NCAA Men's Basketball: Preseason Final Four Picks

Preseason First Team All-America 

G Braden Smith (SR— Purdue)

G Donovan Dent (SR— UCLA)

G Darryn Peterson (FR— Kansas)

F Cameron Boozer (FR— Duke)

F JT Toppin (JR— Texas Tech

SPOTLIGHT: Cameron Boozer— one of Carlos Boozer’s twin sons who will play for Duke this season— is a serial winner. He has won at every level he has played, and if the showcase he put on against Tennessee in an exhibition is any indication, that winning may continue. While it was only an exhibition, Boozer scored 24 points, grabbed 23 rebounds, had six assists, and blocked two shots. He also did all of that while only committing just one turnover. 

While it is impossible to choose between the three star freshmen this season, Boozer poses an interesting case. He isn’t as flashy as Darryn Peterson or as overwhelmingly as AJ Dybantsa. However, he does his many jobs very well. He can also shoot the three ball and is a physical presence down low. 

Even through all of this, there is still no consensus number one pick for next year’s NBA draft. Wherever Boozer is picked, he will be a jackpot.

Preseason Second Team All-America 

G Otega Oweh (SR— Kentucky)

G Milos Uzan (SR— Houston)

F Alex Condon (JR— Florida)

F AJ Dybantsa (FR— BYU)

F Yaxel Lendeborg (SR— Michigan)

SPOTLIGHT: Kentucky has high expectations from SM Sports— we have them ranked seventh in the preseason poll. A large bulk of that expectation comes from senior guard Otega Oweh (16.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.6 steals per game). Oweh’s rise last season after transferring in from Oklahoma was formidable, but he is now destined to be the SEC’s most dominant backcourt player. He was chosen as the SEC’s Preseason Player of the Year for good reason.

Oweh has continuously grabbed more rebounds and recorded more steals as his years have gone on, while also raising his points per game total each season. He will be the dominant ball handler for Mark Pope’s Wildcats this season and is sure to make an even bigger leap. If Kentucky makes it deep in March— which SM Sports predicts will happen — it will more than likely be Oweh who brought them there.

Preseason Third Team All-America 

G Robert Wright III (SO— BYU)

G Solo Ball (JR— Connecticut)

F Darrion Williams (SR— NC State) 

F Zuby Ejiofor (SR— St. John’s )

F Trey Kaufman-Renn (SR— Purdue)

SPOTLIGHT: BYU can very well have the most loaded offense in the country this year. They finished last year ninth in efficiency across all teams, and now they have added some major weapons to go with Richie Saunders. Robert Wright III (11.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 4.2 apg) is one of those weapons after playing a stellar freshman season at Baylor last year.

Wright is a shifty guard with plenty of quickness and athleticism to get to the rim. Admittedly, this is a bit of a called shot due to the sheer firepower of BYU’s offense; Wright simply may not always have the ball in his hands. Saunders and AJ Dybantsa will have a lot of the ball, but they will also take a heavy dose of defensive attention. This can leave Wright primed for some quality looks. Even if it is a called shot, it’s one we expect to hit and then some. We will not be surprised if Wright erupts for 20 or 25 points on a given night.

Sean Murawski is a writer for his own personal sports website, smsports.net. He publishes weekly columns and rankings on men’s college basketball, as well as coverage columns for the MLB.

When looking at the landscape of men’s college basketball this season, one thing stands out.

These freshmen look like they are going to be phenomenal.

Whether it is Darryn Peterson (whom Bill Self believes may be the best player he has ever coached), Cameron Boozer, or AJ Dybantsa, you can point at any of the highly touted freshmen this year and make a strong case that they will be a top three player in the sport. Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville), Nate Ament (Tennessee), and Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas) are also in the mix with the aforementioned “big three.” Through all of the NIL persuading talented older players to return, it is immensely obvious that there is an insanely high ceiling for the young, bright freshmen stars to make their names this season— which, for most of them, will likely be their only college season.

Even with the youthful movement, it will be hard to overlook the returning veterans that also have a say in how this year goes down. Braden Smith of Purdue may be the NCAA’s all time assists leader by season’s end, and despite being the frontrunner for National Player of the Year, he will somehow also be challenged as the best point guard in his own conference by UCLA’s Donovan Dent. JT Toppin and Trey Kaufman-Renn return as All-American big men, while Yaxel Lendeborg looks to jump into stardom after transferring from UAB to Michigan. Alex Karaban returns for one last go around at Connecticut, Ja’Kobi Gillespie looks to lead Tennessee to the promised land, and Emmanuel Sharp looks to make amends for how his Houston team lost the National Championship game a year ago. 

All of this to say: it is hard to remember a stronger field of players that are decorating the college basketball hardwood. Races for awards, #1 draft picks, and championships will be underway in three days— and these are the players who will give their teams the best chance to make it all go their way.

SM Sports Preseason National Player of the Year: G Braden Smith (SR- Purdue)

Runners up: G Darryn Peterson (Kansas), G Donovan Dent (UCLA)

The evolution of Braden Smith has been a gradual but explosive incline. Smith has gone through losses to both a 16 seed (as a freshman) and a juggernaut team in the National Championship game (as a sophomore). Last season, he spent a bulk of the season as a top five player in college basketball. This year, as a senior, there will be no overshadowing him. 

Smith is a lethal scorer (15.8 ppg) and a sharp shooter (38.1% 3PT), but his pinpoint passing is the strongest element of his game (8.7 apg). His per game assist numbers have doubled since his freshman season, while also stealing two balls per game as well. He is a full package at the point guard position, all wrapped up in a six foot flat frame. Many doubt his NBA prospects due to his shorter stature, but make no mistake: in the college game, nobody will be doing it better than Braden Smith this season.

SM Sports Preseason National Player of the Year: G Darryn Peterson (Kansas)

Runners up: F Cameron Boozer (Duke), F AJ Dybantsa (BYU)

Any one of the freshmen this season would be an intelligent pick for this award, but Darryn Peterson just feels like he has the highest ceiling. That may be because of Bill Self anointing him as potentially one of the best players he has ever coached at Kansas— a group that includes Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid, for reference. 

Kansas’ offense will have a main highway: put the ball in Peterson’s hands, run some action, and get him to the basket. This will be rinsed and repeated for Peterson, as his electric scoring ability has him as a threat from anywhere in the halfcourt. Kansas’ insanely tough non-conference slate will test Peterson early; if anyone’s ready for those tests, it is him.

SM Sports Preseason National Transfer of the Year: G Donovan Dent (UCLA)

Runners up: F Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan via UAB), Robert Wright III (BYU via Baylor)

Donovan Dent (20.4 ppg, 6.4 apg, 40.9% FG) is bringing his talent back home to Los Angeles after a stellar three seasons at New Mexico. Dent quite simply gets to the basket. He is a ball-dominant guard who demands defensive attention and relentlessly attacks toward the paint. He will compete with Braden Smith as the Big Ten’s best guard, so he is a legitimate candidate for this award. 

Dent has steadily increased his per game stats over the past three years, culminating in this senior season on the national stage. If Dent plays to his ceiling, UCLA will be competing for more than just conference hardware. 

SM Sports Preseason National Coach of the Year: Kelvin Sampson (Houston)

Runners up: Mark Pope (Kentucky), Mick Cronin (UCLA)

It is not hard to imagine Kelvin Sampson winning a National Championship. In fact, it is probably harder to believe the fact that he has never actually won one. He came agonizingly close last year, with a botched final play as the only thing standing between him and the coveted hardware. Sampson, 70, is back at it this season with a strong returning core, a five-star freshman recruit, and most importantly, he has motivation.

It is not just the heartbreak of last season that will hang over Houston’s head this year. It is also the fact that Sampson may not have that many cracks at winning a title before calling it a career. While retirement is not guaranteed to be a year or even two years from now, it is certainly looming over the program. With Kelvin’s son Kellen surely in line to take the reins, this may be the final great opportunity for Kelvin Sampson to be able to cut down the nets. 

His roster will surely make it a lot easier to pick them as a potential national champion candidate. Milos Uzan (11.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.3 apg, 42.8% 3PT) and Emmanuel Sharp (12.6 ppg, 1.4 steals per game, 40.7% 3PT) return for Sampson’s backcourt duo. Joseph Tugler, who blocked almost two shots per game last year, is a frontrunner to be the country’s best defensive player. Chris Cenac Jr., a five-star near-seven footer from New Orleans, is also sure to be a difference maker down low to partner with, or at least supplement, Tugler.

The bottom line is that this season may be Houston’s best chance to win it all. It is a loaded field, and SM Sports ranks them second in the preseason rankings behind Purdue. If all goes to plan, Houston will once again be competing in the National Championship game. The entire season will be built towards the goal of changing last year’s outcome and helping Kelvin Sampson’ come out on top— perhaps, as a farewell gift.

Sean Murawski is a writer for his own personal sports website, smsports.net. He publishes weekly columns and rankings on men’s college basketball, as well as coverage columns for the MLB.