Pre-NBA Draft College Basketball Top 10

Posted on by Patrick Taylor

   It has been quite a while since I’ve sat down and written a piece, but I have decided to come out of the woodwork with some new projects. Anyone that has read any of my past college football articles and supported me, I appreciate you. Going forward, I am going to begin focusing on college basketball and specifically, the NBA draft and New York Basketball scene. Shortly, I’ll be creating a new website that caters more to what I am doing.  My plan is to stay committed to pumping out weekly stories and to build a following that perhaps one day can be turned into a career. With no further ado, let’s get started.

         In this first piece, I want to run through my Top 10 in college basketball for next year. Obviously, a lot can shift in the next few weeks with the NBA Draft Early Entrant Withdrawal Deadline coming up on June 10th. I will release a 2019 NBA Draft Primer as well as an interview with 4 star recruit Andre Curbelo out of Long Island Lutheran coming up in the next week.

2019-2020 College Basketball Top 10

  1. Michigan State

         Is there anyone else that can be put at #1? With everyone returning this team will be the prohibitive favorite going into next season. Cassius Winston is the best point guard in college basketball and arguably the best returning player. That is on top of Josh Langford returning from his injury and other key players returning such as Aaron Henry and Xavier Tillman. Xavier Tillman feels like one of those big guys at Michigan State that continually improves year by year and turns into a real star. Draymond Green and Denzel Valentine come to mind when I think of his progression going forward. Another guy to look out for that you might not know about is Rocket Watts. This incoming freshman guard from Ohio will be a nice piece off the bench. His point guard skills need to be refined but he will not need to be leaned on for that in his first year. Watts is a dynamic scorer and could fill in at the 2 in a moment’s notice next to Cassius Winston.

2. Michigan

          The Wolverines are one of those teams that could easily slip out of the Top 10 pending some important NBA decisions. Jordan Poole and Ignas Brazdeikis are weighing their options but if they come back, this team is a serious contender to cut down the nets. Along with those guys, Zavier Simpson, Jon Teske and Isaiah Livers will be returning. If not for Cassius Winston, Zavier Simpson would be the consensus best point guard in the Big Ten. One incoming freshman to remember is Jalen Wilson, the 46th best player in the country according to the 247 composite. He could be the answer for them on the wing at times. This team needs to improve offensively but the defensive culture has been set by Coach John Beilein and that will carry them throughout the regular season and on into March.

3. Kentucky

          Kentucky is #3 and with the addition of Kerry Blackshear Jr. from Virginia Tech as a graduate transfer I may well bump them to #1. This team potentially returns EJ Montgomery, Ashton Hagans, Immanuel Quickley and Nick Richards. And if you add in Kerry Blackshear, Nick Sestina along with the #3 recruiting class in the nation? Wow. This is a team that will be bigger than most teams they play and will have plenty of experience at the college level to boot. Incoming Freshman Kahlil Whitney could help them out on the wing as they don’t have a clear cut small forward. Tyrese Maxey is another gem of a player that will immediately help them out at the guard spots.

4. Duke

          The past few days have been kind to the Blue Devils on the recruiting trail. Matthew Hurt and Cassius Stanley joining the fold will certainly help Duke going forward. Vernon Carey is a virtual lock for the 2020 NBA 1st round, as well. Did I forget to mention Tre Jones is returning for his sophomore season at point guard? Jones is one of the steadying players of this past year’s team, is already a solid point guard, and he will only improve will a full offseason under Coach K’s wing. If Tre Jones can make opponents fear his jump shot that will open up the floor for everyone else. Marques Bolden, Javin DeLaurier and Alex O’Connell will also be big returning pieces for them.

5. Villanova

          I hate for my bias to come out but I always fall in love with Villanova teams and Jay Wright is the reason. Next year’s team should be an improvement from last year’s despite losing Eric Paschall and Phil Booth. Jermaine Samuels had flashes of great play down the stretch for the Wildcats and Collin Gillespie is going to be a key cog for them next year. My biggest question for them is who will step up and be a leader? Phil Booth took on that role last year and one of the aforementioned need to be that guy. 5 star Freshman recruits Bryan Antoine and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl will be huge additions for Villanova as well. Robinson-Earl should help Villanova a lot down low as there has been inconsistent play there recently.

6. Gonzaga

       As long as Killian Tillie and Zach Norvell Jr. return I believe they will stay at this spot and teams could move above and below them. Filip Petrusev and Corey Kispert will need to step into starting roles and prove they can be contributors along with a highly touted recruiting class. 4 Star Drew Timme, a 6-10 center out of Richardson, Texas, will be expected to carry the load at the 5 and he should be up to the task. 4 star Anton Watson will also be a key cog for the Zags. Known for his versatile play and high basketball IQ, he should fit right in.

7. Louisville

          This is another team that relies a lot on who decides to return. If Jordan Nwora and Steven Enoch decide to withdraw from the draft, this team could and should be a top 5 team next year. Chris Mack did wonders in his first year at the helm for the Cardinals and is now bringing in his own guys. St Joe’s grad transfer Lamarr Kimble will be a welcome addition as he should bring experience to the point guard position. Dwayne Sutton, Ryan McMahon and Malik Williams will be important for Louisville, being that they have experience and talent at various positions. Incoming Freshman Samuell Williamson will certainly be important as well. His ascension to a 5 star prospect should not be forgotten and he could be the kind of player who plays himself into the 1st round of the 2020 draft with a strong freshman campaign.

        8. Kansas

          Kansas is a team that I think many will forget coming into the season despite a ranking in the top 15. As long as Devon Dotson and Quentin Grimes withdraw their names from the draft, this team should be a consensus top 10 team. Those two are not even the most important returning piece- which is Udoka Azubuike. Before Azubuike went down midseason, I truly believed this team had a chance to make a major splash in March. Along with his return, Marcus Garrett and Ochai Agbaji should be key if they can continue to develop. Don’t get it twisted, a Dedric Lawson type player is not walking through that door but a dynamic graduate transfer for Kansas could prove to be massive for the Jayhawks. Arkansas Little-Rock’s Rayjon Tucker is visiting soon and he’s the kind of player that could really change the trajectory of this team. Tucker is a dynamic scorer that could really help a team that struggled at times on the offensive end.

9. Seton Hall

          Is this too high of a ranking for the Pirates? I do not think it is at this juncture. If Myles Powell returns for Seton Hall you are returning the man who could well be the best player in the Big East. I know, I know, there is some guy at Marquette named Markus Howard but I really like Myles Powell. He’s that dynamic of a player. Surprisingly, the Pirates struggled quite a bit on the offensive end throughout this past season, ranking 87th according to KenPom. That is an area Seton Hall must improve on to live up to this spot in the rankings. The return of Myles Cale, Quincy McKnight and Sandro Mamukelashvili is big for them as well. To put a bow on this ranking, I see a lot of potential for the Pirates. Kevin Willard is still only 44 and is finally coming into his own as a coach and this team has a lot more experience than most will next year. Experience wins in March and this team has the ingredients to finally have success there.

10. Oregon

           To wrap up these rankings, the Oregon Ducks come in at #10. Again, this ranking depends a lot on whether Payton Pritchard and Kenny Wooten decide to come back into the fold. The loss of Louis King makes me considerably more unsure of Oregon. Payton Pritchard’s experience at point guard is the most important part of why the Ducks are in this spot. Pritchard was one of the best players in the PAC-12 last year and is the best point guard in the league. The biggest addition to next year’s squad has to be JUCO shooting guard Chris Duarte. Duarte was named Junior College player of the year and will fill up the stat sheet. Despite his 6’6 frame, he averaged 7 rebounds a game and can fill it up from deep, shooting 40% from behind the arc. The other key incoming player is 4 star signee CJ Walker out of Florida. Known for his energy and athleticism, he should fit right into the Oregon mold.

Thanks again for checking out my 1st piece as I return to writing. Look out for the NBA Draft primer coming out in the next week.

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