Mar 15, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Georges Niang (31) celebrates after cutting part of the net after the win against the Baylor Bears in the championship game of the Big 12 Conference college basketball tournament at Sprint Center. Iowa State won 74 – 65. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
With the 2014-15 college basketball season fast approaching, a preview series will be rolling out detailing who I believe the top five players in each major conference are with reasoning that hopefully helps back up those assertions. First up was the ACC. Then came the B1G. Next is the Big 12.
1) Georges Niang (SF/PF), Iowa State
The broken foot Niang suffered in the NCAA Tournament last season was devastating to both Niang and the Cyclones, but it might actually help both parties this season as a result. While sidelined, Niang reexamined things and decided he needed to get in better shape to maximize his full potential. Instead of a 240-pound Niang lumbering up and down the court with frequent bouts of fatigue, the newly chiseled 210-pound Niang should be even more dominant and less prone to conditioning issues.
There aren’t many guys in college basketball more important to their team than Niang. Everything flows through him on offense, and he carries that burden well. He’s extremely versatile, as he can play both inside and outside as well as on and off the ball with no noticeable drop off in production. Make no mistake, though: he’s at his best with his back to the basket in the post, where he can pick apart the defense with his arsenal of skill moves or with a deft pass when doubled. He’s not a good rim defender or rebounder because of his lack of length, but he works hard to compensate for those deficiencies.
With Niang setting the tone this season, Iowa State is ready to be a tough out in the NCAA Tournament once again.
2) Juwan Staten (PG), West Virginia
One of the few players in the country who does more for his team than Georges Niang? Juwan Staten. Last season, he averaged 18.1 PPG, 5.8 APG, 5.6 RPG, and 1.2 SPG. Standing a mere 5’11”, Staten is forced to be more crafty and slippery with the ball than a physical force. He uses his lack of height to his advantage, penetrating the lane with quickness almost at will. He’s one of the best creators in the country, both for himself and others, but developing a three-point shot would benefit his draft stock a great deal and give him one more way to dominate an opposing Big 12 defense.
The last two seasons have been major disappointments for the Mountaineers under Bob Huggins. West Virginia has not been to an NCAA Tournament since Staten was a freshman. They will need him to carry more of the load than ever if they hope to make it to the big dance this season.
3) Cliff Alexander (C), Kansas
A huge basketball recruit coming out of Chicago like Cliff Alexander would typically grab headlines all over the country. However, despite probably being one of the five best freshman prospects in the entire country, he has been overshadowed by fellow Chicago big man Jahlil Okafor. Alexander’s old crosstown rival is being hyped as the frontrunner for the Naismith Award, but Alexander has talent in spades, too, and he shouldn’t be overlooked this season.
Playing on a stacked team likely won’t help Alexander out of the gate, as he won’t likely be a starter when the season begins. His natural talent won’t allow him to be held down for long, though. It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see Alexander solidify a spot in the starting five by the time Big 12 conference play rolls around. He’s a physical freak, and he will dominate the opposition with strength and brute force on both ends. Go ahead and prepare to see countless SportsCenter clips of Alexander swatting shots into the stands and throwing down ferocious two-hand slams this season. Whether running the floor in transition, patrolling around the rim, executing pick and rolls, or grabbing rebounds, Alexander will fill many rolls for the Jayhawks. His one glaring issue is something he can’t control: height. Standing at just 6’9″ shouldn’t be a problem for the most part while he’s in college, but a couple more inches would certainly make NBA scouts a lot more comfortable with him.
4) Myles Turner (C), Texas
2008. That was the last time the Texas Longhorns made a Sweet 16 appearance. Entering the season ranked in the top ten in the AP poll, the Longhorns have hopes to get back on top of the college basketball world. Incoming freshman center Myles Turner will need to play a big part this season for that to happen.
Much like the aforementioned Alexander, Turner is an imposing force in the post, just in a different way. Just an average athlete with a slender frame, Turner primarily uses length, timing, and smart positioning to anchor a defense. Turner doesn’t have the motor that Alexander has on offense, but he makes up for that with a finesse game that Alexander does not possess. He’s capable of executing a flawless pick and pop, and his range extends out to the three-point line. Centers that can play both inside and outside intrigue NBA scouts, but he would improve his stock tremendously if he added muscle and developed a post game.
At this stage of Turner’s development, he will be able to contribute in a big way at Texas because of his size and the skills he already has, but he still has much to prove to NBA talent evaluators.
5) Kelly Oubre (SF), Kansas
The Big 12 is a stacked conference, and there are multiple players that didn’t make this top five list that are at least deserving of consideration because of their contributions for their team that they’ve already made at the college level. That brings us to Kelly Oubre.
It’s tough to put three freshman on a list of top five players in the Big 12 given that they haven’t played a minute in a college game that matters yet. But based on talent level alone, Oubre deserves to be on this list. He’s a prototypical wing that can already do most things head coach Bill Self will ask him to do at a decent level. Consistency shooting the ball and locking his man down on defense are his biggest issues, but we know he’s capable of doing both things extremely well. He’s improved over the course of the last year, and now he simply has to put it all together on a consistent basis. If he shows out on both ends of the floor at Kansas as he is capable of doing, he will likely depart for the NBA draft as a potential top five pick.