Smith has a chance to solidify himself as one of the best point guards in college basketball history with a monster senior year. Bobby Hurley\u2019s long-standing career assists record is in reach, as is delivering Purdue its elusive first national championship. The biggest thing that could stand in the way of smashing Hurley\u2019s record is added talent on the Boilermakers: Israeli freshman PG Omer Mayer is a major talent who might allow Smith to take on a more manageable minutes load than the one he shouldered last season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Braden Smith could surpass Bobby Hurley\u2019s career assists record. \/ Robert Goddin-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
JT Toppin, Texas Tech<\/strong><\/p>\n Toppin went from uber-productive mid-major freshman to consensus All-American sophomore at Texas Tech, and is now back for a third year of college with a chance to be the sport\u2019s best player. He\u2019s a double-double machine who stacks up buckets and boards even without set plays being drawn up for him. He should see more time at power forward this season with the addition of Luke Bamgboye at center.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cameron Boozer, Duke<\/strong><\/p>\n Boozer is likely the safest bet in this loaded freshman class<\/a> to be in the NPOY conversation. He has been a force at every level of youth basketball, stacking up 20-point, 10-rebound stat lines against every type of competition and winning at an elite level everywhere he has played. His candidacy might get dragged down a bit by constant comparisons to Flagg\u2019s otherworldly freshman campaign a year ago, but Boozer should be one of the most productive players in the country on a preseason Top 10 team.\u00a0<\/p>\n Darryn Peterson, Kansas\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Peterson is the most talented guard prospect to hit college basketball in some time. He\u2019ll get quite the spotlight as the clear best player on one of the sport\u2019s biggest brands in Kansas. Peterson\u2019s three-level scoring ability and skill in ball screens should make him one of the toughest covers in the Big 12, though his teammates will need to prove consistent enough threats to take pressure off him in the half court.<\/p>\n AJ Dybantsa, BYU<\/strong><\/p>\n Dybantsa signing at BYU is a program-changing move, adding a potential No. 1 pick to a roster that already features plenty of star power. He\u2019s an elite scorer who already looks like a pro with his ability to create separation and draw fouls. He may end up seeing his scoring numbers diminished a bit by the presence of two other outstanding guards in Richie Saunders and Rob Wright III, but leading BYU to a high seed in the NCAA tournament and Big 12 contention would make a big statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n AJ Dybantsa is one of the freshmen vying for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft. \/ Pamela Smith-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Lendeborg stuffed the stat sheet at UAB, averaging north of 17 points, 11 rebounds and four assists per game and emerging as a potential NBA first-rounder in the process. He spurned the pro process for one more year in college and transferred to Michigan, where Dusty May will feature him in an offense that elevated Danny Wolf into a first-rounder from Yale. Lendeborg\u2019s high motor and versatile skill set gives him a very high floor, and being an all-league level guy on a Top 10 team would place Lendeborg squarely in the NPOY conversation.<\/p>\n Donovan Dent, UCLA<\/strong><\/p>\n Dent was one of the best point guards in the country a year ago at New Mexico, lifting the Lobos to the NCAA tournament and emerging as one of the most exciting players to watch in all of college hoops. Now, he\u2019ll suit up for his hometown school for his final year of eligibility, with a chance to elevate a Bruins offense that was missing high-level point guard play a year ago. With regular-season matchups against Smith, Bennett Stirtz and many of the other high-level point guards in the Big Ten, he\u2019ll have plenty of chances to prove his mettle.\u00a0<\/p>\n Donovan Dent transferred to his hometown school, UCLA, after a stellar season at New Mexico. \/ Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Bennett Stirtz, Iowa\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Stirtz had a ridiculously good first season at the Division I level at Drake, posting elite efficiency numbers despite his incredibly high usage. He\u2019s intimately familiar with Ben McCollum\u2019s offense and is the perfect trigger man to lead it. McCollum will surround him with elite three-point shooting and stingy defense. If he can lift Iowa to the upper echelon in the Big Ten, he belongs in the NPOY conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Labaron Philon, Alabama<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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