Another year down, and another year ahead! Mat Mlodzinski looks at the top 22 players in college basketball in 2022.
22. Caleb Love
A streaky, high-volume shooter, Love can score with anyone in the country when he gets hot. That was on full display in March when Love erupted for 30 points against UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen and poured in 28 in North Carolina’s Final Four win over Duke.
To start the 2022-23 season, Love has simultaneously improved his scoring average and field goal percentage, something Tar Heels fans can be extra excited about heading into 2023 and the second half of the season.
21. Mike Miles
The TCU superstar put the Horned Frogs on the map in March, guiding them past Seton Hall with ease and nearly taking down 1-seed Arizona. This season, Miles has TCU ranked inside the top 20 of the AP Poll and has leveled up his own play, averaging career-highs with 18.6 points and 1.4 steals per game.
20. Kendric Davis
Kendric Davis is really living his best life. The 5-11 guard was named to the All-AAC team for the third time in his college basketball career, in 2022. But this time, he was also recognized as the AAC Player of the Year. Davis led SMU to a 24-9 record and nearly averaged 20 points per game on the season. The high moment included an SMU upset over No. 6 Houston, a game in which Davis had team-highs with 22 points, 7 assists, and 3 steals.
Davis will try for a ridiculous 4th All-AAC nod and second AAC POTY award in a row. This time around, he’s doing so with Memphis. The Tigers had a bad start to 2023 with Tulane, so Davis is hoping they can revisit last year’s success pretty soon.
19. Doug Edert
Heading into 2022, who knew if Edert even dreamed of the year that was in store? He was a big part of Saint Peters’ historic March Madness run, dropping 20 points against Kentucky in the win that started it all.
Edert’s good play and lovable mustache helped him ink a lucrative NIL deal with Buffalo Wild Wings. Edert’s NIL valuation is worth 132K according to On3. That’s not too bad for a kid from New Jersey who now plays at Bryant.
18. Jordan “Jelly” Walker
Jordan “Jelly” Walker took the nation by storm last season, nearly propelling UAB to a huge upset over Houston in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Walker dropped 40+ points twice in the final 13 games of last season, including 40 against Middle Tennessee in the Conference USA Tournament semifinals.
Walker returned to the Blazers for one more year and is the NCAA’s leading scorer at 25.2 PPG. The Blazers are also 12-2 with eyes on making it to the Big Dance for a second straight year.
17. Paolo Banchero
The 1st overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, Banchero had a notable one-and-done season at Duke. His averages of 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game show how dominant Banchero was in Mike Krzyzewski’s final season in Durham. Banchero and the Blue Devils were upended by UNC in the Final Four, but he put all the chips on the table, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in the loss.
16. Marcus Sasser
You might ask why Sasser is ranked this high. After all, he injured his toe early on in the 2021-22 season, ending his season before the calendar flipped to 2022.
But Sasser has made a comeback in the 2022-23 season, as Houston currently sits at No. 2 in the AP Poll. The injury hasn’t seemed to affect the All-AAC guard. He’s sitting just behind the pace of his averages last season, on a deep team with National Championship goals.
15. Isaiah Wong
Isaiah Wong and Miami had arguably the most underrated 2022 of any team. The Canes were a 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but that didn’t matter, as they went all the way to the Elite 8, losing to Kansas. You can credit Wong for much of that tournament’s success. He was Miami’s leading scorer in the first two rounds, and also put up 15 points in the loss to the Jayhawks.
Wong had a notable summer, almost transferring until Miami came back with a more lucrative NIL deal. It’s literally paid off for the Hurricanes too. Wong’s leading the team in PPG and APG, and they’re ranked 12th in the AP Poll and already have a win over No. 11 Virginia.
14. Hunter Dickinson
It’s hard to believe Hunter Dickinson is only a junior, and he just keeps getting better. Dickinson was instrumental in Michigan’s run to the Sweet Sixteen last season, averaging 21 PPG and 10.7 RPG in three March Madness games.
The Wolverines struggled to begin the 2022-23 season, but Dickinson is barely outperforming his scoring average from last season. U of M also picked up a blowout win over Maryland on New Year’s Day, as hope of an even better 2023 could be in Michigan’s future.
13. Jaden Ivey
There were so many stars in the Big Ten last season, and Jaden Ivey was Purdue’s. A highlight-reel guard, Ivey averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and shot 35.8% from deep last season. In March, he was a different animal, dropping 22 on Michigan State and 20 on Iowa in back-to-back Big Ten Tournament games. Nine points in a loss to Saint Peter’s was tough to swallow, but he’s averaging over 15 a game with the Pistons as it is right now.
12. Trayce Jackson-Davis
Trayce Jackson-Davis has been near the top of the Big Ten for a while now, wreaking havoc down low on anyone who plays Indiana. His scoring and rebounding have both dipped slightly after a breakout sophomore season. But TJD has in turn become a much better passer out of the low post, becoming an even more complete player in 2022. He’s Indiana’s go-to guy, averaging 16.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 10 games this season. A back injury has been an issue, so health is a bit of a concern heading into 2023.
11. Johnny Davis
A breakout star of 2021-22, Johnny Davis did it all for Wisconsin, and then some. After averaging 7.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists as a freshman, Davis erupted for a stat line of 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. In the calendar year of 2022, Davis had games of 37 points/14 rebounds at Purdue, 30 points/12 rebounds at Indiana, and 25 points against Colgate in the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers would lose in the second round to Iowa State, putting some sting on Davis’ incredible sophomore season.
10. Collin Gillespie
A Villanova legend, Gillespie’s run in Philadelphia came to an end in 2022. It was his fifth year in a Wildcats uniform and fourth as the starting point guard, terrorizing the Big East along the way. Gillespie nearly finished out his career with a second national championship, as Villanova lost to Kansas in the Final Four. He went out with a bang though, as the Wildcats went 22-4 in 2022.
9. Keegan Murray
Johnny Davis might have been a breakout star of last season, but Murray was THE breakout star. The Iowa forward raised his PPG from 7.2 to 23.5, his RPG from 5.1 to 8.7, and his three-point percentage from 29.6% to 39.8%. Murray was drafted 4th by the Sacramento Kings, which should make up for the gut-wrenching first-round loss in March Madness. For what it’s worth, Murray tallied four 30-point games in 2022 with the Hawkeyes.
8. Adama Sanogo
The UConn Huskies have a lot of talented players, but Adama Sanogo is the top dog. And he’s really pulling his weight this season. Sanogo clearly hasn’t let a loss to 12-seeded New Mexico State get to him. The Huskies just lost their first game of the season after starting out 14-0 and Sanogo has been giving it to everyone who tries to guard him down low.
Plus, he had the quote of the year after UConn’s win over Oklahoma State. “They thought they had a chance to win the game tonight — they did not,” said Sanogo.
Wow.
7. Jalen Wilson
What a year it’s been for Jalen Wilson. The Kansas forward won a national championship as a key player for the Jayhawks in 2022. However, some people expected a bit more out of Wilson, whose averages actually very slightly went down from the year before.
No need to worry, because Wilson has been a dog this entire season, averaging over 20 points a game and putting Kansas in position for another Final Four run. He’s on the very shortlist for the Naismith Award, meaning 2023 could be even bigger.
6. Drew Timme
When Drew Timme moves on after this year, it’s going to be hard to say he wasn’t the best player in Gonzaga basketball history. The big man is already a 2x Consensus All-American and just keeps getting better.
If you thought his 2021-22 season was outstanding, Timme is raising the bar even more. He’s close to scoring 23 points per game while ripping down a high rate of rebounds and keeping Gonzaga in contention yet again.
5. Kofi Cockburn
Kofi Cockburn may not have won last year’s Naismith Award, but one could argue he was more dominating than Oscar Tshiebwe. As a paint presence, no one in college basketball could match up with the 7-0, nearly 300-pound giant that Cockburn is. Unfortunately, Illinois lost in the second round for the second straight year, but Cockburn’s ability to take over games inside was second to very few if any.
4. Zach Edey
Last season, Zach Edey showed a lot of potential, averaging roughly 14 points and 8 rebounds in just under 20 minutes per game.
2022 was that potential on full display. As it stands, Edey is averaging 21.9 PPG and 13.6 RPG, while swatting over two shots per contest. In the first AP Poll of the 2023 college basketball season, Edey’s Purdue Boilermakers stayed at No. 1. He’s hoping that will stay that way for a few more months.
3. Armando Bacot
Armando Bacot sure had a March of 2022 to remember. The best center in the ACC led North Carolina on a Cinderella run, making it all the way to a hard-fought National Championship game as an 8-seed.
For the second straight year, Bacot is shredding up opposing defenses, averaging a double-double with close to 20 PPG. The Tar Heels haven’t hit their stride yet, but after seeing what they did last March, one can be sure it’s probably coming.
Oh, and not to mention that Bacot’s NIL valuation is listed as $1 million.
2. Oscar Tshiebwe
I’m sure Oscar Tshiebwe would have hoped one game went a little bit differently. Still, other than Kentucky’s first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Saint Peter’s, Tshiebwe dominated college basketball in 2022. The Wildcats big man won the Naismith Award and decided to return to Lexington instead of heading to the NBA. He’s putting together yet another award-winning performance and has Kentucky primed to contend in the SEC again.
1. Ochai Agbaji
When you’re the NCAA Tournament MVP on a National Championship team, you win the year. Agbaji was a Consensus All-American but really ended the 2021-22 season on a high note. He led Kansas on an 11-game winning streak, which ended in a 72-69 win over North Carolina in the finals.
Agbaji was then chosen by the Utah Jazz 14th overall in the NBA Draft where he is having some adjustment issues in the NBA. But when you talk about who had the best college basketball year of 2022, Agbaji wins the crown because of the trophy.