With college basketball in full swing as conference play is about to start up in the next couple of weeks I wanted to share with you five of the Nation’s undervalued players. The season is a long one and player’s stocks go up and down throughout the year. Some of the players that I’ll mention are household names, some aren’t, and some will spill on to the big stage before March gets here. It has been a very exciting first month to the season and when conference play starts it will get even better.
My article today is about players that are under the radar to the common fan. Most scouts and media that cover college basketball know most of the players on my list, but to the common fan that may only follow a certain fan or only the top players some of the names on the list may be the first time you are seeing them.
Players come in all shapes and sizes and they come from such a large variety of levels. I put together a list of 11 players that are under the radar to most. I mention about some that they have NBA potential. This is only one man’s opinion and isn’t in any way promoting fact, but merely opinion. Here is our list of 11 sleeper players in College Basketball:
Eric Atkins – 6’2 PG 182 Notre Dame
MIN 37.0 PTS 11.5 REB 3.1 AST 7.0 FG% .471 BLK 0.1
Eric is one of the Big East’s top point guards. He is a guard that can just run your team and get players involved. At 6’2 he has very good size and can change speeds to get in the lane at will. I watched him this past weekend against Purdue and he was outstanding scoring 17 points and 7 assists in a 81-68 win. Notre Dame is a team to watch with their backcourt of Atkins and Jerian Grant and bigman Jack Cooley. Atkins will be one of the Nation’s top point guards by the end of the year. He combines the ability to distribute the basketball to teammates as well as a scoring threat. He is a name to look out for.
Michael Carter-Williams – 6’5 PG Syracuse
MIN 31.8 PTS 12.3 REB 5.2 AST 10.8 FG% .421 BLK 0.9
Michael is college basketball’s top point guards. If you look at some of the top players
in the country they are all talented kids but most aren’t completely dominant in one area of the game. Michael is an elite passer. He possesses a next level vision enabling him to get the ball to his teammates where they can best help their team win. Unlike most guard’s in the country, Michael plays with two speeds penetrating into the paint at will and making plays for others. If I were having an NBA draft today he would be in my top 3 because of the value of his position. He reminds me a lot of Shaun Livingston a pure point guard with size. Carter-Williams is the most efficient PG that I’ve seen at this level in a long time.
Jaye Crockett – 6’7 SF 200 Texas Tech
MIN 26.1 PTS 15.6 REB 8.6 AST 0.6 FG% .641 BLK 0.3
Jaye Crockett is one of the best kept secrets in the country. I love his toughness,
versatility, and athletic ability. He plays mostly inside for Texas Tech, but can also step out and play on the perimeter. A very efficient basketball player shooting 64% from the field as well as grbbing 8.1 rebounds per game in only 26 minutes of playing time. I think he is an NBA player when it is all said and done because of his toughness, ability to finish, and versatility.

Cory Jefferson – 6’9 PF 210 Baylor
MIN 30.1 PTS 12.8 REB 8.2 AST 0.1 FG% .63 BLK 2.8
Corey Jefferson is a very talented post player that does a little bit of everything. He is
overshadowed by a lot of talented players that play for Baylor. His ability to score inside on post up moves as well as face up and drive makes him a very tough player to cover. He is third on his team in scoring (12.8), second in rebounding(8.2) and leads them in blocks (2.8). His toughness inside allows Freshman Isaiah Austin step out and give Baylor a tough inside out combination from their two front line players. I think Jefferson has the potential to be one of the top 20 players in college basketball.
Nick Johnson – 6’3 PG 200 Arizona
MIN 29.6 PTS 13.8 REB 3.1 AST 3.6 FG% .551 BLK 0.3
Nick is the driving force behind Arizona’s success. He reminds me of Delonte West where he can play both guard positions and make plays both for his teammates as well as himself. Nick has good size, can make three point shots, and is a very good on the ball defender. He’s a little overshadowed by Arizona’s crop of 3 7 footers, guard Mark Lyons, and forward Solomon Hill. Arizona will go as far as he will carry them because of his ability to get in the lane and make plays.
Ray McCallum – 6’2 PG 187 Detroit
MIN 34.5 PTS 19.4 REB 4.4 AST 4.9 FG% .482 BLK 0.7
Ray is another player from a Non BCS school that makes our list of ten sleeper
players. WIth most of the country talking about C.J. McCollum, Michael Carter Williams, and Marcus Smart McCallum has quietly put up outstanding numbers in the early season averaging 19.4 points while dishing out 4.9 assists and shooting 48% from the feild. Ray was one of th top point guards in the country coming out of high school choosing to play for his father at U Detroit instead of some of the elite programs in the country that recruited him. McCallum is a scoring point guard that is vry exciting to watch
Doug McDermott – 6’8 SF 236 Creighton
MIN 30.1 PTS 23.7 REB 6.9 AST 1.5 FG% .555 BLK 0.1
Doug is one of the best shooters in college basketball. He’s a very skilled player that can hurt you from all over the floor. His combination of size, shooting, and toughness is something that should be cloned for every player in the country. He’s not the mst athletic player in the country but his ability to make shots and drive on defenders running out at him make him a very efficient scorer. I think hands down he is a top 10 player in college basketball based on his skill level and basketball IQ. He’s another player that isn’t flashy, but gets the job done on a nightly basis. I rank him the 3rd best complete shooter in college basketball

Victor Oladipo – 6’5 SG 214 Indiana
MIN 26.9 PTS 13.2 REB 5.3 AST 2.2 FG% .658 BLK 0.9
Anytime you mention The University of Indiana the first two things that come into your
mind is Tom Crean and Cody Zeller. One of the best players that people outside of Red and White Nation don’t know about is Victor Oladipo. Victor has been outstanding for IU this season as he’s been one of their most consistent scorers. He’s shooting an unheard of 65% from the field making him one of the most efficient scoring guards in the country. He can play both guard positions and has shown great improvement under coach Crean’s player development program.
Andre Robertson – 6’7 SF 210 Colorado
MIN 33.6 PTS 12.1 REB 12.3 AST 1.9 FG% .489 BLK 1.4
Andre is in my opinion the most versatile player in college basketball. At only 6’7 he’s
averaging 12.3 rebounds a game. He has such a nose for the ball as he’s able to play both forward positions for Colorado. His outside shooting is coming along and shows the ability to put the ball on the floor. He’s a good athlete not an elite one, but gets so much done for his size. Robertson will be in the NBA someday and will surprisese a lot of people in the process
Jeff Withey – 6’11 C 240 Kansas
MIN 28.6 PTS 13.8 REB 7.6 AST 0.6 FG% .573 BLK 5.6
Jeff has established himself as one of the premier shot blockers in the country averaging 5.6 per game. He doesn’t get a lot of national attention because his game isn’t flashy. Kansas’s defense starts and ends with Withey as he not only blocks over 5 shots per game but alters at least another 5. He has all the skill sets to be an outstanding big man for the next 10 years. His offense has much improved since he arrived in Lawrence. Some media and scouts worry about his effort on a nightly basis, but with big men it sometimes takes longer than other positions. Kansas’s title hopes will rest on his interior play.
Nate Wolters – 6’4 PG 189 South Dakota State
MIN 37.4 PTS 19.9 REB 6.3 AST 6.0 FG% .442 BLK 0.1
Nate doesn’t get a lot of attention playing at a small school in South Dakota State. If
you get a chance to play you will see one of the Nation’s toughest guards. Nate has a lot of tools that make up a good point guard. He plays the game wit two speeds meaning he sets his defender up at one speed and then makes a move and goes to another gear. Nate has the ability to score as well as set his teammates up for easy shots. I think Walters has a lot of heart and toughness that makes him such a talented player. He is someone that should be on fans, media, as well as scouts radar.
