Big Ten duo head list of must-watch players
Edwards, Langford, Duke’s Barrett key players
The college men’s basketball season has tipped off, and teams have started the chase to be part of the NCAA tournament and the Final Four in Minneapolis. USA TODAY examines key players poised to lead their schools to success. G Carsen Edwards, Purdue: The do-everything guard will make the Boilermakers a Big Ten contender again, though he’ll have more weight on his shoulders with four starters gone from the Sweet 16 squad. He averaged 18.5 points per game as a sophomore and figures to be just as explosive in his junior season as perhaps the best scorer in all of college basketball. G Romeo Langford, Indiana: The crown jewel of coach Archie Miller’s budding tenure piloting the Hoosiers, Lanford is more than an in-state
star. The 6-6 electric scorer could give Indiana the moxie to contend for a Big Ten title alongside Purdue, Michigan State and Michigan. Plenty of one-anddone-caliber freshmen enter the NCAA ranks as super athletic but aren’t necessarily great shooters. Not Langford, who will be a marksmen right off the bat. He’ll be the key piece in the Hoosiers’ turnaround season.
G-F RJ Barrett, Duke: The smooth
6-7 lefty is projected as the No. 1 pick in
2019’s NBA draft for a reason, and he’ll be the alpha dog on a team that also hauled in the two other top-rated freshmen. What’s most impressive about Barrett outside of his versatility on both ends is his ability to make others better by facilitating or injecting energy. More than anything, Barrett will have international playing experience as an obvious strength. The Canadian led his national team to the 2017 Under-19 World Cup, including a 38-point, 13-rebound performance against the USA in the semifinals. In other words, there won’t be much of an adjustment period for the teenager to excel at the NCAA level.
F Dedric Lawson, Kansas: The 6-9 transfer from Memphis immediately gives Bill Self size and tenaciousness in the paint that was missing all last season. He nearly averaged a triple double with 19.2 points and 9.9 rebounds in
2016-17 and will be a key cog in the Jayhawks’ quest to win a 15th consecutive Big 12 regular-season title and perhaps KU’s first national title since 2008.
G Tyus Battle, Syracuse: The 6-6 guard averaged 19.2 points for a depleted Orange roster that overachieved all the way to the Sweet 16. Everyone’s back from that squad and coach Jim Boeheim has reinforcements, which should make Battle’s job easier and allow him to flourish as the team’s go-to presence.
G De’Andre Hunter, Virginia: An injured Hunter watched on the sideline as his teammates were on the wrong side of history in March, as UVa was shocked by No. 16 seed Maryland-Baltimore County. The freshman sixth man’s omission was telling for how important he was on the 31-win roster, and he’ll step into an even larger role as a sopho- more. His athleticism, knack for scoring and defensive versatility are traits that will elevate him to being coach Tony Bennett’s most valuable asset.
F Caleb Martin, Nevada: The 6-7 forward showed off his takeover abilities in the NCAA tournament run, and with the Wolf Pack stepping further into the national spotlight this season (courtesy of even more talent coming in), Martin (18.9 points per game in 2017-18) will be the main piece to elevating this midmajor into a force to be reckoned with come March. F Reid Travis, Kentucky: John Calipari’s recruiting classes normally draw the headlines, and this year’s stellar cast of freshmen is no different. But the most important player on a national title contender is this Stanford graduate transfer who averaged 19.5 points and 8.7 rebounds last season. Travis not only gives the Wildcats another weapon at 6-8, but he brings a veteran flavor to mesh well with a talented group that will have to gel together. G-F Nassir Little, North Carolina: The 6-7 freshman forward won’t be a knockdown shooter right away, but he’ll ignite this squad from the get-go with his overall abilities, namely a jump-outof-the-gym athleticism. He was the MVP of the McDonald’s All-American game and should have no shortage of highlight-reel tomahawk dunks.
F Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga: Perhaps no returning NCAA player from last season has more potential, as the 6-8 Japanese product showed flashes of brilliance on last year’s ’Zags roster. His performance in the NCAA tournament’s second round — 25 points, five rebounds and four blocks in a Sweet 16clinching win over Ohio State — was a snapshot of how he can spark the Bulldogs this season. 2017-18 was somewhat of an adjustment season for Hachimura before he really started to blossom. Expect 2018-19 to be a breakout, All-American-caliber campaign.