The best basketballers you’ve never heard of

Who are the up and coming players in college basketball?

College basketball

Who are the up and coming players in College basketball?

It can be difficult for an Australian sport fan to understand just how big college basketball is in the USA. Here, sports stars don’t really hit the public consciousness until they’ve graduated to the professional league: there, the top college teams play in front of packed stadiums, command the loyalty of huge fanbases, and are the subject of voluminous media commentary, both for the fortunes of the teams themselves and for speculation over which college stars might be drafted by NBA teams. Naturally, for any youngster with dreams of making it to the big show, an essential part of the journey is being accepted by a college with a top basketball team – meaning, one of the 68 colleges from Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association that will participate in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament – or as it’s more conveniently known, March Madness.

March Madness is among the most thrilling events on the American sporting calendar, generating excitement to rival the NBA itself, and is a prime national stage for young players to show off their wares and boost their draft stocks. Currently favourite for the no. 1 spot in next year’s draft is RJ Barrett, a 6-foot-7 Canadian small forward who is currently tearing it up for the Blue Devils of Duke University. Before arriving at Duke, Barrett was named MVP at the Jordan Brand Classic high-school All-Star game at the age of 15, and went on to win the Morgan Wooten National Player of the Year award for “embodying the values of a student athlete” in 2018. He’s also played for his native Canada, and is earmarked by many good judges as a future superstar, as he racks up points, rebounds and assists for fun.

Accompanying Barrett on the Blue Devils is Cameron Reddish, a sharpshooter of abundant talent who many believe could be the best of all of 2019’s draft crop, if his massive potential is fulfilled. Questions remain about Reddish’s commitment and work ethic, even from the lad himself – “I don’t always go hard, which I’ve got to fix,” he admits – but his ability is unquestioned: smarts, accuracy, and a 6’8” 218 pound frame that equips him to play multiple positions.

Outside of Duke, which is blessed with Barrett, Reddish and the burly prospect Zion Williamson, one of the rising stars of college ball is Carsen Edwards, a diminutive (six foot one) point guard from the Purdue Boilermakers. After his sophomore season, Edwards declared for the 2018 draft and participated in the Draft Combine, but ultimately decided to return to Purdue for his junior year. In that season, Edwards averaged 18.5 points per game and managed a 40 percent record from beyond the three-point line, helping him to his second spot in the All-American team and the Jerry West award for America’s best shooting guard. Edwards has already amassed a bulging trophy cabinet, and to his list of accolades should soon enough be added a spot on an NBA roster.

At Gonzaga University, the next big thing is Rui Hachimura, a Japanese forward who was ranked one of the best international players entering the US college system in 2015 by ESPN. Hachimura became just the fifth Japanese-born player to play in March Madness when he played against South Dakota State in 2017. In the current season, he made his mark with 33 points against Idaho State, and a huge 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists in Gonzaga’s upset win over the star-studded Duke at the Maui Invitational – Hachimura was named MVP of that tournament. The one-time star of Meisei High School in Miyagi Prefecture seems certain to keep flying his country’s flag on the biggest stage of all.

Looking over these young men, and the many others who’ll be on the March Madness highlight reels – look out for the imposing Luke Maye of the North Carolina Tar Heels, big scorer Caleb Martin of the Nevada Wolf Pack, and the Arkansas Razorbacks’ giant Daniel Gafford – it’s probably a little inaccurate to call them “rising stars”. Unlike the teenagers who make headlines for a few days each year during AFL draft season, these guys are already stars, albeit not of the highest level yet. But there are plenty of professional teams around the world that would kill for the following of a major US college team, and unlike those Aussie football draft hopefuls, the big names of the NCAA have already shown their best to an international audience. You can see how good they are on YouTube for yourself, and perhaps get a glimpse of the dominant forces of the NBA for the next decade.