Whether or not you believe the game has gone positionless, these are still the top college basketball players to note this season.
Point Guards
1. Braden Smith, Purdue
Smith has dished out 769 career assists and counting, tracking to become the all-time leader in college basketball by the time the season’s over. He’s got some great teammates like Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff, but there’s no doubt Smith makes everyone better as one of the top college basketball players – of all time.
2. Donovan Dent, UCLA
There’s a reason Dent has UCLA in a position to rival Purdue in the Big Ten. He’s arguably the best scoring point guard in the country, having averaged 20.4 points per game and New Mexico last season, but still finding the time in the game to dish out 6.4 assists per contest. In his first game as a Bruin, Dent went for 21 and 9, proving he’s still the top option on his new squad.
3. Darryn Peterson, Kansas
Peterson might only be a freshman, but he’s got a great outlook as the potential top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He’s a scoring guard, but also a playmaker, and at 6-foot-5, is a true NBA PG. Kansas will only get him for one year, but it’ll be worth it.
4. Milos Uzan, Houston
Numbers may not jump off the page, but they don’t need to when you are the floor general for a National Championship-contending team. Uzan will score when he needs to, but he always plays with his eyes up and has had some true Rajon Rondo-esque passes. There are few players that affect a game like Uzan does.
5. Bennett Stirtz, Iowa
Stirtz kept Drake on the map last year and then put himself on the national scene with a 21-point, 4-assist game to help upset Missouri in the NCAA Tournament. He went for 21 and 8 in a loss against Texas Tech, but his play and Ben McCollum’s coaching led them both to Iowa. Now, the rest of the conference will be put on notice. He may have one of the highest usage rates in the country, and for good reason.
Shooting Guards
1. John Blackwell, Wisconsin
I’m going to go out on a limb here and crown John Blackwell as the top shooting guard in the nation. There isn’t one right answer like there was for the top point guard, but Blackwell’s got a good case. He put up nearly 16 a game last year in the shadows of John Tonje. Now it’s his turn, and after dropping 31 on 10-of-19 shooting in game one, it’s clear who the Badgers’ top guy is this year.
2. Solo Ball, UConn
Dan Hurley just recycles talent, and Ball is the latest. Many players might have transferred after being recruited highly out of high school and playing limited minutes as a freshman. But Ball won a national championship and struck through, becoming a reliable option as a sophomore. Now, he figures to be the guy in Storrs, which should mean putting up good offensive numbers, captaining a top 1o team, and setting himself up to be a lottery pick in June.
3. Otega Oweh, Kentucky
Kentucky’s team is LOADED, so the stats might not jump out to you, but if you watch a Wildcats game, you understand how much of a beast Oweh is. He’s about as physical of a shooting guard as you’ll see, so while the three-point shot isn’t something he relies on – but he can knock down – you better not get caught in an isolation with Oweh on the drive. Kentucky just produces top college basketball players like it’s nothing.
4. PJ Haggerty, Kansas State
Opposite of Oweh is Haggerty, who does have some ridiculous numbers to show for – over 1,400 points scored in his first 72 games of college basketball. Of course, playing at Tulsa and Memphis, competition is slightly limited (I feel bad even knocking those conferences), but now, he’s in the Big 12 with Kansas State. Haggerty’s also not a high-volume three-point shooter, but he does drive to the rim and plays with a ton of confidence and finesse.
5. Xaivian Lee, Florida
Lee is certainly a hybrid – because he has some great point guard characteristics, but he’s a shooting guard in the sense that he’ll shoot from anywhere on the floor and with confidence. It doesn’t have to be a catch-and-shoot – Lee will put on a dribbling clinic and step-back like very few in college basketball can. He’s up from Princeton to Florida now, so we’ll see what that means now that he’s in a conference like the SEC and if he stays one of the top college basketball players.
Small Forwards
1. Darrion Williams, NC State
Williams is one of the most unguardable players in college basketball – he’s undersized height-wise, but makes up for it as a physical small forward. That allows Williams to post up inside, but he’s also got great touch from deep. But what really makes him such an all-around player is his passing. In his NC State debut, he dropped 19 points and 8 assists with outstanding efficiency. These types of players just don’t come around often.
2. AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Talking about players who don’t come by too often! Dybantsa is going to be one of the first players selected in the 2026 NBA Draft. In his college basketball debut, Dybantsa showed off his blend of scoring skills, vision, and aggressiveness as a freshman. Like most NBA prospects, he’s lanky, has a smooth game, and plays with so much confidence. And his 21 points also came against Villanova, so he already shows his ability to do it against some great competition.
3. Tucker DeVries, Indiana
DeVries recently scored his 2,000th career point in college basketball, and along with Lamar Willkerson, will be a handful for anyone defending the Hoosiers this year. DeVries was Bennett Stirtz at Drake before Stirtz, a do-it-all all-scorer. And he’s one of the most deadly three-point threats in the nation, so you really can’t take a play off guarding him.
4. Miles Byrd, San Diego State
Byrd is the 2025-26 version of Kawhi Leonard at SDSU. He can shoot it, he has energy and bounce, and he does it on both ends of the floor. We all know San Diego State is defense-first and won’t play very up-tempo, so he’s not going to average the same amount of points as these other players, but turn on any Aztecs game and you’ll know he belongs on this list.
5. Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
You could argue that it’s now Momcilovic’s time to take over for the Cyclones. He’s been a key rotation player for a few years, but after hoisting up 16 shots – and making 11 of them – in Iowa State’s season opener, you can tell it’s going to be a breakout season. Momcilovic may play slower than most small forwards, but his craftiness and three-point shooting are so tough to defend.
Power Forwards
1. JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Toppin was my preseason Player of the Year pick for a reason. He’s just so incredibly gifted offensively, can stretch it out when absolutely needed, and rebounds as well as any power forward in the country. He’s in a league of his own in college basketball.
2. Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Lendeborg is the most skilled player on a deep Michigan team and is one of the best, if not the best, rebounding forwards in the country. I have Michigan as an early-season Final Four pick, simply because of Yaxel Lendeborg. Once again, the Wolverines have one of the top college basketball players in the nation.
3. Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
It feels like a crime to put Kaufman-Renn, who averaged 20.1 points per game for the Boilermakers last year, as the third-best PF in the nation. But it’s the deepest group of players in college basketball, and with Oscar Cluff in town, Kaufman-Renn’s usage won’t be as high inside. Still, he’s a top talent in the game, and the fact that he can play alongside another outstanding big man makes Purdue virtually unguardable in the frontcourt.
4. Koa Peat, Arizona
How could we leave Peat off this list after he scored 30 in his debut against the defending national champs? The Gators have a great frontcourt, but they just couldn’t handle Peat near the rim or in the mid-range. After a game like that, it’s clear that Arizona has joined the list of national title favorites, thanks to a freshman sensation in Koa Peat.
5. Cameron Boozer, Duke
Boozer had a 20 and 20 game in an exhibition this season, and that’s about all you need to know. And while he struggled in the first half in the Blue Devils’ game against Texas, he turned it on and was the spark they needed to defeat the Longhorns. Another stud freshman in the game this season and one of the top college basketball players to watch.
Centers
1. Graham Ike, Gonzaga
Gonzaga’s top player, Ike, is a lost art in the college game. While you may see some range once in a while, he’s really just a physical forward who makes a living around the paint. When you can average 16.5 points per game for the Zags and only average 0.9 three-point attempts, you know you’ve mastered your craft inside the paint as one of the top college basketball players.
2. Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s
Ejiofor was on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar watch list, but I consider him a power forward, however we had to get him on this list somehow. Whether you consider him a center or a power forward, virtually unstoppable when he gets in a pick-and-roll situation headed to the rim. He’s many people’s favorite to win Big East Player of the Year, because on a team with so many great scorers, Ejiofor is literally the biggest handful to guard.
3. Nate Bittle, Oregon
With Jackson Shelstad running the floor, Bittle is easily one of the top big men in the nation. It’s the perfect combo for Dana Altman and the Ducks. An elite point guard and an elite big man. The 7-footer also blocked four shots in game one for the Ducks this year, proving to be a commanding presence on both ends of the floor.
4. Robbie Avila, Saint Louis
I was surprised Avila didn’t take a jump to the power five, but it shouldn’t hurt his legitimacy as one of the top big men in the game. And as a true 6-10 center, Avila is easily the best three-point shooting big in college basketball. So if he can lead Saint Louis to the big dance, ‘watch out’ to everyone else in March Madness. He’s a matchup nightmare.
5. Owen Freeman, Creighton
Freeman enjoyed a stellar season at Iowa last year, and I’m confident Greg McDermott gets his full potential. After working with Ryan Kalkbrenner over the past handful of seasons, this Creighton staff understands how to get the most out of their big men and make them top college basketball players. Freeman is the latest product.