Our annual list of the Top 100 And 1 players in college basketball is out, and the exhaustive ranking, which fuses the individual rankings of four writers, provides some insights into certain teams for the season ahead. It’s no surprise that each of the preseason top-15 teams in college basketball placed more than one player on the list, because what’s a highly ranked team without touted talent?
What is a bit surprising, though, is that four teams from outside the preseason AP Top 25 also placed more than one player on the list. One of them, Arizona, isn’t even projected to make the NCAA Tournament, according to the early Bracketology work of CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm. The other three non-ranked teams with multiple players on the list are Mississippi State, St. John’s and Texas Tech.
But when it comes to the distribution of high-end talent, a whopping 16 teams have three or more players on the list, and it’s not necessarily the top 16 teams in the country. Below is the full breakdown of the Top 100 And 1 players by team., beginning with those who are best represented on the list and descending toward those teams with a single player in the Top 101 And 1.
Check out the full CBS Sports Top 100 And 1 best college basketball players rankings
The Jayhawks’ top player on the list is a transfer from Arizona State, whereas the other three have each been in the program for multiple seasons. Based on past production, Martin deserves to be the highest-ranked. But it wouldn’t be a surprise if any of the other three actually led the team in scoring.
It’s a sign of Kentucky’s evolution as a program that its top three players on the list are not freshmen. Washington is the team’s only freshman in the top-100, and he is much further down than BJ Boston (13) and Terrence Clarke (27) were last season.
Maryland’s depth is a bit of a question, but the Terrapins should have one of the best starting lineups in the Big Ten, as evidenced by the fact that it landed four players on the list. It had just one representative last season in the now-departed Aaron Wiggins at No. 84, but Ayala actually led the team in scoring during a breakout season.
This list is a great representation of why the CBS Sports’ basketball writers unanimously picked Memphis to win the AAC over Houston. The top-shelf talent is undeniable. One great example of that is how Nolley drops from being the team’s highest-ranked player on last season’s list to being the fourth Memphis player on this season’s list, despite the fact that he is the program’s leading returning scorer.
The case could also have been made for Texas forwards Christian Bishop, Dylan Disu and Tre Mitchell to be on this list, based on their productivity at prior schools. That’s how much talent the Longhorns have under first-year coach Chris Beard. How he molds it all together remains to be seen, and the positioning of these Longhorns on the list could look silly by the end of this season, depending on who emerges as the leaders of a talented roster.
Alabama had two players on this list last season in John Petty (No. 69) and Herb Jones (No. 79). The fact that both have departed and three more players have emerged to take their place is a credit to the program built by coach Nate oats.
The presence of two newcomers as Auburn’s top representatives is a vote of confidence in coach Bruce Pearl’s ability to unlock the full potential of an incredibly talented but unproven front court. Smith, a five-star freshman, and Kessler, a North Carolina transfer and former five-star prospect, could make the Tigers a matchup nightmare.
Speaking of matchup nightmares in the front court, how about trying to defend Timme, a 6-foot-10 first-team All-American and the CBS Sports Preseason Player of the Year, and Holmgren, a 7-footer and the No. 1 ranked freshman, at the same time? That’s the dilemma Gonzaga’s opponents will face this season.
The Bears lose a lot of production, especially in the back court, from their national title run. But coach Scott Drew has done a great job building depth in his program, as evidenced by the fact that Baylor’s top two representatives on this list came off the bench last season.
Cade Cunningham was our highest-ranked freshman last season at No. 2 in this exercise. We nailed it, because he ended up leading the Big 12 in scoring, shot 40% from 3-point range, took Oklahoma State to the NCAA Tournament and got drafted No. 1 overall. Banchero is the highest-ranked freshman this year, and Blue Devils fans will hope he mimics Cunningham’s production.
Cockburn is a nearly impossible matchup on the block, even for some of the Big Ten’s other great big men. He was phenomenal last season and could be even more of a focal point for the Illini this season now that fellow superstar Ayo Dosunmu has departed for the NBA.
The Wolverines welcome the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class. But Jones, a Coastal Carolina transfer, and Dickinson, a sophomore, top the list for Michigan. That indicates this roster is a good blend of young and old.
North Carolina (3)
There is plenty of talent in the queue as Hubert Davis takes over for Roy Williams. Garcia is a bit of a wild card, but if the production he enjoyed as a freshman at Marquette translates to the ACC, then the Tar Heels will have one of the league’s best front courts.
Ivey and Edey both landing in the top-30 is a big bet on the promise they showed in flashes as freshmen last season. But Williams is sure to be one of the nation’s best bigs after averaging double figures the past two seasons.
The Bruins placed just one player on the list last season (Chris Smith, No. 39), and he played just eight games before an injury ended his season. This year, UCLA has three of the top-70, as it welcomes basically everyone back from a surprise Final Four run.
Gillespie was No. 7 on last season’s last and the six players ahead of him all departed. Now, he repeats as a top-10 player as he returns from a knee injury that knocked him out late last season. Moore also made the list at No. 72 last season and is back to comprise the second half of an elite back court.
Arizona (2)
Both Mathurin and Tubelis were Pac-12 All-Freshman performers last season after entering as four-star prospects. Their return is one reason why first-year coach Tommy Lloyd’s rebuild shouldn’t be too strenuous.
48. Bennedict Mathurin68. Azuolas Tubelis
Houston (2)
It’s a sign of what coach Kelvin Sampson has built that the Cougars can lose their top two scorers from a Final Four team and still land two players in the top-50. Sasser and Edwards are guards who should keep Houston nationally relevant and in the AAC title hunt.
Mississippi State (2)
Brooks made the list at No. 11 last season following a breakout 2019-20 campaign at North Carolina. After struggling as a senior at UNC, a change of scenery should help him recapture that production. Having two top-100 players should give the Bulldogs a shot to reach their second NCAA Tournament under seventh-year coach Ben Howland.
Richardson is a career 39.6% 3-point shooter, and Guerrier is a versatile forward who shined at Syracuse last season. Fellow transfers De’Vion Harmon (Oregon) and Jacob Young (Rutgers) have a case for top-100 status as well.
St. John’s (2)
The Red Storm don’t return much from last season’s 16-11 (10-9 Big East) squad. But what they do return is top-notch. Alexander was the Big East’s Freshman of the Year and co-defensive player of the year, while Champagnie won a share of the league’s most improved player award and was a first-team all-conference performer.
Texas Tech (2)
A roster makeover amid the coaching transition from Chris Beard to Mark Adams should allow Shannon to play an even greater role after averaging 12.9 points per game last season. Obanor emerged as one of the stars of March Madness at Oral Roberts and is a versatile forward whose game should translate well to a higher level of competition.
