The big man is back college basketball.
The beauty of the adults in the college ring is that they can play facing the basket or below.
Purdue‘S Zach EdeyUp to this point, who is the leading candidate for the title of national player of the year, is a prominent face in the mountainous country.
While, India‘S Khayce Jackson-Davis can be an external threat, as well as downhill.
Choosing tiers in this category is no easy task.
So here we go:
Zach Edey Leads the Best in College Basketball
Andy Katz beat the top big boys in college basketball, featuring Purdue’s standout Zach Edey.
Level 1: The best of the best
Zach Edey, Purdue
Edey is a dominating giant, a double machine. The 7-foot-4 player has scored 16 doubles in 20 games this season, including four with 20 plus points and 15 plus rebounds. His overall size makes him defenseless at times.
Best moment: Edey scored 32 points and won 17 pounds in one 64-63 win the state of Michigan on January 16, including the winning crate in the game.
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
Jackson-Davis has battled trauma and has come back even stronger as a power figure in the entertainment industry. Big Ten. The senior major is averaging 27.3 points, 14.3 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game in the Hoosiers’ current four-game winning streak. He could very well lead Indiana deep into March.
Best moment: Jackson-Davis scored 35 points and won 9 rebounds in an impressive game 80-65 win at Illinois on January 19.
Timme has had too much of a burden on Zags this season and has answered calls multiple times. He has scored six doubles and is putting on an impressive performance with 38 points in the previous win Pacific.
Best moment: Timme scored 29 points and won 10 chess boards when he led Gonzaga to a 100-90 win Alabama on December 17 in Birmingham.
Bacot is back to compete for a national title, as well as ACC and National Player of the Year. He can still win the former, but won’t win the latter.
Best moment: Bacot scored 28 points and won £15 in one 89-84 overtime victory Ohio State on December 17 at Madison Square Garden.
Tshiebwe has struggled with injuries and has not been as productive this season as he was when he won the Naismith Trophy a year ago. However, when the 6-foot-9 center, which weighs 260 pounds, is locked, the Wildcats are a factor.
Best moment: Tshiebwe scored 37 points and won £24 in a much needed situation 85-71 win Georgia on January 17th.
Tier 2: Next in line
Tubelis has been a consistent presence for the Wildcats, and he will likely continue to be a tough opponent. The 6-foot-11, 245-pound man from Lithuania has scored a brace in six of his last seven games for Arizona.
Big Man’s Greatest Moment: Tubelis explodes at the scene in Hawaii with 30 points and 11 bounces Cincinnati in the opening round of the Maui Invitational.
Oumar . ballArizona
Ballo has made remarkable progress under Tommy Lloyd in Arizona. He became a special talent inside, averaging 16.1 points, 9 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game for the Wildcats.
Best moment: Ball Domination Creighton in the Maui Invitational final with 30 points and 13 bounces.
Sanogo is Big East Pre-season player of the year. He can still reach that level because he is a difficult player to deal with. Standing 6 feet-9 tall and weighing 245 pounds, Sanogo is a force in paint. He leads the Big East in scoring of 16.9 points per game and is down 7.2 goals per game, ranking ninth in the conference.
Best moment: Sanogo led Huskies to a 82-67 win Alabama in Portland this past November by scoring 25 points.
Dickinson is back to be the Big Ten Player of the Year nominee. He probably won’t win the award, but he’s a first-team All-Big Ten player.
Best moment: Dickinson scored 32 points and won £12 in a much-needed win over maryland on New Year’s Day.
Ryan KalkbrennerCreighton
The Kalkbrenner is a rim guard and a sturdy finisher. His injury has been an issue for the Bluejays this season, but if he is healthy he could become a main force in March.
Best moment: Kalkbrenner scored 21 points and won seven pounds in one 73-67 win Providence on January 14.
Level 3: Move
Filipowski has become the best big man at Duke, contrary to pre-season predictions. The highly rated freshman leads Duke in grades (15.7), recovery (9.5) and ball snatch (1.3).
Best moment: Filipowski scored 28 points and won £15 in the previous 11 January win Pitt.
Carlson has been overshadowed by others in Pac-12, but he left his mark this season. The 7-foot-tall Utah native is scoring 17.1 points and 7.6 goals per game for the Utes, who currently sit 8-3 in the Pac-12.
Best moment: Carlson scored 22 points in the win over Arizona, playing better than the Wildcats big boys.
Omoruyi is one of the hardest players to deal with in the deck. He can lunge at anyone, he gets to the belt quickly, and can change and block shots at will.
Best moment: Omoruyi scored 14 points, won 11 boards and blocked six shots in one game. 68-64 won in extra time against Ohio State on January 15.
Freemantle played well with Jack Nunge this season, but he has plenty of standout moments of his own. He scored four doubles in January.
Best moment: Freemantle scored 29 points and won 11 in the previous 7 January win Villanova.
Holmes has had a stellar career at Dayton, and he hasn’t disappointed so far this season. The 6-foot-10, 225-pound man ranks third in the A10 in terms of both scoring (18.4) and resilience (8.0).
Best moment: Holmes scored 32 points and won £10 in the road victory at davidson Eve.
Tier 4: Hard to keep them this low
Noah Clowneyalabama
Clowney got better in every game during his freshman season. I praised Brandon Millerform a one-of-a-kind punch for the Crimson Tide.
Best moment: Clowney scored 17 points and won £14 in a 21 January road win at Missouri.
Udeze was the unsung glue for Lobos’ breakout season under coach Richard Pitino. The 6-foot-8 player has scored five brace in his last six games for New Mexico.
Best moment: Udeze scored 15 points, including winning the game after a domestic run, to beat Bang Boise during overtime on January 20.
Crowl didn’t get much love nationally, but he’s been a staple for the Badgers this season. The junior big man is averaging 12.6 points and 6.7 rebounds for Wisconsin.
Best moment: Crowl stepped up with 21 points and 11 rebounds in a crucial win on late possession Penn State on January 17th.
Tyson is the most versatile and reliable scorer for the tigers competing for the ACC belt. He leads the Tigers in scoring (15.5), saves (10.0) and steals (0.9).
Best moment: He scored 31 points and won 13 pounds in the previous win State of NC on December 30.
The big freshman had plenty of moments to shine in front of a title contender. Walker kicked off the new year with 23 points, 10 rebounds in an impressive 87-53 win last SMU and played a key role in the Cougars’ 7-1 start in the US.
Best moment: Walker scored 17 points and won seven pounds in a road win at Virginia on December 17th.
Level 5: Don’t sleep on them
Williams doesn’t get the attention it deserves. He has been the anchor for the Tigers so far this season, scoring 17.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
Best moment: Williams fouled, but turned strong against Memphis in an unpleasant situation golden brown. He scored 16 points and won 11 rebounds in the game. 82-73 win.
Castleton returns to play for coach Todd Golden and has proven himself to be one of the SECONDthe most trusted card players. The 6-foot-11 led the Gators in points (15.0), rebounds (7.6), steals (1.0) and saves (3.0).
Best moment: Castleton delivered for the Gators in a January 14 win over Missouri with 16 points, 13 chessboards, three steals and two interceptions.
The Minnesota Transfers are healthy and wreak havoc in the SEC. He is placing 13.2 points and £5.9 on Commodores.
Best moment: Robbins scored 22 points, won seven boards and picked up six blocks in a 3 January extra-time win. South Carolina.
The recent Michigan transfer went well, in keeping with the Rams being on the rise. The 6-foot-8 senior has scored double in eight consecutive games for VCU.
Best moment: Johns scored 18 points and won nine pounds in the previous win Pitt in Brooklyn.
Jesse EdwardsSister, Syracuse
Edwards has played well for Orange, a team that can still make a post-season campaign. He is averaging 13.6 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.
Best moment: Edwards scored 22 points and won £16 in the win at Notre Dame in December.
Andy Katz is a longtime college basketball writer, analyst, and host. He can be seen on the Big Ten Network, as well as March Madness and NCAA.com, and he hosts the podcast “March Madness 365.” Katz has worked at ESPN for nearly two decades and before that nine years at newspapers.
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