The days until college basketball officially gets underway continue to dwindle down, as the country’s best players have largely returned to campus for the start of another semester.
Our work here at GMS continues, though, sans a summer vacation, as we countdown the top 50 college basketball players of the 2015-2016 season. Up first, a pair of ballers from the Pacific Northwest.
48. Dillon Brooks, Oregon Ducks
Expectations from the Ducks’ fan base were tempered for Brooks, as he enrolled into school two semesters early. Yet, he delivered time and time again for one of the country’s surprise teams. Brooks averaged 11.5 points and 4.9 rebounds a game, while giving Dana Altman a blue-collar threat on both ends to compliment the more flashy, lethal talents of Joseph Young on the perimeter. What makes Brooks so valuable isn’t just his skill–though his proficiency from spots all over the floor, nearly 34-percent from deep, shouldn’t be overlooked by anyone–it was his toughness. Oregon has long been thought of as a finesse team, more concerned with offense than the necessities of getting down, dirty, and stingy with its defensive efforts. Brooks helped reverse that misnomer, with plays like this one below.
47. Gary Payton Jr., Oregon State Beavers
Payton Jr. was a huge part of the turnaround in Corvallis last season. The first thing many people talk about when it comes to his impact on the court is his defense presence. Payton locks down opposing guards from end to end when given the opportunity, but given Oregon State’s inclination towards a zone defense, his impact is felt more so in his ability to take up space and make life difficult for offenses trying to set up. On the offensive end, his physicality is a nightmare for smaller point guards, as he’s active both on and off the ball, reading spaces in the defense. As his outside shot comes around, so will his place on this list.
46. Caleb Swanigan, Purdue Boilermakers
Despite being a five-star prospect coming out of high school, Swanigan is headed to a Purdue program that is stacked in the frontcourt. So the question around town has been, what role does he play for Matt Painter? While that surely remains to be seen, it’s hard to ignore the pure talent that he brings to the table. Not only can he step outside and knock down shots in an offense that gives him the chance to, but he can certainly post up on the block and make life pretty darn miserable for would-be defenders. Defensively, he has progress to make being that he’s not the most agile athlete at this point in time, but he does a good job of keeping the opposition off the block spot where they want to be.
45. Jalen Adams, UConn Huskies
Another five-star freshman on the list, Adams likely would have been higher on the list if he weren’t being paired with another lead guard capable of putting up big-time offensive numbers. It may not be fair, but the presence of Sterling Gibbs has a chance to hamper Adams’ instant impact in Storrs. The saving grace? Head coach Kevin Ollie has experience dealing with two dynamic guards that can affect the game positively with the ball in their hands. As the clip below shows, Adams also has the ability to come up big in the biggest of moments, something UConn fans are well versed in with past stars.
Make sure to check back as we countdown to name our top player in the country. Disagree with a name or place on our list? Let us know in the comments section and tell us who you think was done wrong.
