Sports Illustrated
1. Otega Oweh, Kentucky
Oweh was perhaps the biggest beneficiary among Mark Pope’s first class of transfers from playing in Pope’s well-spaced offense, using his athleticism to constantly pressure the rim against defenses worried about the Wildcats’ three-point shooting. In the process, he became one of the most productive wings in the country, and he’s back for his senior year with sights set on going further than last season’s Sweet 16 run.
2. Richie Saunders, BYU
Saunders shredded Big 12 defenses last season to the tune of a 62% effective field goal percentage, making him one of the most efficient high-volume scorers in the country. He shoots the cover off the ball from beyond the arc at 43% (a mark that tips even higher to 45% when only looking at Big 12 games last season) but has more game off the dribble than many realize.
3. Emanuel Sharp, Houston
The lasting memory of Sharp’s career to date is his disastrous turnover in the closing seconds of the national championship game against Florida, but that shouldn’t diminish that he has become one of the top guards in the country over the last two seasons. He’s a big-time shooter with near-limitless range, and he’s also an elite defender in Houston’s system. Sharp could step into a higher-usage role with the graduation of L.J. Cryer.
4. Solo Ball, UConn
Ball’s an elite shooter, shooting 41% from deep on high volume last season while being the Huskies’ clear No. 1 option on the offensive end. Life should get a lot easier for him this season with improved point guard play (Silas Demary Jr.) and another sniper (Braylon Mullins) around him. The next step for him is more consistency on the defensive end.
Blackwell nearly doubled his scoring output from his freshman to sophomore year, averaging nearly 16 points per game as a sophomore as the Robin to John Tonje’s Batman. Now, he’s the clear leading scorer in a Badgers offense that has been kind to high-volume wings in recent years. If Wisconsin keeps up last year’s much faster tempo, he could top 20 points per game.
6. Ryan Conwell, Louisville
Conwell made 109 threes at a 41% rate two years ago at Indiana State, then followed that up with 99 more at the same clip for Xavier in 2024–25. Now, he’s off to Louisville to play for a coach in Pat Kelsey who loves players unafraid to let it fly. That should be a great marriage, and landing Conwell is a big reason Cards fans should be optimistic about emerging as national title contenders this season.
7. Kylan Boswell, Illinois
Boswell entered Illinois with the reputation of being an elite shooter. Despite a yearlong slump from deep, he still added plenty of value for Illinois thanks to his improvement as a rim finisher and defensive versatility. Watching him guard Cooper Flagg and Danny Wolf despite standing just 6' 2" really underscores his impact on that end. If the shot bounces back in 2025–26, he could be one of the best guards in the country.
8. Wesley Yates III, Washington
Good things happened last season when USC put the ball in Yates’s hands. From Jan. 1 on, Yates averaged nearly 18 points per game on impressive shooting splits, knocking down an absurd 49% from deep in that 20-game sample. Now, he returns to Washington, where he redshirted in 2023–24 under former coach Mike Hopkins before transferring to the Trojans. He could be among the Big Ten’s leading scorers.
9. Josh Dix, Creighton
Coaches in the Big Ten last year consistently cited Dix as one of the most underrated players in the league, and now he makes the move with his former Iowa teammate Owen Freeman to Creighton for his senior season. He’s a highly efficient offensive player, shooting over 50% from the field and 42% from three last season. He’s good enough on the ball to take on pick-and-roll responsibilities at times, and he’s a very solid defender on the ball as well.
10. Xaivian Lee, Florida
Lee was one of the most talented mid-major players in the country at Princeton, and now will test his mettle at the highest level at Florida. Early returns suggest he’ll have no trouble translating his game to the SEC, possessing the elite shotmaking talent (particularly off the bounce) that Todd Golden’s system really values.
Evans was Duke’s secret weapon off the bench a year ago, with the ability to change games with his three-point shooting spurts in short periods of time. This year, he’ll be much more regularly featured in the Blue Devils’ attack, potentially even as their second option offensively behind star freshman Cameron Boozer. His length and shooting ability off movement has NBA scouts very intrigued.
12. Luka Bogavac, North Carolina
Bogavac is a professional scorer in every sense of the word, having averaged just shy of 15 points per game in the Adriatic League last season before coming to college to play for Hubert Davis and the Heels. How Davis elects to delegate responsibilities in his backcourt between Bogovac, Seth Trimble (honorable mention) and Kyan Evans remains to be seen, but all can put the ball on the floor and create for others at times.
13. Chase Ross, Marquette
The Marquette program is all about internal development after eschewing the transfer portal, and the clearest beneficiary of that this season is Ross. He made real strides in 2024–25, emerging as an effective complementary scoring option behind Kam Jones and David Joplin. Now, it’s Ross’s team, and the Dallas native should thrive attacking the rim for Shaka Smart.
Rice had a big year at Maryland as a sophomore before hitting the portal in the wake of Kevin Willard’s departure and landing across the country at USC. He was used mostly as an off-ball shooter at Maryland, though Eric Musselman should put the ball in his hands more consistently and free him up to go score.
15. Jason Edwards, Providence
Edwards is an under-the-radar candidate to lead the nation in scoring this season. In just 25 minutes per game in 2024–25, Edwards averaged 17 points per game, helping lift Vanderbilt to the NCAA tournament. While his 6' 1" stature makes him look more like a traditional point guard, expect Providence to free Edwards up to go score and leave distributing duties to a more by-committee approach.
Honorable MentionLamar Wilkerson, IndianaMalik Thomas, VirginiaIsaac McKneely, LouisvilleSeth Trimble, North CarolinaIlias Kamardine, Ole MissIan Jackson, St. John’sJaron Pierre Jr., SMUBrayden Burries, ArizonaAden Holloway, AlabamaMason Falslev, Utah State
