College basketball rankings: Breaking down the top five players at every position entering the 2023-24 season

CBS Sports launched its Top 100 And 1 participant checklist final week and the 2023-24 season is predicted to be outlined as soon as once more via dominant facilities. Four of the five players on the CBS Sports Preseason All-America First Team had been large males. The top five spots on the checklist had been all occupied via entrance court docket players. 

Headlining the checklist is towering Purdue middle Zach Edey. Last season, the 7-foot-4 large guy averaged 22.3 issues and 12.9 rebounds pergame on his strategy to profitable National Player of the Year Award. Other highly-ranked facilities come with North Carolina’s Armando Bacot, Duke’s Kyle Filipowski, Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson and Creighton Ryan Kalkbrenner.

Even with all the consideration paid to important males, guard play remains to be king come March. Marquette’s Tyler Kolek, Texas A&M’s Wade Taylor and Texas’ Max Abmas all ranked in the top-10 and are anticipated to assist lead their respective groups to a deep NCAA Tournament run. 

We broke our ratings into seven other position classes: level guard, capturing guard, combo guard, small ahead, wing, energy ahead and middle. Power convention players ruled the top of the checklist. The most effective mid-major participant ranked at the top of his position workforce used to be Dayton PF DaRon Holmes ll.

Ranking top players via position

Point guards

Kolek is the consensus perfect level guard in faculty basketball, so it is no marvel he headlines this checklist. The reigning Big East Player of the Year is a superb facilitator and is a big reason Marquette is the preseason No. 5 workforce. Mahaney is poised to take a large bounce at Saint Mary’s. He could also be a relative unknown identify to maximum (until you keep up overdue to observe West Coast Conference basketball) however he averaged 13.9 issues as a real freshman and performed a large position in a win over Gonzaga at the get started of WCC play. There’s numerous continuity on this workforce as all five players performed for his or her respective techniques final season.

Shooting guards

In a shocking resolution, Shannon elected to withdraw his identify from the NBA Draft to return again to Illinois. The former Texas Tech capturing guard supplies a one-two punch with returner Coleman Hawkins. Moore is again at Villanova after he tore his achilles in the Elite Eight win over Houston in 2022. He supplies trainer Kyle Neptune with a competent veteran that are meant to assist the Wildcats compete in the Big East.

Combo guards

The top combo guards characteristic two returners, two transfers and the No. 2 general recruit from the 2023 recruiting cycle. Collier used to be a overdue bloomer in highschool prior to he skyrocketed up the recruiting ratings. He is the highest-rated recruit in historical past of USC basketball and already in attention to be the No. 1 general select in the 2024 NBA Draft. All five of the groups in this checklist are anticipated to compete for his or her respective league titles. Taylor may end up to be the maximum essential on account of the wide-open standing of the SEC.

Small forwards

Hopkins leads this checklist after the Kentucky switch averaged 15.8 issues and eight.5 rebounds in 34.9 mins final season.  Edwards confirmed why he can also be Kentucky’s No. 1 choice all through the GLOBL Jam video games in Canada this summer time. DeVries used to be considered one of a handful of mid-major players in this checklist.

Wings

Two true rookies headline this checklist of wings. Baylor trainer Scott Drew has revel in growing younger players temporarily and Walter has the bodily construct to achieve the Big 12. Castle will have to step right into a outstanding position straight away for the reigning champs after the Huskies misplaced a ton of firepower to the NBA Draft.

Power forwards

Mississippi State used to be dealt a brutal blow when it used to be introduced Smith would pass over the get started of the season on account of a foot damage. He used to be a candidate for SEC Preseason Player of the Year and his damage will most likely knock him out till at least the get started of convention play. Colorado’s Da Silva is a gloomy horse candidate for Pac-12 Player of the Year. The Buffaloes are anticipated to box their perfect roster in years and he will have to be the point of interest.

Centers

Unless you are living below a rock, you understand how dominant Edey used to be final season. The 7-foot-4 burly large guy took America via hurricane and emerged as the top participant in the recreation. Purdue has a chance to apply the identical script as Virginia and seize a countrywide name the season after dropping to a No. 16 seed in the first spherical.