DEP: 718-595-6600, DEPPressOffice@dep.nyc.govDOT: 212-839-4850, press@dot.nyc.gov DDC: Denisse Moreno, 718-391-1854, morenode@ddc.nyc.gov 2024) The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) joined local elected officials today to celebrate the completion of a $139 million project in College Point upgrading over six miles of water mains and over eight miles of sewers to improve stormwater drainage and water service also upgraded streets with over 24 acres of asphalt and other major improvements “This major infrastructure brings critical investments to College Point with upgraded roads and sidewalks that improve accessibility and enhance safety for all,” said NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez DEP and DDC teams for their unwavering commitment to get the job done as well as Councilmember Paladino and Queens Borough President Richards for their staunch support in bringing this project to fruition.”  “This major infrastructure investment will bring peace of mind to College Point residents who for years have dealt with poor street conditions and flooding after rainstorms,” said NYC Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Thomas Foley “These upgrades will help with stormwater management in the area and mitigate the effects of climate change for local residents and Councilmember Paladino and Queens Borough President Richards for supporting us through this extensive project.” These infrastructure upgrades were made to enhance quality of life for residents in the College Point area addressing the longstanding issue of basement flooding caused by a combined sewer system The project replaced parts of the outdated combined sewer system with nearly 8.5 miles of new sewers --over 21,000 feet of storm sewers and over 22,000 feet of sanitary sewers The construction of storm sewers included the installation of seven large storm sewer chambers and a tide gate designed as a barrier to prevent tidal waters from infiltrating the storm sewer system during high tide Micro tunneling was used in this project to dig in two locations eliminating the need for 30-feet-deep excavations that would have caused noise and other disruptions to the neighborhood Seven miles of water mains that were over 50 years old were upgraded to new eight to 20-inch-wide ductile iron pipes The project installed 249 new catch basins and upgraded 51 old catch basins 30 trees were added and over 8,000 square feet of wetlands were restored To improve road conditions for pedestrians and riders over 4.5 acres of sidewalk and five miles of curb were upgraded and 226 pedestrian ramps were upgraded to meet ADA compliance The project also upgraded the roads with 24.5 acres of new asphalt "The completion of this critically important infrastructure project is a massive win for College Point which finally has the modern sewer system it has long needed," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr "Thank you to our government partners for their work in completing this project to the families of College Point for their patience and to the members of my office's College Point Task Force for their advocacy as we work to make this community a better place for all who live here." “The College Point sewer project was one of my top priorities since taking office,” said Councilmember Vickie Paladino “I could see how the people of College Point had suffered under this long-delayed project and I took aggressive action to see its completion Between weekly phone calls with DDC and regular visits to the site with the contractors the work began moving faster than it had under any other elected official I’m proud to be the City Council Member who finally delivered College Point’s roads back to them.” “I am encouraged by what these infrastructure improvements will do to help alleviate significant flooding and other sewer system issues in College Point,” said New York State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky “Our residents have been dealing with the destructive consequences of poor stormwater drainage for too many years There are still areas in need of remediation and we must not ignore the fact that this is a good start but additional areas must be addressed While the DDC has assured me that these upgrades will have an immediate and lasting impact on our water mains and street conditions we must continue to take a proactive approach in combating the growing complications of climate change in our most vulnerable communities.” "Residents of College Point have lived in fear of the rain for far too long homes and storefronts,” said New York State Senator John Liu “These water and sewer upgrades will not just provide needed relief for the area’s persistent flooding problems but allow for some long-overdue peace of mind Infrastructure upgrades continue to be a top priority for northeast Queens DDC and DOT for working together to bring sustainability and resiliency to the residents of College Point." and over 350 million linear feet of markings NYC is a trademark and service mark of the City of New York Privacy Policy. Terms of Use.  attending college was a badge of honor increasingly required for career success and a widely praised life experience that helped young people become adults I remember watching public-interest TV ads extolling the benefits of college and warning that a high school diploma was no longer a ticket to success higher education was so deeply valued that Congress passed a law to reward military veterans with low-cost or even free college tuition affordable home mortgages and other benefits Costs have skyrocketed – to around $25,000 a year at public universities and four times as much at coveted private schools it is more challenging to gain acceptance to better colleges thanks to Baby Boomer parents who have pushed their kids from the youngest age to do everything possible to get ahead in life we have a president who accuses professors of liberal “indoctrination” and cuts funding for academic research These headwinds are compelling some young people Female university students increasingly outnumber male students with many young men who skip college citing their support for Donald Trump as justification Colleges have experienced tumultuous periods before campuses were rocked by Vietnam War protests that sometimes turned violent as tragically memorialized in the 1970 fatal shootings of four Kent State University students by Ohio National Guard members The hyper-competitiveness of college today is new Though I had edited my high-school newspaper and earned national writing awards in a fine suburban Detroit public school I could gain acceptance today to my alma mater As an academic tutor who sometimes helps high school juniors complete their college applications I am stunned by how cutthroat applying to college has become is one of the country’s best public schools but still a notch or two below the Ivy League and other private universities such as Duke or Stanford or MIT I have seen stellar students with extraordinary extracurricular activities and community service even those with 4.1 or 4.2 grade-point averages That is what I hear almost uniformly when folks learn that I attended Berkeley; it still has a reputation based on its location in the San Francisco area and on its history as the cradle of the 1960s student free-speech movement is its past as a breeding ground for spies where professors including several of mine as a political science major The greatest professors make college worthwhile I still remember the thrilling lectures and thought-provoking seminars of Karen Hermassi a young political-theory professor who taught a course on Plato She pushed back against the then-prevailing academic view of the ancient Greek philosopher as an ideological harbinger for 20th century dictators from Hitler to Mussolini her inspiring lectures helped teach me lessons that have proved invaluable in my subsequent career – challenging accepted wisdom and reading even dense texts very closely And they taught me another lesson: However abstract it seems at the time what you learn in the college classroom might prove more relevant than you could ever imagine Our debates over Plato and totalitarianism seemed distant from the America I’d grown up in – the America of Jefferson and Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr That vitality has given attending college a new mission: to help save American democracy With some of the world’s finest universities under attack from their own government it is no longer enough merely to gain an education Young learners must model the critical role of higher education in the self-governance our Founders sought And they must demonstrate to their countrymen that the free exchange of ideas will help us preserve our government of self-rule James Rosen is a former political reporter and Pentagon correspondent for McClatchy Newspapers TNS did not subsidize the writing of this column; the opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of TNS or its editors Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Have the latest local news delivered every afternoon so you don't miss out on updates Receive occasional local offers from our website and its advertisers summary of the weather details and news of any severe weather We'll send breaking news and news alerts to you as they happen  Receive our newspaper electronically with the e-Edition email Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account 80-Acre Lot in College Point is Prime Location for Wide Ranging Development Opportunities to Support Mixed-Use Neighborhood QUEENS, NY—New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) today released a request for proposals (RFP) for the development of an 80-acre plot of city-owned land in College Point has not been active since the airport was decommissioned in 1984 and has reverted to wetland The deadline to submit proposals is March 20 “Today's release of the RFP for the former Flushing Airport site is a direct result of Mayor Adams' Executive Order 43 and our commitment to leaving no stone unturned in addressing New York City's housing crisis,” said First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer underutilized parcel in College Point has the potential to deliver much-needed housing I look forward to seeing the innovative proposals the market can offer and how this site can help meet the needs of New Yorkers.” the 80-acre former Flushing Airport sat vacant Mayor Adams and NYCEDC will put this massive public asset to work for the benefit of Queens residents and the entire city,” said NYCEDC President & CEO Andrew Kimball with open space and community amenities and the development of neglected underutilized sites like the former Flushing Airport in Queens will deliver just that.” By: 7:30 am on January 26 Façade installation is beginning on Magnolia Gardens, a seven-story transitional residential and community facility at 39-03 College Point Boulevard in Flushing Designed by Urban Architectural Initiatives and developed by Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) under Magnolia Gardens Developer Inc. the 72-foot-tall structure will yield 62,932 square feet of community facility space 90 supportive housing units sponsored by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development Urban Resources Institute (URI) and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) will manage the facilities at the property which is alternately addressed as 133-04 39th Avenue and located at the intersection of College Point Boulevard and 39th Avenue Recent photographs show crews prepping the exterior for façade installation behind a shroud of scaffolding and black netting and workers are in the process of covering the cinderblock walls in a layer of pink paint ahead of the installation of the white brick façade and gray paneling The site had sat vacant and overgrown for years as seen in the below Google Street View image from before construction broke ground last March The rendering in the main photo depicts the exterior composed of white brick and gray metal paneling with a distinctive beveled frame of copper-hued metal wrapping around the northwest corner of the building This copper trim is utilized at a smaller scale in staggered boxes around the recessed windows near the corner and for frames around the windows on the outer wings The ground floor features floor-to-ceiling windows and the structure culminates in a flat parapet topped with a photovoltaic canopy Each family apartment will come with kitchens and bathrooms The community room will be accessible to the public and the building will have 24-hour security URI has also proposed the inclusion of a digital fabrication laboratory (fab lab) to help clients and other residents develop job skills for the future Construction is expected to meet or exceed the Enterprise Green Communities 2020 program The nearest subway from the development site is the 7 train at the Flushing-Main Street station along Roosevelt Avenue 39-03 College Point Boulevard’s anticipated completion date is slated for spring 2025 sometime around the end of 2025 is more likely Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews This is yet another residential building being erected in the former commercial/light industrial district of Flushing A large project was proposed for the other side of College Point Boulevard along Flushing Creek but this was seeming abandoned due to public opposition There were fears Flushing was getting too crowded is claimed to have the highest pedestrian traffic in NYC behind only Herald and Times squares was recently enlarged to have 11 entrances So nice there is only excitement for real estate that there are no lawsuits for trespassing: Thanks ga('send', 'event', 'beautyofblock', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Standard_336x280-100-2.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ADVERTISEMENT ga('send', 'event', 'PCRichards Builders Division', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PCR_Beko_Compact_YIMB_336x280.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ga('send', 'event', 'yimby+', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/image.png', { nonInteraction: true }); Follow on Instagram var sb_instagram_js_options = {"font_method":"svg","placeholder":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/instagram-feed\/img\/placeholder.png","resized_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sb-instagram-feed-images\/","ajax_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php"}; © COPYRIGHT New York YIMBY® LLC YIMBY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF NIKOLAI FEDAK / NEW YORK YIMBY LLC PROVIDENCE — Matt Painter would be first to admit he didn’t see it working out like this Purdue’s head coach heard good things about Braden Smith from folks close to the program and on the wider college basketball scene The fringe top-200 national recruit from Indiana claimed a handful of scholarship offers from lower majors but he wasn’t necessarily a priority for any Big Ten power Fast-forward three years and Smith is arguably the best point guard in the country. He carries the top individual assistant rate, according to KenPom.com, into a Thursday afternoon tip with High Point, a 12:40 p.m. game that will start the NCAA Tournament action at Amica Mutual Pavilion “I like watching film but I want to see you in person,” Painter said during his news conference on Wednesday morning Smith’s career at Westfield High in Indiana was interrupted in stretches by the COVID-19 pandemic His senior year included the state’s title of Mr Basketball and a sectional postseason championship Smith was a three-star prospect and the 33rd point guard in his class per 247Sports — the updated rankings would look much different ahead of this Midwest Region meeting with the Panthers (29-5) More: Play the FREE ProJo March Madness survivor pool; win a fabulous prize! “When you’re surrounded by other great players “I get them the ball and they make the shot.”  “When you get the ball in your sweet spots and it’s on time it allows me to be efficient at what I do,” Purdue guard Trey Kaufman-Renn said “It allows the team to be efficient at what they do.”  Smith has started all 107 career games with Purdue including his 2022-23 debut against Milwaukee collected seven steals and never looked back Smith didn’t have his first 10-assist outing until the second game of his sophomore year — he’s racked up 12 in 2024-25 including a season-high 15 assists in the opener against Texas A&M Corpus Christi Looking for tickets to the NCAA games in Providence? people say we’re great at developing players,” Painter said Smith committed to the Boilermakers less than a week after receiving his offer He’s listed as a 6-footer and could add an inch standing on the ever-growing stack of NCAA and program records he’s still setting Smith is the first Division I player to total at least 1,300 points 700 assists and 500 rebounds by the close of his junior season and he was named Big Ten Player of the Year prior to the conference tournament “It’s not just me understanding how to handle certain situations there,” Smith said “[My teammates] understand it as well because they experience it and we have a great head coach that’s been through everything He also understands that and can help us.”  was Miss Basketball in their native Arkansas in 1997 The family moved to their current home when Smith was 4 and have watched him blossom into a local star Smith has been named to a pair of All-America teams within the last week and figures to be key if the Boilermakers hope to advance to their eighth Sweet 16 under Painter “We’ve stayed by him and stuck with him,” Painter said “It doesn’t mean things can’t happen and people break off and people go and do different things bkoch@providencejournal.com The New York City Departments of Environmental Protection (DEP) Transportation (DOT) and Design and Construction (DDC) on Thursday joined local elected officials to celebrate the completion of a $139 million project in College Point resulted in a significant reduction in combined sewer overflows into Flushing Bay “College Point has struggled with flooding and drainage issues for far too long,” said DEP Commissioner Rohit T “As climate change brings more extreme rainfall this $139 million investment will ensure better stormwater management and help to reduce flooding it will also significantly reduce pollution discharged into Flushing Bay.” These infrastructure upgrades were made to enhance the quality of life for residents in the College Point area The project replaced parts of the outdated combined sewer system with nearly 8.5 miles of new sewers—over 21,000 feet of storm sewers and over 22,000 feet of sanitary sewers Micro tunneling was used to dig in two locations eight to 20-inch-diameter ductile iron water mains were installed and 226 pedestrian ramps were upgraded to Americans with Disabilities Act standards The project also included roadway resurfacing with 24.5 acres of new asphalt OCTOBER 8 -- The College Point Depot is mourning the loss of Cleaner Ashook Ramnath who passed away on October 6 at the age of 55 of a heart attack He leaves his wife Sattie Devi Ramnath to mourn Buses will leave the Depot at 5:40 PM on Thursday to bring mourners to the Leahy McDonald Funeral Home at 111-02 Atlantic Avenue There will be a viewing there from 6PM to 9PM Division Chair for MTA Bus expressed his condolences to the family and urged members to attend A morning viewing will take place at the funeral home on Friday Michael's Crematorium at 72-02 Astoria Boulevard in East Elmhurst New York's Public Transit Union • Transport Workers Union Local 100 • 195 Montague St 3rd floor TrendingDevelopmentNew YorkATesla leases former shopping center from Triangle Equities in College PointAutomaker takes 150K sf despite agreement with state limiting expansion A photo illustration of Elon Musk along with 30-02 Whitestone Expressway (Getty Tesla, his groundbreaking electric car company, has leased 150,000 square feet at 30-02 Whitestone Expressway, a build-to-suit manufacturing development in College Point, according to an industrial report from JLL The movie theater shut its doors on May 5 and demolition was planned until building owner Triangle Equities opted to renovate the space instead Financial terms of Tesla’s lease of the space, which was built in 1999 It is unclear how the automaker plans to use the space but it has only one service center in Queens A 425,000-square-foot industrial site was previously planned at the College Point site, New York YIMBY reported last year Filings now show a 153,000-square-foot retail and manufacturing development is planned It will include more than 700 available parking spaces Ceso Architects is collaborating with Triangle Equities on the build-out for Tesla SIGN UPIn August, a supercharger team at the electric-car company snapped up a 40,000-square-foot site in the Maspeth area of Queens, paying $18 million to Adam Gordon’s Wildflower, New York Business Journal reported Withdrawn demolition permits for 30-02 Whitestone Expressway show that demolishing the property would have cost Triangle Equities $1.5 million while converting the former theater and retail space will cost about $8 million Triangle Equities bought the site from the city for $9.8 million in 2000, according to New York City records. Records show a $50 million loan on the property was secured from Centennial Bank in late 2023 Tesla sells cars directly to consumers rather than through dealerships, a policy that conflicted with New York state law and led to a legal battle between the carmaker and the government. It eventually cut a deal with the Cuomo administration in 2014 to settle the matter Tesla was allowed to keep its existing five showrooms but agreed not to open others The auto dealership lobby continued to oppose Tesla’s expansion efforts, which included a bill in 2018 to allow more stores It never got out of committee in the state legislature The 80-acre empty wetland in College Point once known as the Flushing Airport may have a developer as soon as 2026.Photo courtesy of New York City Economic Development Corporation the Flushing Airport closed its runways for good the 80-acre site has sat vacant and reverted to the empty wetland it once was The New York City Economic Development Corporation released a request for proposals last week seeking pitches for a long-term lease or sale of the land where the former airport resided The proposed development site consists of 80-acres of land along 20th Avenue in College Point The EDC said they are hoping for a wide variety of proposals and that they are required to review the land for any potential housing developments as part of Mayor Adams’ Executive Order 43 “Today's release of the RFP for the former Flushing Airport site is a direct result of Mayor Adams' Executive Order 43 and our commitment to leaving no stone unturned in addressing New York City's housing crisis,” First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer said the EDC said respondents may propose alternative land uses through rezoning but doing so may require approvals from federal Mayor Adams and NYCEDC will put this massive public asset to work for the benefit of Queens residents and the entire city,” NYCEDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball said underutilized sites like the former Flushing Airport in Queens will deliver just that,” he added The EDC is accepting questions or inquiries on the site through Feb The EDC said the goal is to name a developer in 2026 Home / Law / Crime / Politics / Communities / Voices / All Stories / Who We Are / Terms and Conditions QUEENS, N.Y. — A 60-year-old Queens woman was found dead in the waters near College Point on Thursday afternoon prompting an investigation by local authorities Police responded to a 911 call at approximately 2:55 p.m. on October 31 for a report of a person in the water near 115th Street and Poppenhusen Avenue officers found an unidentified woman unconscious and unresponsive Emergency medical services were called to the scene The deceased has since been identified as Qiang Wu a resident of Booth Memorial Avenue in Queens Officials said the cause of death has not yet been determined pending an examination by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner The NYPD stated that the investigation remains active as detectives work to gather more information surrounding the circumstances of Wu’s death © 2008-2025 - Shore News Media & Marketing Ltd With rising NIL budgets enabling some players to earn more money playing another season of college basketball than by turning pro we're seeing more and more All-American-caliber players opt to return to school When combined with a loaded 2024 high school class and arguably the most talented group of international newcomers men's college basketball is very healthy when it comes to high-end talent who have both racked up multiple years' worth of conference honors in power-conference leagues But what's the pecking order entering the season ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf sought to figure that out They each submitted their own 1-100 ranking tweaked a couple of dozen names and settled on the below order Saint Joseph's Hawks | G | Senior Reynolds has been among America's most consistent players (he went from 19.6 PPG 38% from beyond the arc and 89% from the free throw line in 2022-23 to 17.3 PPG 38% from beyond the arc and 87% from the free throw line in 2023-24) he's the leader of a Hawks team that could very well make its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2016 St. John's Red Storm | G | Senior Iowa State Cyclones | F | Sophomore Otzelberger has found another star in the Midwest should have a breakout second season with the Cyclones he put together a handful of impressive efforts -- 18 points against 1-seed Houston 19 points against 15-seed South Dakota State in the NCAA tournament -- as Iowa State bowed out a little too early The 6-foot-8 sophomore's return should sustain the momentum that won ISU the Big 12 tournament play0:22Milan Momcilovic hits a 3 on the flyTamin Lipsey finds Milan Momcilovic on the outside for a 3-pointer Duke Blue Devils | G | Freshman Knueppel could push his way into Duke's starting lineup Memphis Tigers | PG | Sophomore Penny Hardaway couldn't overcome a midseason losing streak to reach a third consecutive NCAA tournament But Haggerty -- an all-AAC third team player as a freshman last season -- should show signs of growth and help Memphis position itself to capture a berth East Carolina Pirates | G | Senior One of the more unheralded players on this list Felton is a preseason All-AAC selection who scored in double figures in each of his final 25 games last season including back-to-back 30-point efforts in November Felton is a terrific rebounder for his size who continues to make strides as a 3-point shooter Kansas State Wildcats | G | Junior An odd academic suspension at Michigan last year -- he missed six road games -- interrupted McDaniel's 2023-24 and overshadowed a stellar season for the 5-11 guard He also connected on 37% of his shots from beyond the arc He can be a catalyst for a rebuilt Wildcats squad Florida Gators | G | Senior needs a sidekick in Gainesville; Martin could be that guy Arkansas Razorbacks | G | Sophomore 1 prospect in America earlier in his high school career The emergence of Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham at Kentucky complicated his growth But anyone who has watched Wagner (9.9 PPG last year) since high school knows how good he can be Miami Hurricanes | G | Senior Illinois Fighting Illini | G | Freshman The 6-6 Lithuanian talent is one of the top international players to enter the mix this season He excelled at multiple levels of the international scene maintaining an impressive shooting ability at every stop He's a first-round prospect in ESPN's latest 2025 NBA mock draft He has the size and skill to make a smooth transition to college and the NBA BYU Cougars | G | Freshman A Russia native who played extensive minutes at Real Madrid Demin is expected to make a significant impact for Kevin Young's first team at BYU given his vision and ability to pick apart defenses via the pass or operating out of a pick-and-roll and Young's NBA-style offense will benefit from him too North Carolina Tar Heels | G | Freshman Hubert Davis is entering a critical season should ease his path to the NCAA tournament Powell's greatest strength is probably his versatility he can be a talented scorer and also defend multiple positions -- key for a UNC squad that had a top-10 defense a year ago Kansas Jayhawks | G | Senior There were questions about whether Mayo's production at South Dakota State -- where he earned Summit League Player of the Year and averaged 18.8 points 5.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists -- would translate to Kansas But early word out of Lawrence is Mayo has been terrific all offseason and has been pushing for a starting spot from day one Miami Hurricanes | G | Freshman who ranked 10th in the 2024 class per ESPN is an explosive prospect with shooting range to beat teams from the perimeter He's also capable of attacking and scoring in a multitude of ways Bethea might not have the same buzz as some of his peers in the class but he'll be one of the most talented players in the ACC Ohio State Buckeyes | G | Junior Despite losing a few key players to the portal getting Thornton back to run the show was imperative for interim-turned-permanent coach Jake Diebler Thornton led the Buckeyes in scoring (15.7 PPG) assists (4.8 APG) and steals (1.2 SPG) and demonstrated stellar decision-making last season The All-Big Ten guard might have to shoulder more of the scoring load but seven games of 24-plus points shows he has the ability play0:16Bruce Thornton's dagger 3 secures the OT win for Ohio StateBruce Thornton drills the dagger 3-pointer to secure the overtime win for the Buckeyes Pittsburgh Panthers | PG | Sophomore One of the best young point guards in America Lowe excelled in the final stretch of his freshman season averaging 13.1 PPG and 4.6 APG in his final 12 games He also made 41% of his 3-point attempts during that stretch He's a player more people across the country will know as his game continues to evolve Gonzaga Bulldogs | G | Senior The Zags should have a strong idea of Ajayi's ability, given they faced him twice last season when he was at Pepperdine. Ajayi struggled in those matchups but still averaged 17.2 points and 9.9 rebounds last season, shooting 47% from 3 and earning first-team All-WCC honors. With Steele Venters injured again Ajayi's size and shooting ability will be a real asset for Mark Few Princeton Tigers | G | Junior Lee, who averaged 17.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 3.7 APG, joined teammate Caden Pierce on the All-Ivy League first team in 2023-24 After entering the NBA draft over the summer he decided to return to college basketball and will anchor what will be the top team in the Ivy League and (once again) a potential Cinderella in March Duke Blue Devils | C | Freshman Maluach was considered one of the elite recruits in the 2024 high school class and ranks as one of the best international prospects entering college basketball He's 7-2 and will make an immediate impact on the defensive end as a shot-blocker and rim presence The South Sudan native is a developing talent on the offensive end but he should help as a lob threat and rim-runner Stanford Cardinal | F | Senior The most improved player in the Pac-12 last season will enter his team's first season in the ACC as one of the league's top big men The 7-1 center made 48% of his 3-point attempts in league play and 75% of his free throw attempts last season both significant improvements over 2023-24 VCU Rams | G | Senior Shulga looked to be headed to Villanova last spring The Ukraine native is an underrated player nationally but Atlantic 10 coaches and players know how good he is after he earned first-team all-league honors last season 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 41.5% from 3 Ole Miss Rebels | G | Senior With the score tied at 77 in what felt like a home game for Indiana State at Hinkle Fieldhouse in the NIT championship last season the former Xavier star scored the game-winning layup Chris Beard said Davis (15.9 PPG last season) has the potential to be an All-American North Carolina Tar Heels | G | Sophomore Hubert Davis said this season's version of Cadeau is "unrecognizable" from last year when Cadeau reclassified from the recruiting class of 2024 to join the Tar Heels earlier than expected He has long been considered one of the elite passers in the country but will look to improve upon his 18.9% 3-point shooting If he can make strides as a shooter and on-ball defender he can be one of the best point guards in college basketball Princeton Tigers | F | Junior If you check Princeton's early-season schedule you won't find many major-conference opponents 9.2 RPG) -- an all-Ivy League first-team contributor last season -- and his teammates for that play0:20Caden Pierce skies for big slamCaden Pierce skies for big slam Memphis Tigers | G | Senior Hunter has started 106 college games in three seasons at Iowa State and Texas averaging double figures in scoring and showing effective two-way ability He will have to be a catalyst for Penny Hardaway's team at both ends of the floor and to show more consistency; he hit double figures in just six of his final 16 regular-season games in 2023-24 Arizona Wildcats | C | Sophomore Tommy Lloyd will enter Arizona's first Big 12 season with enough talent to win the league's title. Oumar Ballo's transfer to Indiana will open up more opportunities for Krivas a 7-2 center who averaged 5.4 points in just over 12 minutes per game last season and is viewed as a legit NBA prospect Lloyd has helped some of the top big men in the country mature into elite players Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | F | Sophomore Ndongo didn't take long to show his talent after missing the beginning of his freshman season with a hand injury: In just his third healthy game he went for 21 points on 9-for-11 shooting 5 rebounds and 4 blocks in an upset win over Duke He proceeded to average 12.4 points and 8.2 rebounds as a freshman play0:19Baye Ndongo's alley-oop slam gives Georgia Tech the leadNaithan George and Baye Ndongo connect again on an alley-oop that gives Georgia Tech the lead late in the 2nd half Clemson Tigers | F | Senior During the lead-up to Duke's home game against the Tigers Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer called Schieffelin (10.1 PPG 59% clip inside the arc) one of the most difficult matchups in the ACC he's a threat in the post but he also made 47% of his 3-point attempts He's one of the most balanced players on this list Florida State Seminoles | G | Senior The former VCU transfer withdrew from both the NBA draft and the transfer portal to return to Tallahassee The 6-7 guard averaged 15.6 points and 6.0 rebounds and made headlines with his 34-point 11-rebound showing against Virginia Tech in the ACC tournament Leonard Hamilton and the Seminoles are hungry for a bounce-back season; Watkins would be at the heart of it Villanova Wildcats | G | Senior Poplar had a strong postseason run to help Miami make its first-ever trip to the Final Four after connecting on 45% of his 3s in league play He wasn't as successful in ACC play last season (32%) for a then-turbulent Hurricanes squad but a fresh start at Villanova could give the 6-5 standout the opportunity to once again look like the player we saw during that Final Four run Kansas Jayhawks | F | Senior One of the few players on this list with national championship experience Adams' role has increased exponentially since his three-minute cameo against North Carolina in the 2022 title game He's a difficult matchup due to his strength and finishing ability in the lane but he's also an adept passer out of the post Improved shooting around him should open up more interior space for Adams Xavier Musketeers | F | Senior Freemantle hasn't participated in any official games since Jan due to multiple foot surgeries that caused him to miss a good portion of the 2022-23 season and all of 2023-24 But the 6-9 forward (who averaged 15.2 PPG during 22 games two years ago) returned to the floor during an October exhibition against Dayton and led his team with 17 points UConn Huskies | G | Junior Duke Blue Devils | G | Junior We're still waiting for Proctor (38% from beyond the arc in ACC play) to reach his potential after arriving from Australia as a five-star prospect two years ago. He made strides last season (averaging 10.5 PPG) and now he'll be surrounded by Cooper Flagg and other potential lottery picks Proctor will have his chance to build a strong effort in the NCAA tournament play0:18Proctor's wide-open 3 gets Duke fans back in itTyrese Proctor hits the wide-open 3-pointer Louisville Cardinals | G | Senior Edwards averaged 17.2 points and 3.4 assists and then led James Madison to an NCAA tournament upset win over Wisconsin Then he transferred to headline Pat Kelsey's first class at Louisville The Cardinals are starting from scratch with their roster but Edwards is the most proven offensive weapon at the college level; he will probably have first crack at being the team's offensive leader Arkansas Razorbacks | F | Senior There are a number of unknowns with John Calipari's first Arkansas squad who earned a spot on the all-SEC defensive team with the Vols last season anchored a defense that ranked third in adjusted efficiency We could expect something similar in Fayetteville Iowa State Cyclones | G | Senior Gilbert led the Cyclones in scoring (13.7 PPG) and was second in assists (4.2) and steals (2.0) per game solidifying himself as a critical two-way player in T.J He had several big performances against top-25 teams but struggled shooting the ball in the NCAA tournament With Iowa State projected to be a high seed once again this season Gilbert will look to rectify that in March Indiana Hoosiers | G | Sophomore The Pac-12 disruption that left Oregon State and Washington State without homes created opportunities for other teams around the country a former star at Washington State who averaged 14.8 PPG and 1.6 SPG last year he's also one of the fastest players in the country with the ball in hands Maryland Terrapins | C | Freshman Queen is one of the more unusual big men in the country, with excellent passing and ballhandling ability for a 6-10 center. He can score around the rim or facilitate offense for others while facing up, showing a tremendous skill level. Can Kevin Willard find a way to get the best out of Queen and fellow big man Julian Reese UNLV Rebels | G | Sophomore had a promising development toward the end of his first season making 51% of his shots in the final five games of 2023-24 He has shown he can be a reliable leader in transition and he has the ability to create his own shot a skill that should continue to improve in his second season Texas Longhorns | G | Senior Mark looked to expand his offensive role and went to Arkansas where he averaged 16.2 points and shot career highs from both the field and 3-point range Highlights of his single season for the Razorbacks include 34 points against North Carolina and 35 against Texas A&M The Longhorns have a slew of talented scorers but Mark will seek to establish his alpha role early If the 6-4 guard can follow up on his performance from last season -- 16.2 PPG 40% from 3 -- Murrell could become one of the top three scorers in Ole Miss history He's a threat the moment he crosses half court and a difficult matchup in transition Chris Beard's squad has one of America's most consistent shooters Houston Cougars | G | Junior Sharp emerged as one of Houston's most prolific outside threats last season shooting nearly 37% from 3 on six attempts per game He had bouts of inconsistency but showed the ability to carry the Cougars' offense on occasion -- including his 30-point performance against Texas A&M in the NCAA tournament and 20 points in a crucial February win over Iowa State play0:17Houston's Emanuel Sharp knocks down a 3Emanuel Sharp opens up the scoring for Houston with a 3-pointer UAB Blazers | F | Senior The AAC Defensive Player of the Year and an all-AAC first team selection in 2023-24 Lendeborg led Andy Kennedy's squad to the conference tournament championship with an MVP-caliber performance in the three games prior (15.0 PPG The 6-9 standout also made 84% of his free throw attempts in league play Oregon Ducks | PG | Sophomore A consistent playmaker who had a reputation as a winner coming out of high school Shelstad continued to thrive as a steady point guard in his first season in Eugene He was integral in the Ducks' run to the Pac-12 tournament title scoring 21 points against Arizona in the semis and 17 against Colorado in the championship game Penn State Nittany Lions | G | Senior 2.7 SPG) was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a semifinalist for the Naismith national defensive player honor last season after wreaking havoc on opposing backcourts Penn State forced turnovers on 21% of opposing teams' possessions last year -- a top-25 mark New Mexico Lobos | G | Junior there could be more shots coming Dent's way in 2024-25 Kansas State Wildcats | G | Senior Texas Tech Red Raiders | F | Sophomore An unranked four-star recruit when he arrived at New Mexico Toppin was one of the biggest surprises in the freshman class a year ago He won Mountain West Freshman of the Year and earned all-conference honors after averaging 12.4 points and 9.1 rebounds -- including three double-doubles in high-profile games against San Diego State He's now back in his home state as a frontcourt anchor for Grant McCasland Kentucky Wildcats | G | Senior Robinson (14.2 PPG) followed Mark Pope to Kentucky where he'll join a group of transfers aiming to make the Wildcats competitive in their first year without John Calipari Robinson has to be more consistent in Lexington (he shot just 30% from 3 in Big 12 play last season) but his best performances -- see: 18 points 4-for-9 from beyond the arc in a win over Kansas in 2023-24 -- showed he can be one of the top players in his new conference Minnesota Golden Gophers | F | Senior play0:16Dawson Garcia gets the and-1 to fallDawson Garcia gets the and-1 to fall Creighton Bluejays | G | Junior The Texas Tech transfer averaged 15.8 PPG last season for the Red Raiders, who tied for third place in the Big 12 and secured a trip to the NCAA tournament. At Creighton, he'll play next to Ryan Kalkbrenner which should create opportunities for Isaacs to make even more of an impact on offense and at the free throw line (84%) Iowa Hawkeyes | F | Senior Sandfort opted to withdraw from the NBA draft and return to the Hawkeyes for another season The 6-8 forward averaged 16.4 points and 6.6 rebounds 10-assist triple-double against Penn State in February Saint Mary's Gaels | G | Senior The son of Sarunas Marciulionis -- a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and one of the greatest international players in the game's history -- could extend his own legacy this season as his usage numbers increase Randy Bennett will be asking the 6-4 guard who made 39% of his 3-point attempts in WCC play a year ago Michigan Wolverines | C | Senior Indiana Hoosiers | F | Junior Mike Woodson has told reporters he believes this year's Indiana squad could be the best of his tenure The return of the 6-9 forward who averaged 15.4 PPG last season could help the Hoosiers prove as much Reneau's greatest asset might be his patience around the rim where he excels: He made 59% of his shots inside the arc in 2023-24 Alabama Crimson Tide | F | Senior Nelson was a star at North Dakota State in 2022-23 but accepted a lesser role when he transferred to Alabama last season His ability to put up big numbers is still there though as evidenced by his NCAA tournament performances: 24 points and 12 rebounds against North Carolina play0:23Grant Nelson gets the inside bucket with a sky hookGrant Nelson wills his way to the middle and knocks down the sky hook shot Mississippi State Bulldogs | G | Sophomore Hubbard is the embodiment of the term "volume shooter." Last season he took 34.2% of his team's shots when he was on the floor He also had big moments -- 28 points against South Carolina 25 against Tennessee -- solidifying the 5-11 guard's status as one of the top young players in college basketball Grand Canyon Lopes | G | Senior Grant-Foster already owns a tremendous story: starting his career in junior college and going through multiple heart surgeries -- which took him away from the game for 16 months -- before finally landing on his feet with Bryce Drew at Grand Canyon including 29 against Alabama in the NCAA tournament Notre Dame Fighting Irish | G | Sophomore Burton gave ND fans a reason to smile in a 13-20 season -- Micah Shrewsberry's first year in South Bend finishing with 20 points or more in 11 games If he can become a consistent threat from the 3-point line (30%) the all-ACC third team pick could mature into one of the expanded conference's best players Boise State Broncos | F | Senior A two-time All-Mountain West selection and the Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year leading the Broncos to the NCAA tournament In Boise State's final 11 games before the tournament He'll once again be the go-to guy for the league favorite Baylor Bears | G | Senior The former Duke guard, who helped the Blue Devils reach the Final Four in Coach K's final season, is now a veteran leader at Baylor, where he'll be asked to steady the backcourt with freshman star VJ Edgecombe Roach connected on 43% of his 3-point attempts last year His playmaking ability helped him earn a spot on the all-ACC third team and he'll enter the Big 12 as one of the league's top guards too Harris is back in Lawrence to chase his second national championship He started 39 of 40 games as a sophomore during the Jayhawks' title-winning campaign and he has started every game the past two seasons He's a dogged on-ball defender and a steady playmaker who runs the offense and gets the ball to his teammates in the right spot Also a capable 3-point shooter if defenses leave him open comes up with the steal-and-score for KansasDajuan Harris Jr makes a nice steal and takes it himself for the Kansas layup Alabama Crimson Tide | C | Senior 2.9 BPG) secured a spot on the Big Ten's all-defensive team after anchoring a Rutgers defense that finished fifth in adjusted efficiency The 6-11 center's arrival in Tuscaloosa is the reason the Tide will enter the year ranked 30th on KenPom preseason projections of adjusted defensive efficiency Saint Louis Billikens | C | Junior After becoming something of a cult hero last season at Indiana State -- earning nicknames such as "Cream Abdul-Jabbar" and "Larry Nerd" -- Avila followed coach Josh Schertz to Saint Louis With Schertz's highly efficient offensive system also traveling to the Atlantic 10 Avila should continue to put up numbers along the same lines as last season's 17.4 points South Carolina Gamecocks | F | Sophomore While he showed his potential in a freshman season that included averages of 10.4 points and 5.7 rebounds the 6-7 forward will be asked to do even more after returning to South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris said the projected first-round pick in next summer's NBA draft will be the guiding force of the Gamecocks' offensive attack West Virginia Mountaineers | G | Senior when he left Drake to take the West Virginia job And much like he was in the Missouri Valley DeVries will now be the focal point of his team's offense in the Big 12 winning his second straight Missouri Valley Player of the Year award His size and shooting will translate to the big leagues Houston Cougars | F | Senior Kansas Jayhawks | G | Junior Storr is at his third school in three years where he had a breakout sophomore campaign (16.8 PPG where he will be expected to start from Day 1 for the nation's preseason No Washington Huskies | F | Senior 1.4 BPG) was discussed mostly because of a reported seven-figure NIL deal who followed head coach Danny Sprinkle to the West coast should contend for all-Big Ten honors in the school's first year in the conference Baylor Bears | F | Senior Baylor was well-stocked on the perimeter after the additions of VJ Edgecombe and Jeremy Roach but Scott Drew needed a productive big man And they don't come much more productive than Omier He's averaged a double-double in each of his four college seasons to date including 17.0 points and 10.0 boards last season at Miami Villanova Wildcats | F | Senior The 6-8 talent is as capable of connecting from outside (36% from 3 last season) as he is making an impact in the paint and as a defender In his final nine games of the 2023-24 season he averaged 19.4 PPG and 7.2 RPG for a Villanova team seeking its first NCAA tournament berth under third-year coach Kyle Neptune UConn Huskies | F | Freshman Providence Friars | F | Senior Hopkins is difficult to stop once he charges through the lane He's also a capable ball-handler with the speed to take opposing defenders off the dribble and finish at the rim 8.6 RPG) is recovered from last year's season-ending knee injury he'll be one of the best players in America play0:14Bryce Hopkins gets up for the beautiful slam dunkBryce Hopkins gets up for the beautiful slam dunk Texas Longhorns | G | Freshman one of the best pure bucket-getters in the high school class of 2024 He's a top-five recruit and a projected lottery pick Despite Rodney Terry going into the transfer portal and landing a slew of big-time scorers it wouldn't be a surprise to see Johnson lead the Longhorns in scoring averaged 17.6 PPG and connected on 37% of his 3-point attempts His 33-point loss in Florida's 102-100 loss to Colorado in the first round of the NCAA tournament was perhaps a sign of what's ahead when head coach Todd Golden gives him even more control as the likely starting point guard Nembhard transferred to Gonzaga and put up the best playmaking numbers of his career He finished in the top 10 nationally in assists while also averaging a career-high 12.6 points Nembhard was terrific late in the 2023-24 campaign racking up 10-plus assists in six of his final 11 games Arkansas Razorbacks | G | Senior After he withdrew from the NBA draft this spring Davis -- the hero who led Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023 -- decided to play for John Calipari at Arkansas where he'll be a veteran leader for a roster stacked with young talent He made 41% of his 3-point attempts and 86% of his free throw attempts on his way to sharing co-AAC player of the year honors Gonzaga Bulldogs | F | Senior After missing the entire 2022-23 season with a fractured foot and transferring from Wyoming to Gonzaga Ike returned the same dominant player last season he was with the Cowboys in 2021-22 He played his best basketball toward the end hitting 20-plus points in his final seven regular-season games play0:23Graham Ike flexes after getting putbackGonzaga's Graham Ike puts in the layup after grabbing an offensive rebound Tennessee Volunteers | G | Senior Rick Barnes' program lost more than 55 points per game from a Vols squad that reached the Elite Eight last year 6.1 APG) is back for a Tennessee team that will follow the guard's lead He made 37% of his 3-point attempts and 54% of his shots inside the arc in SEC play last year while also leading the conference in assist rate Indiana Hoosiers | C | Senior The best big man in the portal in the spring, Ballo was a two-time first-team All-Pac 12 selection at Arizona. He averaged 12.9 points and 10.1 rebounds last season and ranked in the top 10 nationally in field goal percentage. It will be interesting to see how Ballo coexists with Malik Reneau another productive low-post force in Bloomington Purdue Boilermakers | G | Junior Following an impressive 2023-24 campaign -- in which he averaged 12.0 PPG 1.6 SPG and shot 43% from the 3-point line -- Smith has been named the Big Ten's preseason player of the year He's certainly one of the best returning college basketball players Houston Cougars | G | Senior Cryer has been one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in the country for the past three seasons two of them at Baylor and last season at Houston He's attempted six 3-pointers per game for his career Kelvin Sampson could look to him for an expanded role this season after the departure of Jamal Shead Baylor Bears | G | Freshman two-way star is already a projected lottery pick for the 2025 NBA draft The five-star prospect has justified the hype after he excelled against some of the best players in the world over the summer Although his Bahamian national team failed to secure a trip to the Paris Olympics 5.5 RPG and 3.8 APG in the qualifying tournament in Valencia Arguably the best transfer in the portal this spring Richmond isn't traveling far to his new home Rick Pitino and the Red Storm should have plenty of familiarity with Richmond having faced the 6-6 New York native three times in 2023-24 13 rebounds and 5 assists in the NIT title game Iowa State Cyclones | G | Junior Few players enjoyed the year-to-year transformation as Lipsey who was key for the Cyclones' trip to the Sweet 16 last season 2.7 SPG) made just 20% of his 3-point attempts But he returned to become a reliable threat (39.1%) from beyond the arc Wake Forest Demon Deacons | G | Senior Sallis was one of the biggest breakout stars in the country last season Despite being a highly touted prospect coming out of high school he was a rotation player during his two seasons at Gonzaga before moving across the country to Winston-Salem Sallis went from averaging 4.5 points as a sophomore to 18.0 points -- scoring in single digits just once all campaign play0:18Hunter Sallis drills 3-pointer inHunter Sallis drills 3-pointer in Rutgers Scarlet Knights | G | Freshman Ron Harper averaged 22.9 PPG and finished second in the Rookie of the Year race is similarly expected to make his mark in his college debut where he'll team with fellow five-star prospect and attempt to lead the program to its second ever Final Four appearance His 22-point effort in the McDonald's All-American game in April was an early highlight Marquette Golden Eagles | G | Senior Don't be surprised if Jones is the top scorer among all power-conference players He averaged 17.2 points last season playing alongside Tyler Kolek In six games without the former All-America point guard He'll have the ball in his hands more this season but he's smooth and efficient as a playmaker and should be able to shine UConn Huskies | F | Junior The Huskies have a chance to win their third consecutive national title this season -- a feat that hasn't occurred in men's college basketball since UCLA's run from 1966-67 to 1972-73 under John Wooden That's in part because of Karaban's decision to return After playing alongside a pair of lottery picks last season and the NCAA tournament's Most Outstanding Player (Tristen Newton) Karaban is ready to showcase his full potential as the leader of this year's Huskies squad Cooper Flagg is getting much of the attention this season but Bailey isn't too far behind when it comes to NBA draft hype He's incredibly explosive and a matchup problem due to his 6-10 size and ability to create his own shot Highlight-reel plays will be on display frequently in Piscataway Creighton Bluejays | C | Senior Former Georgetown star Patrick Ewing is the only player in Big East history to win the league's defensive player of the year award four times Kalkbrenner could become the second after this year You could even make a strong case Creighton's 7-1 center Texas A&M Aggies | G | Senior He might not be the most efficient scorer in the country but players don't come much more explosive offensively than Taylor IV He had seven games of 30-plus points last season including back-to-back efforts against Kentucky and Florida in the SEC tournament and a 41-point outing against Arkansas in January Taylor will be aiming for his third consecutive first-team All-SEC selection Arizona Wildcats | G | Senior he eventually connected on 37% of those shots in Pac-12 action is the catalyst for Tommy Lloyd in their first year in the Big 12 play0:24Caleb Love floats in and-1 for ArizonaArizona's Caleb Love drops in a floater while drawing contact Auburn Tigers | F | Senior Broome has been a dominant force at both ends of the floor throughout his college career which also included a stop at Morehead State he expanded his game to add more consistent perimeter shooting After attempting 36 3-pointers combined in his first three college seasons he took 79 last season and made them at a 35% clip -- while still averaging 16.5 points Kansas Jayhawks | C | Senior Dickinson shot 57% inside the arc last season on his way to earning a place on the AP All-America second team The 7-footer has returned for another chance to lead the No 1 Jayhawks to their second national title in three years The odds of this happening will increase if he can shake last year's 3-point shooting slump (35%) and return to his 2022-23 form (42% in his final year at Michigan) Alabama Crimson Tide | G | Senior Sears had a breakout campaign last season in Tuscaloosa going from 12.5 points on average in a complementary role to 21.5 points (43.6% from 3) as one of the best guards in college basketball He somehow took his game to another level in the NCAA tournament including notching 30 points in the first round against Charleston and 26 points 12 rebounds and 6 assists in the second round against Grand Canyon North Carolina | G | Senior Duke | G/F | Freshman The battle-tested fifth-year senior or the uber-talented freshman Proven college production and All-American accolades or potential ceiling and the projected No Our formula to determine most of these player rankings wasn't overly complicated On the one hand, Davis deserves to be the preseason national player of the year favorite. He was a first-team All-American. He has been to the national title game. He led North Carolina to a 1-seed last season And he's likely going to put up bigger scoring numbers than Flagg -- and make a legitimate run at becoming the Tar Heels' all-time leading scorer Without Armando Bacot providing balance down low for UNC this season play1:11RJ Davis' career-high 42 points lead UNC over MiamiRJ Davis tallies a career-high 42 points as North Carolina comes up with a narrow win over Miami Then there's Flagg: When Esquire asked LeBron James about the future of the United States men's national team, he pointed to the Duke freshman as a "big-time player" who would keep Team USA's gold medal streak going The 6-foot-9 17-year-old looked like he deserved a spot on the U.S team after a spectacular pre-Olympic scrimmage 6 assists and 4 blocks in his collegiate debut against Division II school Lincoln (Pennsylvania) and 9 points 4 rebounds and 3 assists against Arizona State Flagg has limitless potential as one of the best prospects to enter college basketball in recent years 1 draft pick since the moment he reclassified from the class of 2025 to 2024 There's a world in which Flagg lives up to all the hype and produces a Carmelo Anthony-esque run There's nobody else in the country with that sort of ceiling Cooper Flagg enters the season as ESPN's No a little-known sports gambler who calls himself the “best that ever did it” attempted to board a flight from Las Vegas to Colombia Shane Hennen soon found himself in an upright and locked position Federal agents who arrested him say he was carrying multiple cellphones nearly $10,000 in cash and an alibi he offered “unprompted”: He was traveling to Colombia for dental treatment Authorities say Hennen helped orchestrate what appears to be one of the most pervasive point-shaving scandals in North American sports history The scandal, which appears to touch both pro and college basketball, has already generated a few headlines, but the sports world has not come to grips with just how widespread this scheme could be. In a court filing last month Attorney Carolyn Pokorny of the Eastern District of New York vouched for “substantial evidence” that Hennen was involved in “illicit financial transactions and fraudulent sports wagers totaling millions of dollars,” resulting “in potentially millions of dollars’ worth of illicit profits and money-laundering transactions.” three independent sources familiar with the probes tell Sports Illustrated The NBA said it investigated Rozier and did not find any violations and the league is cooperating with the Eastern District The scheme that ensnared Porter was fairly simple: He amassed significant gambling debts and he repaid them by sabotaging his own performance Porter’s salary at the time was around $400,000 Sources familiar with elements of the federal and NCAA inquiries tell SI that authorities are investigating potential links between the same gambling ring and wagering on at least nine college games across last season and this season Investigators have flagged unusual wagering on games involving at least five college teams—and they are prepared for that number to increase The Justice Department alleges Hennen had five co-conspirators just for the Porter scheme Mahmud Mollah and Long Phi “Bruce” Pham—pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery The Justice Department has said Hennen will be charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering but delayed officially charging him while he negotiates a plea After Hennen was arrested at the Vegas airport Attorney’s office wrote that he was trying to flee the country before a “Jan 15 deadline.” The publicly available letter According to a filing signed by Hennen and an attorney in the U.S and it includes a promise from Hennen to testify truthfully we might learn the full scope of the game-fixing ring The government paints a very vivid picture and I think that picture will have a hard time holding up at trial.” “the proof of his guilt is overwhelming,” and includes “witnesses financial records and betting records.” The government has not released most of that evidence The government says “numerous” Hennen schemes were “fraudulent.” court records and other publicly available information SI set out to explain how such an audacious—and reckless—scheme could unfold by following Shane Hennen Hennen has been in trouble with the law off and on over the last two decades he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct; two misdemeanors related to gambling devices; and a felony facsimile-bombs charge he was charged with aggravated assault and reckless endangerment in connection with a stabbing in his hometown of Pittsburgh; he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault Hennen was arrested in the parking lot of the Meadows Casino in Pittsburgh after police suspected him of selling cocaine in the parking lot of a nearby Wendy’s He pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and two other charges: possession with intent to distribute under 500 grams of cocaine and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine followed by four years of supervised release Hennen requested an early termination to his supervised release “renal failure (kidney cancer).” He argued he had followed the terms of his release a claim his probation officer would later refute: Hennen was not allowed to leave Pennsylvania Hennen traveled via airplane from Gulfport … to San Diego Hennen did not purchase a return ticket and he was carrying $10,769 in cash.” In ’17 Kirkwood police said Hennen was carrying $14,621 in cash which he told officers was “the proceeds of his gambling winnings.” (The DUI charge was later dismissed.) Earning a living as a professional sports gambler is notoriously difficult and those who succeed are generally reluctant to share their secrets he sells exclusive picks at a steep rate: $99 for his “exclusive play of the day,” $199 for one full day of picks and $999 for a week of picks Hennen coaxes money out of wallets with images of his supposedly glamorous life: seats on private planes and luxury boats; his hand on a Ferrari stick shift; stacks and stacks of money That would be quite a comeback for a man who sportsbook manager at Rivers Casino in Philadelphia tells SI that Hennen regularly placed large wagers there The amounts of money he was betting were quite significant.” many of which are posted on SugarShaneWins.com total more than $2 million since 2020—and those are just a portion of what he says he gambled SI could not independently confirm that each betting slip was authentic totaling $269,454 in bets on NFL games and $149,000 in bets on college games include QR codes that linked to confirmation of the bets by the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas Hennen posted a number of these large bets on his Instagram account including a $300,150 wager on a single Duke-Virginia men’s basketball game in March 2023 That was a high-profile game at the peak of the season said his sportsbook would not accept a wager that large on a college basketball game Some of Hennen’s other bets are on far more obscure contests: $100,000 on Loyola Chicago against Tulsa on Nov 2022; $28,500 on Ball State against Kent State on Feb 2021; and $60,000 on Toledo against Buffalo five days earlier “Games like that are exactly why sportsbooks have limits,” says the Vegas casino source who added that Hennen had been a customer at his property and his account was disabled after he was arrested in January we would immediately label that player as one to watch.” Hennen also posted on Instagram that he wagered $155,700 on two first-half college basketball spreads on March 4 He bet $70,000 on Iowa State’s first half against Baylor; Iowa State covered that spread by 15 points He bet another $85,700 on Tennessee’s first-half spread against Auburn Tennessee led by seven before an Auburn three-pointer at the end of the half cut the Vols’ lead to four—still a cover for Hennen Hennen bet on Longwood to cover its 3.5-point first-half spread against Campbell in the quarterfinal round of the low-level Big South Conference tournament leading by six at the break before getting outscored by 19 in the second half Hennen took the unusual (for him) step of obscuring the size of the wager when he posted a screenshot of his betting slip Hennen recorded a video of himself in a casino sportsbook presumably for SugarShaneWins.com customers (He posted it on Instagram a few days later.) Hennen announced he was focused on college basketball: “Trying to get like a seven- or eight-game win streak going right now On three at the moment … trying to go very He then encouraged viewers to “sweat this right here.” which held a $75,000 betting slip for Drake to cover a 9.5-point spread against Murray State Drake jumped out to a 22-point first-half lead and won by 23 Hennen posted the betting slip on Instagram—but this time he posted the dollar amount and blocked out the game he wagered on Curious does not necessarily mean criminal SI did not obtain any information indicating the aforementioned games were rigged the culprit would presumably be a compromised player or players on the team he bet against.) But the legitimacy of Hennen’s gambling winnings has been in question for a while have publicly suspected Hennen of cheating possibly by using loaded decks and colluding with others Berkey said on his Only Friends podcast that he played a high-stakes private game with Hennen and “I left thinking I was cheated … He was crazy action: beats me in a massive pot Berkey said Hennen introduced himself as “Colin.” But Colin is actually Hennen’s brother’s name said friends from his hometown told him the person he knew as Colin was actually “Sugar Shane.”  None of the poker allegations has been proven declined to comment to SI about the cheating allegations As for Hennen’s large sports wagers: Epifanio “The integrity behind those bets wasn’t always in question That became a concern for us somewhere down the line.” Epifanio did not say exactly when those concerns arose and declined comment on whether Rivers Casino has been contacted by either federal or NCAA investigators regarding Hennen gambling watchdog firm Integrity Compliance 360 (then known as U.S Integrity) started receiving reports from offshore properties about unusual betting on five Temple games: against Memphis on Feb that spurred the firm to issue an alert to be sent to gaming regulators nationwide but it followed a pattern that had built up over a month Integrity Compliance 360 sent out its alert because “the evidence was stronger [that game] than the other games.”  ESPN reported earlier this month that wagering accounts tied to the gambling ring placed bets on several college games that aroused suspicion An SI source confirmed the gambling ring is suspected by wagering monitoring services of making bets via proxies on multiple college contests In the six games Integrity Compliance 360 scrutinized (The Rice game was the exception.) Sportsbooks routinely offer first-half betting lines for games which could appeal to point-shavers for obvious reasons: Players can rig a bet in the first half and still go all out to win the game in the second A school spokesman did not respond to a request from SI this week for comment One player caught up in the Temple probe is Hysier Miller the team’s leading scorer last season at 15.9 points per game Miller scored eight points on 3-of-9 shooting with three turnovers After last season, Miller transferred to Virginia Tech but never played there. He was dismissed from the team in October 2024 for what the university described as “circumstances prior to his enrollment at Virginia Tech.” In November sources confirmed to SI that Miller’s performances at Temple were part of federal and NCAA probes He is now playing professionally in Germany / Aric Becker/ISI Photos/Getty ImagesThe NCAA also has formally opened an investigation at Eastern Michigan the university turned over a notice of inquiry from the NCAA that was dated Jan the NCAA issued requests for cellphone data from five individuals whose names are redacted Eastern Michigan had two games flagged by gambling watchdogs this season: against Wright State on Dec 9 game against Delaware was flagged for unusual wagering on the first-half line; the school’s top two scorers were suspended in late January for what was termed a violation of team rules but coach Monte Ross told SI at the time that any connection between that discipline and the gambling investigation “is not accurate.” Subsequent requests for comment from A&T officials went unanswered ESPN additionally reported that Mississippi Valley State is under scrutiny MVSU officials did not respond to an SI request for comment If gamblers and game fixers were indeed at work at those schools they preyed upon some of the least-funded teams and athletic programs in NCAA Division I the government has not yet said how they connect We know the government says Hennen’s fraud totaled “millions of dollars”—and Hennen has bragged that he wagered millions We do not know exactly why he set up a public sports-picking business We do know Hennen is accused of laundering his winnings Attorney’s office says Hennen used “a network of proxies and straw bettors located across the country.” Only four alleged co-conspirators have been named and they are all from New York or Pennsylvania Three sources familiar with elements of the federal investigation say one name has come up as a possible co-conspirator: Marves Fairley of Mississippi Authorities have not publicly named him as a suspect 2023—six days after Rozier played briefly in the game that is under investigation—Hennen posted a picture of himself with Fairley in the front row of a Mavericks-76ers game in Philadelphia Hennen called him “my partner.” In state court records Mississippi has called him “a habitual criminal.” Fairley sells his sports-picking expertise online and posts pictures and videos of himself with gambling slips and stacks of cash He calls himself “Vezino.” He officially formed Vezino Locks LLC in September 2022; two months later he posted a picture of his face on a $100 bill under the words “In Vezino We Trust,” and in the caption he wrote: “I wasn’t satisfied until all of US got RICH” Fairley cautioned his customers that his success rate was not 100%: “Yes we have a better percentage than everybody else Fairley apparently has a long history of profiting off gamblers According to a police report from a 2016 marijuana-dealing arrest (his second; he pleaded guilty to possession after the first arrest) Fairley told an agent “that he liked to gamble and obtained the largest portion of his money assets from his role as a bookie.” Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Agent Matt Spears said Fairley’s brother told him he was unemployed other than gambling One agent asked Marves Fairley if he “obtained any of his money gambling at legal gambling establishments referencing casinos or other legal establishments in other states.” Fairley said “he did not because the odds would not be in his favor.” Bookmaking and pot-dealing were not nearly the most serious allegations to find their way to Marves Fairley a grand jury indicted him for murdering a man in the Witness Protection Program named Damos Daniels was charged with murdering 29-year-old Kenroderick Jefferson but the judge took the unusual step of bypassing the jury and issuing a not-guilty verdict The government moved Daniels into the Witness Protection Program and out of Mississippi But he returned to the state and allegedly got involved in crime again One of those alleged crimes: robbing Deon Fairley The state said Marves Fairley then enlisted two associates who called Daniels pretending to set up a drug deal They met him in a gravel lot by an abandoned oil well Prosecutors brought charges against Marves Fairley but they seemed to have their sights set on Fairley they reached a memorandum of understanding with Thomas and Sims: The two would testify against Fairley in exchange for their own charges being reduced to manslaughter for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon entered the jail and left a towel for an inmate Underneath the towel was a cellphone for Fairley He was charged with possessing contraband in a correctional facility (Wells pleaded guilty to introduction of contraband into a correctional facility.) prosecutors dropped murder charges against Fairley because he had inappropriate contact with potential jurors or witnesses They did so “without prejudice,” meaning they could bring charges again—which they did Fairley pleaded guilty to the firearm charge and was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison But he still faced charges for the murder; for dealing marijuana; and for the cellphone incident The minimum prison sentence for the contraband crime alone was three years in prison the state said it would seek “enhanced punishment,” citing Fairley’s prior convictions Fairley pleaded guilty to the contraband charge in exchange for the state dropping the murder and marijuana-distribution charges The state later recommended 10 years in prison followed by a five-year suspended sentence there are some issues that need to be worked out between the defendant and the District Attorney’s office and other agencies.” The judge also mentioned “a number of matters involving the defendant The state issued a new recommendation: a 15-year suspended sentence Fairley announced on his podcast that he had partnered with a bookmaker: “Just inbox me Online sports betting is illegal in Mississippi and while many states have legalized sports gambling Fairley’s operation would violate the Federal Wire Act of 1961 which prohibits interstate gambling unless it is specifically allowed by state law Fairley’s lawyer from his most recent criminal cases did not respond to requests for comment for this story free to bet on sports at the Beau Rivage casino in Biloxi the @Vezino_LocksLLC Instagram account posted a video purportedly showing 35 bundles of cash Fairley and the Las Vegas Strip were both tagged in the video Attorney for the Eastern District of New York that we were reporting Fairley’s name has surfaced as a possible co-conspirator; the office declined comment Fairley continues to post about big wagers and sell his picks to customers He and Fairley both posted slips from bets they say they made while they were in New Orleans during Super Bowl week Hennen crowed he had won a college basketball bet But around college basketball—and perhaps beyond—people should heed the words of Vezino I know gamblers,” Fairley said during one podcast ‘This is gonna last,’ because that’s not true MICHAEL ROSENBERGMichael Rosenberg is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated profiles and investigative stories and has covered almost every major sporting event He joined SI in 2012 after working at the Detroit Free Press for 13 years Rosenberg is the author of "War As They Knew It: Woody Hayes Bo Schembechler and America in a Time of Unrest." Several of his stories also have been published in collections of the year's best sportswriting The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Federal authorities are investigating whether former Temple men's basketball player Hysier Miller bet on his own games and manipulated the outcome of Owls games he played in according to sources with direct knowledge of the situation Miller, Temple's leading scorer last season, transferred to Virginia Tech during the offseason but was dismissed by the Hokies on Oct. 23 because of the federal investigation and an NCAA inquiry into Temple games, sources said. A regular-season Temple game drew attention for unusual betting activity in March The school said at the time that his dismissal was "due to circumstances prior to his enrollment at Virginia Tech." gave ESPN a statement: "Hysier Miller has overcome more adversity in his 22 years than most people face in their lifetime He will meet and overcome whatever obstacles lay ahead." Temple spokesperson Steve Orbanek told ESPN that the school is "aware of the deeply concerning allegations of sports wagering last season." He said the university had not "received any requests for information" from state or federal law enforcement but "will cooperate fully should we be contacted." the FBI said it would neither confirm nor deny the existence of any investigation Sportsbooks had alerted U.S. Integrity, a Las Vegas firm that monitors the betting market, to unusual line movement and suspicious wagering patterns on a March 7 regular-season game between Temple and UAB The point spread moved notably the morning of the game growing from UAB -2 to -8 by early afternoon before multiple sportsbooks halted betting on the contest A six-point line movement on a college basketball game is rare sportsbook director at The Borgata in Atlantic City told ESPN in March that he began moving the line in the morning after a series of limit bets on UAB were placed Gable said he expected injury or suspension information involving Temple but couldn't find any reason behind the rush of action leading The Borgata to halt betting on the game UAB won 100-72 Miller scored eight points on 3-of-9 shooting and committed three turnovers Temple released a statement March 8 saying it was reviewing reports of suspicious betting patterns The NCAA has contacted people in the gambling industry in recent weeks to inquire about the Temple case It has been investigating Miller and the Temple games for several months "We have been fully responsive and cooperative with the NCAA since the moment we learned of the investigation," Orbanek Bookmakers noticed that the same customers who bet against Temple in the UAB game had been wagering on other games involving the Owls often making wagers on the result and the total points scored in the first half Temple finished the 2023-24 regular season 12-19 but went on a run in the American Athletic Conference tournament before losing to UAB in the championship game Miller averaged 27.8 points during that run Miller was one of Virginia Tech's biggest offseason acquisitions from the transfer portal and his unexpected departure left the team with a void at point guard Paula Lavigne and Mark Schlabach contributed to this report Ohio State opened as a five-point favorite over Texas and that line has since ticked up to -6 ahead of the Friday night matchup the line for the Orange Bowl opened at Notre Dame -1.5 but moved up a half a point to ND -2 Here are the betting odds and lines for each College Football Playoff semifinal game All odds are accurate as of time stamp. All times Eastern. For the latest odds go to ESPN BET FPI Projection Notre Dame by 1.7 points FPI Projection Ohio State by 1.3 points Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page there was more anticipation around the level of talent in college basketball than we've seen in years A handful of AP All-Americans returning to their programs instead of entering the draft elite freshmen headlining the incoming class and an influx of pro-level international players made for a loaded Top 100 player ranking back in October The big debate then was about the No. 1 player. Should it be North Carolina's RJ Davis, the first ACC Player of the Year to return to school since 2008? Or the ballyhooed freshman Cooper Flagg the prohibitive favorite to go first in the NBA draft since he reclassified back in August 2023 In a controversial decision -- at the time This time around, there's another massive debate around No. 1 -- but it's between Flagg and another veteran star, Auburn's Johni Broome Some of the freshmen who would have been in the mix for a top-5 or top-10 spot last month have slowed down while this season's transfer class -- which looked relatively disappointing through the first few weeks -- is starting to hit its stride ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf sought to sort it all out ranking the top 50 players in the sport as we enter the final two months of conference play While overall talent and potential is still a factor this season's production is the biggest criterion Here's the full list -- plus a few who just missed the cut we had to ask ourselves: Despite the up-and-down numbers are there really 50 players in America we'd take over a player who is a projected top-three pick in ESPN's last NBA mock draft Though he stars for a Rutgers team that's not even on the NCAA tournament bubble we couldn't bring ourselves to drop him any further He's still a 6-foot-10 teenager who is averaging 19.0 points After a rocky start to Pat Kelsey's first season in Louisville the Cardinals have righted the ship enough to look like the second-best team in the ACC -- and Chucky Hepburn has been at the forefront of their seven-game winning streak 5.7 assists and 2.5 steals while carrying the team in big games: 32 points vs West Virginia and 26 against Kentucky and North Carolina He also has made at least seven assists in each of the seven games during the streak and Kentucky is plus-12.7 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor Butler also had one of the best individual performances of the season: 33 points on 10-for-10 shooting and six assists in a win over Louisville Georgia is among the surprise outfits nationally this season sitting solidly in the AP Top 25 entering the week and a primary reason has been the play of five-star freshman Newell He opened his career with 26 points and 11 rebounds against Tennessee Tech and hasn't slowed down since scoring in double figures in all but one game while tallying three double-doubles He's averaging 15.4 points and 6.8 rebounds and is looking like a first-round draft pick It's unclear when Johni Broome will return for Auburn but it's already obvious that the Tigers are not a one-man team Baker-Mazara is a versatile 6-foot-7 talent who has been a critical contributor for Auburn this season he's even more important -- and he's built for the increased role he has averaged 14.0 points and 1.6 steals He has made 72% of his shots inside the arc 41% of his 3-point attempts and 89.5% of his free throw attempts over that stretch He's also ranked ninth nationally in Evan Miya's player efficiency ratings Hoyas fans have a right to take a glass-half-full approach to Ed Cooley's second season at Georgetown John's) might have tempered some of the bubble talk around the program but Sorber -- who is averaging 14.2 points 8.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks -- helped Georgetown win more games in two months (12) than it had for the entire 2023-24 season (nine) His struggles against the elevated competition over the past three games prompted us to move him down a few slots it's an achievement for any freshman to make this list Ejiofor has been one of the breakout stars in college basketball this season going from averaging 4.3 points last season to just shy of 15 points this season He had 22 points and 10 rebounds against Baylor and has been on a dominant run since early December 8.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while shooting nearly 60% from the field over his past nine games entering the week North Carolina fans clamored for Hubert Davis to give Jackson a bigger role with this roster The Tar Heels have been a different team with Jackson as a starter North Carolina had amassed a 4-1 record in Jackson's first five starts The freshman -- projected as a first-round pick in ESPN's latest mock draft -- also averaged 23.0 points and 43% from beyond the arc Cryer hasn't quite taken the next step to become one of the best offensive players in the Big 12 but he has expanded his game to become more impactful at both ends of the floor He's still shooting 41% from 3 and nearly 97% from the free throw line while tied for the team lead in scoring -- including 30 points against Alabama and 20-plus on four occasions -- but he's also a top-50 defender nationally according to EvanMiya.com With the assistance of his friends at Tyson Chicken John Calipari had one of the largest NIL budgets in college basketball prior to his first season at Arkansas But the Razorbacks have been one of the country's top disappointments following an 0-4 start in SEC play 1.9 SPG) has been one of the few bright spots for the Razorbacks finishing with at least 17 points and seven rebounds in four games this season He'll just need more help to pull Arkansas out of the league's basement the big question was whether he would look more like the player who helped lead Florida Atlantic to the 2023 Final Four or the player who struggled with consistency last season The answer has tilted far more toward the former Martin is averaging a career-high 15.9 points while shooting nearly 36% from 3 He also has tallied at least one steal in all but two games Lowe was one of the more obvious breakout candidates heading into the season and he hasn't disappointed through the first two months 5 rebounds and 6 assists -- with five games of 20-plus points and three with double-digit assists If Lowe's perimeter shooting can improve to even last season's 35% mark he'll be one of the best point guards in the country A nine-point effort in a recent loss to Purdue demonstrated the 6-foot-7 Nebraska guard's significance to his team He's also one of America's top shooters with a 63.5 true shooting percentage and ranks 29th in free throw shooting at a 91.3% clip That reliability from the field has given Nebraska a good opportunity to reach the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row One of the best 3-point shooters in the country Sharp is growing into a go-to offensive role for the Cougars after spending last season in a complementary role He has made at least 50% of his 3-point attempts in two-thirds of Houston's games and has reached double-digit points in all but two games this season The first season in the SEC has not been as fun and joyful for Texas basketball as it was for the football team -- the Longhorns started conference play with an 0-3 record But those challenges in the nation's strongest men's basketball conference have overshadowed the impressive start by Johnson who has been solidly in the lottery projections of ESPN's NBA mock draft this season Johnson is putting up great numbers with 18.9 PPG and 41% shooting from beyond the arc as Texas tries to wade through early adversity in conference play Dent has a case to be much higher in the rankings 34 feels like a safe compromise for one of the best one-on-one players in college basketball the elite playmaker was averaging 19.1 points and 6.8 assists (seventh in the country) 30 against Arizona State and five other games of 20-plus points for a Lobos team battling near the top of the Mountain West standings You could get a time machine and send him to the 1990s Big East and he'd shine He can be a back-to-basket threat whenever he gets a touch in the paint He has made 77% of his shots at the rim and 51% in the post overall He's a promising young big man who probably won't spend a lot of time at this level Omier is just doing what he does: dominating on the interior averaging a double-double for the fifth (!) straight season And he's having the most efficient offensive season of his career while proving himself as an elite offensive rebounder and the best defensive rebounder in the Big 12 He's shooting nearly 70% inside the arc and has tallied eight double-doubles 24-rebound effort against Arlington Baptist Luis' all-around game is among the best in the Big East John's to a win last weekend over Villanova then had 19 against Georgetown to bring his four-game averages to 21.8 points and 8.5 rebounds finds ways to score efficiently without being a great outside shooter and is active defensively He has become a very difficult matchup for most defenses Tonje might've earned a spot in the top 10 a run that included a 41-point effort in a win over Arizona and a 33-point effort in a victory against Pitt but he has earned a sub-200 player efficiency ranking on Evan Miya's chart We've witnessed that multiple times this season A year after injury interrupted an already difficult season at Missouri Tonje has emerged for a Badgers team that's pushing for a spot in the Big Ten's top tier Williams is among the most efficient offensive players in the country He's averaging career highs in scoring (16.3 PPG) and assists (4.9 APG) while also grabbing 5.6 rebounds and shooting 48.4% from the field and 37% from 3-point range He poses a matchup problem for opponents because of his 6-foot-6 size and playmaking ability -- the Red Raiders are a whopping 32.4 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court Taylor has sat out the past three games because of an injury he's one of the most dangerous scorers in college basketball He has scored in double figures in every game he has played this season helping lead the Aggies to wins over Purdue Taylor is also averaging nearly five assists contributing to his most efficient offensive season in College Station No player in the country had bigger shoes to fill than Kaufman-Renn the first two-time Wooden Award winner in 40 years he has been an elite post presence for the Boilermakers On his first three possessions in Sunday's win over Nebraska Kaufman-Renn scored on a floater in the lane a jump shot and a putback off his own missed shot He has made 62% of his shots inside the arc this season while averaging 17.5 points and 6.2 rebounds Kyle Smith must be thankful every day that Raynaud opted to remove his name from the transfer portal and return to Stanford last spring the 7-foot-1 France native was the only player in the country to rank in the top 10 nationally in both points (20.9 PPG) and rebounds (11.5 RPG) notching double-doubles in all but three games this season shooting better than 50% from the field and already posting a career-high in 3-pointers made Toppin's greatest challenge this season has been injury The 2023-24 Mountain West Freshman of the Year for New Mexico last season sat out four games for the Red Raiders because of a knee injury But the 6-foot-9 athlete has performed against the top teams on Texas Tech's schedule He had 18 points and nine rebounds in a recent loss to Iowa State marking his sixth game with 18 points this season He also has made 86% of his shots in transition Through the first two months of the season Fears was performing like one of the best freshmen in the country leading Oklahoma to a surprising 13-0 record entering SEC play His effectiveness has waned somewhat since the start of conference play 3.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists -- highlighted by huge performances in the Sooners' two biggest wins of the season: 26 points with 5 rebounds and 5 assists against Arizona He has averaged 19.2 points over the past eight games connecting on 41% of his 3-point attempts this season shooting 5-for-6 from beyond the arc in his team's 74-57 victory over Kansas on Wednesday a performance that demanded an even higher ranking than the original Jones will be one of the NCAA tournament's brightest stars in March if this continues we debated if Davis should be moved ahead of Cooper Flagg for the No 1 spot in our preseason rankings -- he was the best returning returning player in the country But Davis' shooting slump has been the headline for a North Carolina team that had to fight just to get on the bubble Davis is shooting only 28% from beyond the arc this season after going 40% from that range last season But he also has had moments to remind everyone that he's the only returning member of last year's Associated Press All-America first team: 26 points vs Myriad injuries -- including a season-ending one to Pop Isaacs -- has changed the trajectory of Creighton's season but Kalkbrenner is still living up to the preseason All-American hype He's averaging career highs in scoring (17.7 PPG) and rebounding (8.1 RPG) shooting nearly 67% from the field and blocking almost three shots a game He also had one of the season's best performances opening with 49 points and 11 rebounds on 20-for-22 shooting against UT-Rio Grande Valley The Maui Invitational in November was a miserable time for UConn for many reasons -- one of which was a head injury to Karaban that cost one of the top returning players in the country two games averaging 16.2 points and connecting on 40% of his 3-point attempts over the past eight games The two free throws he missed in a recent loss to Villanova might haunt him he has been a critical piece of UConn's turnaround since that disastrous trip to Hawaii There are few players as impactful on their team's style of play than Wolf. Dusty May made a commitment to starting the 7-foot Wolf alongside another 7-footer in Vladislav Goldin and it has been Wolf's ability to run a pick-and-roll and create off the bounce that has allowed the duo to operate effectively He was averaging a double-double (12.4 PPG and 10.1 RPG) entering the week while also shooting 35% from 3 and dishing out at least five assists in six of his past nine games It's interesting how early losses can send teams and their top players to the shadows of the sport Gonzaga had three losses -- to West Virginia Kentucky and UConn -- that masked Nembhard's overall improvement in his fourth season of college basketball Nembhard is a better 3-point shooter (38% from beyond the arc) passer (12th nationally in KenPom's assist rate) and defender (his 1.7 SPG are a career high) this season while averaging 11.4 points and 9.4 assists Hubbard is also an elite defender who has held opponents to a 28.7% shooting mark from the field in man-to-man Ike sits comfortably within the top 10 of KenPom's player of the year rankings mostly because of his absurdly efficient statistical case: 16.6 points 58.2% shooting -- in just over 21 minutes per game The former Wyoming transfer has had some disappointing performances (five points and three points in losses to West Virginia and UConn but he also has been dominant on a number of occasions He had 23-and-9 in a win at San Diego State 28-and-11 in a loss to Kentucky and 24-and-8 in a loss against UCLA In his team's 74-70 win at Texas on Saturday, Rick Barnes joked that he expected Tennessee's Chaz Lanier to do what he's "paid" to do Zeigler has earned whatever they're giving him at Tennessee He has been one of the leaders for a Vols squad that spent the bulk of the season as the No He's also one of the top playmakers on this list having registered seven or more assists in nine games this season and ranking top-40 nationally in assist rate Before sitting out two games because of injury Jakucionis was playing as well as any guard in the country He had an up-and-down start to his career in Champaign but the Lithuania native took off this season He scored at least 20 points in six straight games 4.8 assists in his nine games before the injury shooting better than 46% from 3-point range -- and then had 21 points and five assists in his first game back against Indiana There are a lot of valid questions about Rutgers basketball his talent or his future at the next level The 6-foot-6 freshman star plays like a seasoned NBA player You could put him on the Minnesota Timberwolves roster now and he would make an impact 58% clip inside the arc) has not been able to elevate Rutgers from its current state of mediocrity But there is no doubt about Harper's status as one of the top players in the country Another player heating up at the right time of the season who entered the season with first-team All-American aspirations struggled shooting the first few games of the season But after going scoreless against Illinois in November he averaged 21.5 points and 5.1 assists in his next 11 games -- shooting 37.4% from 3 and hitting 20-plus points in nine of those games His improved performances coincided with an eight-game winning streak for Alabama before Tuesday's loss to Ole Miss the 6-foot-4 Gilbert was the best player on the court He's also the reason Iowa State's lone blemish entering the week was an 83-81 neutral-site loss to No One of the best transfers in the country for one of the biggest surprise teams of the season, Small has been nothing short of terrific -- especially since Tucker DeVries went down because of an injury He has scored at least 12 points and dished out multiple assists in every game The 6-foot-3 guard is averaging 19.8 points and it's hard to see his numbers slipping given his highest usage rate in the Big 12 It sometimes feels as if Dickinson has been playing college basketball for 10 years but the fifth-year star has again manufactured a season -- 15.8 PPG 57% clip inside the arc -- that will warrant All-America consideration We might never see the player who made 42% of his 3-point attempts in his final year at Michigan few players have matched Dickinson as an imposing big man in college basketball Kansas is gradually regaining the momentum it lost during a 2-5 stretch last month and Dickinson is a pivotal element of that switch Clayton's final game last season came with 33 points in an NCAA tournament loss to Colorado and he has only since improved for the Gators who surprisingly look like a legitimate title contender He has been more inconsistent than some other names in the top 10 but he has also shown a higher ceiling than nearly every guard in the country: 33 points and 5 assists against Kentucky 25 against Florida State and Arizona State Lanier looked like a clear-cut first-team All-American and the definitive best transfer in the country Then came his 3-for-16 performance in a blowout loss to Florida But we have faith the North Florida transfer will bounce back -- and he did still manage to reach double figures in two of those three games meaning he has reached that mark in all but two games this season Lanier has scored at least 20 points in seven games and he's averaging 19.0 points on 43.7% 3-point shooting All of it comes in a scheme that's led by Smith who looks like the country's best pure point guard key players had departed and the future seemed potentially bleak for the hometown hero Then Haggerty put on a Memphis uniform and put all those concerns to rest He's the biggest victory of perhaps the best season Hardaway has had during his time with the Tigers 42% from beyond the arc) has a 29.4% usage rate and a 64.4 true shooting percentage Those numbers are better than Steph Curry's equivalent totals with the Golden State Warriors this season That's the impact Haggerty has made for Memphis this season Dixon is also the main reason Villanova has turned its season around and is in the hunt for a much-needed NCAA tournament bid He's averaging 25.3 points and has scored at least 20 points in all but three games this season -- and in those three Dixon has simply been a brutal matchup for opponents because of his skillset the highest usage rate in the Big East -- and the fact he's shooting 47% from 3-point range on more than seven attempts per game He's going to have to carry the Wildcats to the postseason It's fair to say the race for the top spot in these rankings and the national player of the year could be a two-man race But Jones (19.7 PPG) seems firmly planted in the third slot Ranked as both an "excellent" offensive and defensive player per Synergy Sports data Jones has been the rock for a Marquette squad chasing its third consecutive top-three seed in the NCAA tournament While he's still working through a 3-point shooting slump he's clearly a more impactful playmaker (2.4 APG last season to 6.4 APG this season) The fifth-year senior who has been dominant all season for the No Or the incredibly talented freshman who seems to be hitting his stride at the right time Broome has been arguably the most consistently productive player in the country Although an ankle injury sustained last weekend against South Carolina has complicated his path to the Wooden Award it's important to add the perspective of what he has done thus far -- numbers that justify the No 1 spot for an injured player with an uncertain return date Evan Miya's BPR is a ranking that measures a player's collective impact on offense and defense Broome (10.61) would post the highest BPR since Miya's rankings began in the 2011-12 season Higher than Zach Edey during his back-to-back Wooden Award run in 2023 and 2024 But even before Broome was lost for a few weeks because of a sprained ankle Flagg had dramatically closed the gap on Broome for player of the year in the last week he had one of the dunks of the season against Pittsburgh -- and he followed it up against Notre Dame with one of the best individual performances we've seen from a freshman in the last quarter century: 42 points also contributing as an integral part of one of the nation's best defenses It's also worth noting he's making 51.9% of his 3-point attempts over his past seven games Flagg has passed Broome in KenPom's statistical player of the year standings too -- with the third-highest kPOY rating in his database's history But he seems likely to sit out at least a few weeks which could give Flagg more time to open a gap for player of the year honors Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 2/7/2025 11:22:00 PM | Lindsay LeSueur Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here SAN ANTONIO — The shorts were shorter than the parachutes with drawstrings preferred by college basketball players a couple of decades ago The rest of this rhapsody in blue at the Alamodome That matched the moments Florida fans of certain ages surely recall Players leaping and bouncing off each other sprinting to the side of the floor to scream at elated supporters falling into their coaches’ arms for long embraces as the confetti fell And a temporary dais set up on the middle of the floor waiting for the Gators to climb up and look down at the rest of the college basketball universe The same view the program had in both 2006 and 2007 After those back-to-back national championship breakthroughs here came the long-awaited triple crowning Florida is the national champion after a 65-63 win over Houston it does look like everyone just finished a ride in a time machine A 30-something former college point guard with one stopover as a mid-major coach takes over and eventually puts together a deep balanced roster that’s remarkably efficient on both ends of the floor the 18-year NBA veteran and two-time All-SEC forward for Florida’s back-to-back champs of ’06 and ’07 “And that history that was created at (Florida) we were making steps but we couldn’t quite get there — and I feel like coach (Todd) Golden and this group of guys have restored that prominence for us again.” The national championship follows those back-to-back titles but — unlike those — was dragged out of oblivion. Down 12 points early in the second half, and hit with technical fouls in two separate moments of lost composure the team with one of the best offenses in the country won with defense Florida forced Houston into four turnovers in the last two minutes and change with the title won on a stop and a scramble for a loose ball as time ran out It matched the Gators’ largest lead of the night in a game in which they scored the second-fewest points they had all year It tied for the third-largest in men’s championship game history “It happens every time we need it to happen,” said guard Alijah Martin who hit a pair of go-ahead free throws in the final minute We’re built for the last moments of the game.” And this group raised the trophy after conquering the most loaded Final Four in history It’s another unified Florida team winning it all and virtually assuring that it will be among the favorites to do so again next spring What happened Monday night was past and prelude all at once “It’s quite literally the road map that we’re trying to follow,” current Gators big man Micah Handlogten said on the eve of the national championship game when the old heads have talked about the not-so-secret ingredients to the ’06 and ’07 national titles they invariably come back to the idea of joyful solidarity they played hard and they had fun doing it,” Gators guard Will Richard said of those back-to-back champions felt more like clarity than a hard strike from a chisel The 2006 national champions lost a game on Feb The 2007 national champions lost a game on Feb Florida traveled to Georgia and fell behind by 26 finished with a confetti blast Monday night “That kind of lit a fire underneath us,” Gators forward Thomas Haugh said “and we realized we can’t take any games for granted.” it’s not exactly correct to say this Florida is a mirror image of those Floridas This Florida is more like a copy pulled out of a 3-D printer and injected with super-soldier serum Those Floridas finished their championship seasons ranked third and first This Florida went into the national championship game ranked No 2 nationally in that category … but was also a full six points per 100 possessions better than the top-ranked attack of 2007 and this Florida played three possessions per game faster than their fastest while turning the ball over five percent less this Florida won more than any version of Florida that preceded it “We learned how together their team was,” Haugh said referencing the lessons gleaned from the back-to-back titelists That correlates a lot with our team this year We all kind of go out there and play as one big unit It probably helped the whole operation navigate a situation those previous champions didn’t encounter a former all-SEC point guard on the Gators’ back-to-back national title teams Florida closed its investigation into Golden saying it found “no evidence” the coach violated Title IX “We’ve just kept our head down and focused and we haven’t let some of the outside attention disrupt us and take us off our path,” Golden said during a West Region news conference in late March “I’ll continue to handle some of those situations after the season’s over but for now we’re continuing on winning basketball games and trying to make it to the Final Four.” Golden described it as a bit of a pressure release we kind of felt like we had the weight of the world off our shoulders,” he said on the day before the national title game What happened is what has happened for the last three weekends missing their first six shots from 3-point range and committing six turnovers in the first 10 minutes They were completely in the game despite the struggles Eventually someone made some shots — this time it was Will Richard who connected on four 3s en route to 14 first-half points — and the halftime deficit was merely three So it went against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight Auburn in the national semifinals and now Houston in the title match: Florida had a whole half to fix things first: Five Florida personal fouls early in the second half created a startling moment of lost composure which erupted after a whistle at the 17:21 mark precipitated a free throw and a 3-pointer from Houston’s L.J Cryer on the ensuing possession. The deficit was 10 at that point and swelled to 12 soon after We got rewarded because of that toughness that we displayed.” An 8-0 burst made it a one-possession game by the 12-minute mark A stretch in which Houston missed 11 of 12 shots permitted Florida to linger and then tie the game at 48 by the 7:54 mark when Clayton took contact on a drive for a bucket — his first field goal of the game after an 0-for-6 start — and sank the ensuing free throw The final steps to becoming a three-time champion would be taken all the way at the end all the way through the thicket of Houston’s top-rated defense and game officials who whistled the teams for a combined 25 second-half fouls “I felt like if we held Florida under 70 we’d have a chance to win,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said playing in his second Final Four after an appearance with Florida Atlantic in 2023 hit a pair of free throws with 46.5 seconds left to give the Gators the lead at 64-63 Florida induced Houston’s Emanuel Sharp into a turnover with 26.5 seconds to go Guard Denzel Aberdeen hit one free throw after the Gators nearly turned it over against Houston’s full-court pressure giving Houston at least one last trip to tie or win it all Sharp lost the ball on a hard close-out and had to let it go where Gators big man Alex Condon corralled it at the end of a mini-frenzy just as time ran out a second Houston Final Four miracle was undone and Florida’s return to the mountaintop was confirmed "FLORIDA IS BACK ON TOP OF THE COLLEGE BASKETBALL WORLD!" pic.twitter.com/IeLecOAcSb — CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 8, 2025 “Incomprehensible in that situation that we couldn’t get a shot,” Sampson said given Florida’s advances on that end this season “The coaching staff made way more of an emphasis (on defense) saying if we want to be good and be national champions we gotta be a top-10 defense,” said Condon alluding to a defense that finished the 2023-24 season 94th in efficiency “There was a general sense in the arena that they couldn’t score on us unless they got to the free-throw line We had elite confidence down the stretch.” Florida will lose very important cogs like Clayton and Martin. It will lose two assistants — Golden’s de facto offensive and defensive coordinators — to head coaching jobs elsewhere 1 team and should be among the top contenders for the 2026 national title And the ambition of the man running the whole operation never has been terribly difficult to measure which could mean the Billy Donovan comparisons run even deeper “He’ll be an NBA head coach,” Stanford coach Kyle Smith who coached Golden at Saint Mary’s and then hired him at Columbia and San Francisco “(That age group) can handle all the attention that maybe is stressful for the Gen X guy I am not the concern at the Alamodome on the first Monday in April This night was entirely about now and then “A team that plays hard,” two-time national champion Horford said describing what he saw in the 2024-25 club that gave his groups some company The Athletic’s Brendan Marks contributed to this story