The seven best players you don't know about

It is not that difficult for the casual college hoops fan to rattle off an all-american team. Luke Harangody, Evan Turner, the three-headed monster at Kansas, the Great Wall of Kentucky. But when you strictly talk about the all-american teams, you only begin to scratch the surface of the wealth of talent spread across the college basketball landscape. Seldom does the nation's leading scorer come from a power conference, and while this likely speaks volumes about the level of competition said player faces, it does nothing to diminish how good that player actually is.

Here is our list of seven guys currently flying under the national radar. It is far from a comprehensive list, and we would love to hear your input as to who we missed:


Ekpe Udoh, Baylor: 13.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 4.1 bpg, 56% FG

We consider ourselves firmly implanted on the Udoh bandwagon. Udoh is an athletic, face-up four who took one look at John Beilein and his, for lack of a better term, Beilein offense before bolting Michigan for Baylor. After sitting out a season, Udoh has clearly significantly improved. His production is up across the board. While his shot-blocking and rebounding numbers are quite impressive, what makes Udoh so good is his ability on the offensive end. He has been used quite a bit by Scott Drew as a face-up post in the 15 foot range, with excellent results. While his ball-handling and footwork could still use some polish, Udoh's quickness and length has allowed him to be an effective weapon. Whether that continues in Big XII play is another question, but based on what we've seen, Udoh is by far the best interior player on both ends for a team currently sitting at 11-1.

Ekpe Udoh has been a pleasant surprise for Baylor this season.
(photo credit: Draft Express)

Darington Hobson, New Mexico: 16.8 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 4.5 apg

Hobson was a highly touted recruit in high school, but grade problems forced him to spend two seasons at a JuCo. Now that he is finally at New Mexico, Hobson is making his presence felt. The 6'7" Hobson is as versatile player as you are going to find at this level. His height, length, and athleticism makes him most suitable for playing the three, but he plays almost like a point guard. He is at his best when he puts the ball on the floor, getting to the basket or drawing a defender and finding an open teammate. Given his size, athleticism, and skill set, Hobson can play three positions on the floor, and can even provide some help at the four if need be. Think a left-handed poor man's version of Evan Turner.


Elijah Millsap, UAB: 16.7 ppg, 9.7 rpg

Rebounding must run in the family. The younger brother of Paul Millsap, the former Louisiana Tech star now on the Utah Jazz, has been great this year after sitting out a season transferring to the Blazers from Louisiana-Lafayette. Elijah is shorter than Paul, and also a bit more slender and athletic, which allows him to play on the perimeter. But that lack of size doesn't keep Elijah from attacking the glass, as evidenced by the 9.7 rpg he averages or the 15 boards he grabbed against Cincinnati.

Elijah Millsap has been UAB's best player this season.
(photo credit: Birmingham News)

Jeremy Lin, Harvard: 17.4 ppg, 4.7 apg, 5.0 rpg, 2.8 spg

More than likely, you've heard the name Jeremy Lin before at least in passing as he has been featured by the WWL twice this season. If you haven't, shame on you, because Lin has been one of the best not just in the Ivy, but in the country. He is the only low-major player on the Wooden Top 30 list, and has done enough to draw the attention of the NBA. Lin isn't an overwhelming athlete. He's not particularly strong, he isn't a great shooter, and he's not going break many ankles. But there isn't a facet of the game that he struggles in, and he's proven to be an incredibly efficient player. The numbers he posts don't come as a result of being isolated and allowed to beat his man. He gets his buckets within the flow of the offense, and while playing off the ball he has essentially become the main facilitator for Harvard offensively. Oh, and he performs against top tier competition - he put 30 on UConn in a six point loss and dropped 25 when Harvard won at Boston College.


Aubrey Coleman, Houston: 25.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg

Coleman is the nation's leading scorer this season, and with every 30 point game, it is becoming harder and harder to ignore what this kid is doing on the hardwood. While he isn't all that big (6'3") and is far from the nation's best athlete, Coleman has a chiseled frame and an old school game. Coleman does the majority of his damage in the mid-range. He isn't dunking on opponents, and he isn't going to hit 28 footers all game. But he will make contested pull-up and step-back jumpers all day long, and has shown great instincts as a scorer. Its too bad that he will probably always be known as the guy that stepped on Chase Budinger.


Jimmer Fredette, BYU: 21.6 ppg, 5.6 apg, 44% 3's

Fredette burst on the national scene with a 49 points, 7 board, 9 assist performance at Arizona. Well, he "burst on the scene" as much as you can when you go off in a game that ends around midnight on the east coast and isn't televised nationally. Fredette is about as pure of a shooter as you are going to find, but his biggest strength is his ball-handling ability. Don't be surprised if you see some of his crossovers end up of Sportscenter's top 10. While he isn't the best athlete in the world, he is crafty around the rim and has a great touch which allows him to make some very difficult shots in the lane. Fredette is the leader for a BYU team that is sitting at 14-1. Don't be surprised if you see this kid taking, and making, a lot of big shots in March.

Jimmer Fredette has led BYU to a spot in Kenpom's top 10.
(photo credit: Wikimedia)

Artsiom Parakhouski, Radford: 23.8 ppg, 12.8 rpg

Parakhouski is young in basketball terms. Yes, he is 22 years old, but the 7'0" Belarusian is in just his sixth season of organized basketball. It is easy to assume that a seven-footer playing in the Big South puts up numbers simply because he's the biggest guy on the floor, which is usually a safe assumption. But Radford has played some good competition this season, and Parakhouski has performed very well against them: 23 and 14 against Duke, 26 and 20 at Duquesne, 21 and 13 at Kansas, 24 and 6 against William & Mary, and 34 and 12 against George Mason. Parakhouski's skills look pretty good at this point in his career - he has an above average back-to-the-basket game - and once his awareness and understanding of the game catches up, he may just end up being an NBA player. Those don't grow on trees at schools like Radford.