-plus assists, his feel for when he can distribute and when he needs to shift into attack mode is special. Stevens has that look of a guy that could put his stamp on March Madness.
11. Tyson Walker, Michigan State
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-1, 185 pounds
Stats: 20.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.3 APG
Michigan State's issue isn't with Walker, the fifth-year senior guard who posted 35 points in a season-opening loss to James Madison and has 20-plus point games against Duke and Butler. I'm not going to penalize him for the supporting cast and frontcourt issues on this team, and still believe the Spartans will get to the NCAA Tournament and peak at the right time because Walker is their leader.
Michigan State's Tyson Walker shows off wild crossover and finishes strong to extend lead over Butler
12. Tristen Newton, UConn
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-5, 195 pounds
Stats: 15.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 6.9 APG
Averaging 15.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game, the Connecticut point guard has been sensational. There have been 14 triple-doubles in UConn men's basketball history. Newton owns three of them, more than any other player.
13. Baylor Scheierman, Creighton
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-7, 205 pounds
Stats: 18.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.0 APG
The well-rounded Creighton wing can do a variety of things on the offensive end, but what makes him a next-level talent is his ability to make plays for his teammates.
14. LJ Cryer, Houston
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-1, 200 pounds
Stats: 17.0 PPG, 2.3 APG
One of the strongest shooters in college basketball, the Baylor transfer was a great pickup for Kelvin Sampson and the Cougars. He led Houston to the Charleston Classic title with 18 points against Dayton.
15. Dillon Jones, Weber State
Class: Junior
Height/Weight: 6-6, 235 pounds
Stats: 22.0 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 2.6 APG
There's a new future NBA player at Damian Lillard's alma mater. Jones is a crafty, versatile 6-6 wing who can do a little bit of everything and has raised his perimeter shooting from 30% to 40%. He had 29 points and 10 rebounds in the Wildcats' win over Saint Mary's.
16. Reed Sheppard, Kentucky
Class: Freshman
Height/Weight: 6-3, 187 pounds
Stats: 12.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.6 APG
This kid is awesome. His 21-point, five-rebound, four-assist, three-steal performance with just one turnover was a master class for a freshman in a top-10 win over Miami on Tuesday night. The reigning Mr. Basketball in Kentucky out of North Laurel High School was a sub-70 recruit in this freshman class. He's been the Wildcats' most impactful player as of late.
17. Ja'Kobe Walter, Baylor
Class: Freshman
Height/Weight: 6-5, 195 pounds
Stats: 15.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG
This freshman has lived up to the hype. A legit top-10 NBA Draft pick candidate, Walter is Baylor's leading scorer, averaging close to 16 points per game. He is the top option for a team that is ranked No. 9 in the nation and an offense that currently ranks No. 2 in KenPom.
18. Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
Class: Sophomore
Height/Weight: 6-2, 215 pounds
Stats: 18.3 PPG, 4.4 APG
He's made the sophomore leap and is now a leader for the Buckeyes, who I believe are being slept on nationally and are poised for a major bounce-back season. Chris Holtmann called Thornton a real leader, and that's the case. He put up a career-high 29 points in a signature neutral-court win over Alabama.
19. Erik Reynolds II, Saint Joseph's
Class: Junior
Height/Weight: 6-2, 180 pounds
Stats: 17.3 PPG, 2.9 APG
If you don't know about him, learn the name now, because I fully believe he will be on the NBA Draft stage. In two games against Kentucky and Villanova, including the 78-65 win over the Wildcats, marking the Hawks' first victory at The Pavilion since Jameer Nelson led Saint Joe's to one in 2004, Reynolds combined for 52 points on 57% shooting and eight assists.
Erik Reynolds II buries the stepback 3-pointer to extend Saint Joseph's lead over Villanova
20. Judah Mintz, Syracuse
Class: Sophomore
Height/Weight: 6-4, 184 pounds
Stats: 20.4 PPG, 4.1 APG, 3.0 RPG
He put up one of the best performances of the season in Syracuse's 80-57 win over LSU on Tuesday night, exploding for a career-high 33 points. What makes him so scary for opponents is that he's currently shooting 43% from 3-point territory. He could be an All-American, and will be an NBA player after this year.
21. Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-6, 225 pounds
Stats: 19.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.8 APG
Shannon has been incredibly steady throughout his college basketball career. It's a great sign to see that he's 18-for-41 from 3-point range. Let's see if he can translate that efficiency in upcoming games against Rutgers, Florida Atlantic and Tennessee.
22. Wooga Poplar, Miami
Class: Junior
Height/Weight: 6-5, 197 pounds
Stats: 18.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG
He's gone from a supporting cast member to being the Hurricanes' leading scorer. Poplar has upped his scoring from just over eight points per contest to over 18 points per game. He's shooting a ridiculous 19-for-34 from 3-point range and 51% overall from the field. His length gives him an edge against opposing guards, and he's got a wide array of offensive skills.
23. Xaivian Lee and Matt Allocco, Princeton
Class: Sophomore and Senior
Size: 6-3, 171 pounds and 6-4, 197 pounds
Stats: Combined 36.4 PPG
I could not only pick one of these guys because they've both been so good for Mitch Henderson's 7-0 Tigers. Not only is Princeton undefeated, but the seven wins have come in seven different venues. Lee's development from his freshman to sophomore season is flat-out ridiculous, and he's evolved into a dead-eye knockdown shooter. Allocco is a leader and a winner who sets the tone for the Tigers. This Princeton team could win the Ivy League again and make a second straight Sweet 16, and it wouldn't surprise me one bit.
24. Terrence Edwards, James Madison
Class: Junior
Height/Weight: 6-6, 190 pounds
Stats: 18.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.5 APG
He led the Dukes with 24 points – including going 12-for-13 from the free-throw line – in JMU's upset win over Michigan State on opening night in East Lansing. Edwards followed it up with a 25-point performance to help the Dukes get past Kent State in a double-overtime thriller. Without him, James Madison isn't 8-0 and the 22nd-ranked team in America.
Terrence Edwards Jr. throws a ridiculous pass to T.J. Bickerstaff for the slam.
25. Tyler Thomas, Hofstra
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-3, 200 pounds
Stats: 25.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.5 APG
Thomas has been absolutely ridiculous as of late, and was one of five recipients of the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week award. On the Pride's route to a Gulf Coast Showcase championship, the 6-3 guard averaged 30.3 points per contest, capped off by the nation's first 40-point performance of the season in the title game win over High Point. He also added eight rebounds and five assists.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.
