The lead guard position is the deepest in college basketball this season, but wings aren’t all that far behind.
And I have a theory on that.
One of the most valuable positions in the NBA these days are wings that can defend everyone from a point guard to a power forward and are capable of knocking down an open three. Throw in the ability to attack a close out off the dribble and the willingness to play within a system, and you understand why a guy like Trevor Ariza’s NBA career is spanning into a second decade. The trickle-down effect here is that guys like Jaron Blossomgame or Josh Jackson or O.G. Anunoby focus on developing the perimeter skills necessary to be able to space the floor, making them more valuable at the professional level in the long-term.
Maybe I’m reading too much into it and this just happens to be a year where there are a lot of talented players at this position. Whatever the case may be, there are a lot of guys on this list that will spend a lot of time in the NBA.
Before we dive into the top 20 wings in college basketball, a quick disclaimer: We used four positions to rank players – lead guards, off guards, wings and big men. If your favorite player isn’t on this list, he’s probably slotted in a different position.
Top Backcourts | Top Frontcourts | Top 100 Players
POSITION RANKS: Lead Guards | Off Guards | Wings | Big Men
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1. Josh Jackson, Kansas: I don’t think it’s crazy to compare Josh Jackson to Andrew Wiggins. They’re both supremely-athletic, 6-foot-8 wings that will play a critical role on a Kansas team that has the talent to win a national title. The difference between them? The comparison isn’t perfect – Jackson is more polished as a scorer and a passer while Wiggins was a more athletic, raw talent – but here’s the major point that needs to be made: Wiggins wasn’t ready to play a alpha-dog role that he was forced into. Jackson is, but he won’t be asked to, not with the veterans on the KU roster.
Wiggins has a negative rep from his time at Kansas, but he averaged 17.7 points and was the best perimeter defender in the country on a team that very easily could have made the Final Four had Joel Embiid stayed healthy. He was damn good, and Josh Jackson has a chance to be better.
2. Josh Hart, Villanova: Hart’s ability to guard different positions and attack the glass on both ends of the floor made him the most valuable piece that Villanova had on their roster last season. It’s impossible to over-value how good he fits on that team. His NBA potential is a question mark, however, the same way that Buddy Hield’s was heading into last season. Can Hart make the same kind of jump that Hield did?
3. Jayson Tatum, Duke: Now that we know his foot injury is not something serious we can move on discussing Tatum as the potential No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. There are been rave reviews about Tatum coming out of the Duke camp during the preseason. He is, essentially, a 6-foot-9 kid with a shooting guard’s skill-set. Think Brandon Ingram, only more fluid and more skilled with less hair and less tattoos.
4. Dillon Brooks, Oregon: Brooks was a tough guy for us to rank on this list. When healthy, he’s an awesome college player that is a perfect fit for Oregon’s offense. He’s a guy that could average upwards of 20 points on a top five team. He’s a first-team all-american. But … he’s got this foot issue that will likely keep him out for the start of the season, and if you know anything about foot issues, they don’t necessarily just go away. His health may be the single biggest x-factor in college hoops this side of Harry Giles III.
5. Jaron Blossomgame, Clemson: Blossomgame is the most under-appreciated player in college basketball. He can guard anyone outside of the nation’s best low-post scorers. He averaged 18.7 points for a slow-paced Clemson team. He shot 44.6 percent from three on more than 100 threes attempted. But he plays for Clemson, so no one notices him. Trust me. You should take notice.
CONFERENCE PREVIEWS: Big 12 | ACC | Pac-12 | Big Ten
6. O.G. Anunoby, Indiana: Anunoby is a tough player to rank on a list like this for a couple reasons. He’s a potential breakout star that didn’t post great numbers last season. His value lies in his ability to play a role more than his ability to score 20 in the Big Ten. He may be a better NBA prospect than a college player. But he’s also a 6-foot-8 defensive menace that can guard four positions, hit threes, get to the offensive glass and beat people off the dribble.
7. Malcolm Hill, Illinois: If Blossomgame is the most under-appreciated player in the country, Hill isn’t all that far behind. He’s what we like to call a bucket-getter. He can score in the post. He can score on the perimeter. He hits threes. He beats people off the dribble. He’s got a jab series. He can hit step-backs. He is a great college scorer.
8. Miles Bridges, Michigan State: There may not be a better athlete is college basketball than Miles Bridges. He’s a freak to the point that I may demand to see a birth certificate if I’m to believe that he isn’t from outer space. The concern with Bridges is going to be his ability to score. Michigan State desperately needs a go-to guy, so Bridges will have the chance to show what he can do offensively. It also means he’ll risk being exposed.
9. Trevon Blueitt, Xavier: Edmond Sumner is the guy that has been getting all the hype this season, which is why it may surprise you to find out that Bluiett was actually Xavier’s leading scorer last season. He’s not as athletic as some of the other wings on this list, but he is a terrific shooter that can defend bigger players.
10. Justin Jackson, North Carolina: Jackson is a tantalizing prospect because of his height, his length and his touch in the lane. The issue is that he hasn’t consistently shown the ability to take over games at the college level. With Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson gone, it’s Jackson’s time.
CONTENDER SERIES: Duke | Oregon | Kentucky | Kansas | Villanova
11. Kris Jenkins, Villanova: You’re going to remember Jenkins as the guy that made the national title-winning shot last April. You should also remember him as a sniper from three whose ability to defend bigger players was why Villanova was able to create so much space and so many mismatches offensively.
12. Deng Adel, Louisville: By the end of the year, this may be too low for Adel. He struggled with injuries last season, but people in and around the program rave about how good he’s been behind closed doors. Will that show through on the Yum! Center floor this season?
13. Dwayne Bacon, Florida State:
14. V.J. Beachem, Notre Dame: Beachem is a guy that deserves to get more attention than he’s gotten in his career. He’s an athletic, 6-foot-8 sniper that will be playing the Pat Connaughton/Tim Abromaitis role in Notre Dame’s offense. Don’t be surprised when he’s averaging 18 points and shooting 43 percent from three at the end of the year.
15. Kelan Martin, Butler: Martin was Butler’s most dangerous scorer last year, and with the amount of talent that the Bulldogs lost to graduation, don’t be surprised to see him lead the Big East in scoring this season.
RANKINGS: Top Frontcourts | Top Backcourts
16. Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin: This will seem low for a player with Hayes’ profile and a preseason Big Ten Player of the Year nomination this fall. It will also seem low if he shoots better than 36 percent from the floor and 29 percent from three, like he did last season.
17. Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina: Thornwell has averaged 13 points, 4.5 boards, 3.0 assists and more than a steal per game in his three years at South Carolina. At some point he is going to get the respect he deserves as one of the best players in the SEC.
18. Kevin Hervey, UT-Arlington: One of the most talented mid-major players in the country, Hervey was drawing attention from NBA scouts when he tore his ACL last winter.
19. Andrew White, Syracuse: White is one of the best volume shooters in the country, and he’ll join Syracuse to play the role vacated by Malachi Richardson. The question is whether White will be able to accept being the third or fourth option offensively.
20. Isaac Hamilton, UCLA: No one talks about Hamilton when talking about UCLA, but he averaged 16.8 points for the Bruins as a junior.
ALSO CONSIDERED
- Rawle Alkins, Arizona
- Jamel Artis, Pitt
- Isaac Copeland, Georgetown
- Mustapha Heron, Auburn
- Kyle Kuzma, Utah
- Jeremy Morgan, Northern Iowa
- Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Kansas
- Omar Prewitt, William & Mary
- Devin Robinson, Florida
- Duncan Robinson, Michigan
- Maverick Rowan, N.C. State
- Ray Smith, Arizona
