ESPN Top 100 Players

[dukiejay]

We had four guys check-in on their top 100. Little surprised to see Jeter on the list.

34. Grayson Allen
"Last seen going off for 16 points in just 21 minutes against Wisconsin in the national championship game, Allen most likely would have started and made first-team all-conference last season anywhere in the nation except Duke or Kentucky. The 6-foot-5 sophomore's a potential 2016 first-round pick."

41. Brandon Ingram
"Projections of the 2016 NBA draft tend to have Mike Krzyzewski's freshmanroughly 35 spots higher than this, based on the very concept of a skilled 6-foot-9 small forward. Our august panel of voters, on the other hand, is apparently more attuned to Ingram's listed weight of just 190 pounds."

78. Derryck Thornton
"Thornton is the heir apparent at point guard in Durham, North Carolina. The 6-foot-2 freshman finished high school early to reclassify and join Duke's recruiting Class of 2015."

79. Chase Jeter
"Young even by the standards of freshmen, the 6-foot-10 Jeter arrived at Duke still a few weeks shy of his 18th birthday. He's described as a high-potential prospect who'll team with Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee to replace some of what was lost with Jahlil Okafor's departure."

Some other notables include five Heels....as well as Sulaimon at #99.

9. Marcus Paige
25. Justin Jackson
38. Brice Johnson
68. Kennedy Meeks
90. Theo Pinson

99. Rasheed Sulaimon

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...-top-100-players-college-basketball-2015-2016

 

[HuffyJB]

I don't know if I'd put anyone about Trimble. He is about to blow up. Also, I think Brogden is low at 17.

 

[OldasdirtDevil]

I'm not clairvoyant so not sure how well this list will hold up, but that seems like an incredible drop-off from Ben Simmons (ranked at 100) to the 2nd player ranked (at an 89). Maybe Simmons is that good, but that much better? It's like he's a 5 star player in the college ranks, and no one else is better than a 4 star.

OFC

 

[johnl1219]

We had four guys check-in on their top 100. Little surprised to see Jeter on the list.

34. Grayson Allen
"Last seen going off for 16 points in just 21 minutes against Wisconsin in the national championship game, Allen most likely would have started and made first-team all-conference last season anywhere in the nation except Duke or Kentucky. The 6-foot-5 sophomore's a potential 2016 first-round pick."

41. Brandon Ingram
"Projections of the 2016 NBA draft tend to have Mike Krzyzewski's freshmanroughly 35 spots higher than this, based on the very concept of a skilled 6-foot-9 small forward. Our august panel of voters, on the other hand, is apparently more attuned to Ingram's listed weight of just 190 pounds."

78. Derryck Thornton
"Thornton is the heir apparent at point guard in Durham, North Carolina. The 6-foot-2 freshman finished high school early to reclassify and join Duke's recruiting Class of 2015."

79. Chase Jeter
"Young even by the standards of freshmen, the 6-foot-10 Jeter arrived at Duke still a few weeks shy of his 18th birthday. He's described as a high-potential prospect who'll team with Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee to replace some of what was lost with Jahlil Okafor's departure."

Some other notables include five Heels....as well as Sulaimon at #99.

9. Marcus Paige
25. Justin Jackson
38. Brice Johnson
68. Kennedy Meeks
90. Theo Pinson

99. Rasheed Sulaimon

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...-top-100-players-college-basketball-2015-2016

I would think that Rasheed Sulaimon is better than Theo Pinson. JMO though.

 

[5timestheking]

I would think that Rasheed Sulaimon is better than Theo Pinson. JMO though.

I'm not sure why Pinson is even on the list to tell you he truth. Paige is a little high for my liking, but I wouldn't argue too much with him at 9. I don't think Jackson is a top 25 player right now either. He may be by the end of the year, but his ceiling is really limited

 

[denniden]

Jeter is ranked way too high IMO. I like the kid and he should be good at some point but he is not a top 100 player at the moment.

Sulaimon could be a top 25 guy, even better, but his attitude once the first sign od adversity hits could be his undoing. I hope it is not and he perseveres. He could have a very good future if he can harness that attitude. The me against the world thing doesn't work in a team environment.

 

[Dad2ze]

Wait...Meeks made the Top 100???

 

[df64]

Jackson better than Allen and Ingram? One of them will have a better year than him. Pinson better than Matt Jones? No way. I agree with Al Featherston's article on UNC. I think they are over rated and need everything to go perfectly for them to be as good as they are rate.

 

[dukiejay]

Do you have a link to Al's article? I'd like to read it and I'm too lazy to search right now.

 

[DukeDenver]

Brice Johnson and Justin Jackson are UNC's best players IMO.

 

[Dattier]

Do you have a link to Al's article? I'd like to read it and I'm too lazy to search right now.

Bump.

 

[Dattier]

We had four guys check-in on their top 100. Little surprised to see Jeter on the list.

34. Grayson Allen
"Last seen going off for 16 points in just 21 minutes against Wisconsin in the national championship game, Allen most likely would have started and made first-team all-conference last season anywhere in the nation except Duke or Kentucky. The 6-foot-5 sophomore's a potential 2016 first-round pick."

41. Brandon Ingram
"Projections of the 2016 NBA draft tend to have Mike Krzyzewski's freshmanroughly 35 spots higher than this, based on the very concept of a skilled 6-foot-9 small forward. Our august panel of voters, on the other hand, is apparently more attuned to Ingram's listed weight of just 190 pounds."

78. Derryck Thornton
"Thornton is the heir apparent at point guard in Durham, North Carolina. The 6-foot-2 freshman finished high school early to reclassify and join Duke's recruiting Class of 2015."

79. Chase Jeter
"Young even by the standards of freshmen, the 6-foot-10 Jeter arrived at Duke still a few weeks shy of his 18th birthday. He's described as a high-potential prospect who'll team with Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee to replace some of what was lost with Jahlil Okafor's departure."

Some other notables include five Heels....as well as Sulaimon at #99.

9. Marcus Paige
25. Justin Jackson
38. Brice Johnson
68. Kennedy Meeks
90. Theo Pinson

99. Rasheed Sulaimon

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...-top-100-players-college-basketball-2015-2016

First time I looked at this I missed Chase at #79 and was looking for him in the 90s. I thought it was a mistake to leave him out, though I do think he's a bit high

I don't know if I'd put anyone about Trimble. He is about to blow up. Also, I think Brogden is low at 17.

Yeah, they do seem to have made a lot of picks based on predicted explosions. I guess they weighed Dunn and Valentine's experience as edges over Trimble's potential leap. I very much agree Brogden is too low at #17. I've seen him picked for ACC PoY (officially? IDK).

Wait...Meeks made the Top 100???

I can see it. He made a pretty huge leap his soph year and he has a year's more chemistry w/ the guys who'll be feeding the post. I think Brice Johnson (too low at #38) will draw enough attention away from Meeks that Meeks could do sneaky damage much like Deon Thompson did for them playing beside Hansbrough.

Jackson better than Allen and Ingram? One of them will have a better year than him. Pinson better than Matt Jones? No way. I agree with Al Featherston's article on UNC. I think they are over rated and need everything to go perfectly for them to be as good as they are rate.

Aside from the title game, Jackson had a way, way better freshman campaign than Grayson. I can see Brandon's being ranked conservatively right now b/c of doubts about his strength and durability. I'm still not so keen on ranking freshmen so high (Is Simmons really a disappointment if he's only the 2nd best player in the country this year?), though I accept that's the nature of the game now. Brandon is probably going to be a major focal point of our offense, though, while Jackson is going to be sharing touches w/ Paige, Johnson, and Meeks, so stat-wise, sure, I'd say it's a pretty safe bet Brandon's going to look better on paper.

As for Matt, he's going to be incredible for us, but a lot of it may be immeasurable stuff like leadership, communication, help D, the right pass, a tipped rebound, the timeliness of a 3. He's unlikely to have eye-popping stats overall, and he has a lot of work to project as a 2nd round pick after his senior year, so I could see there being more detectable up-side to Pinson. As far as these rankings go, Pinson might even benefit from having missed so much time last year b/c he still generates some curiosity about what he might be able to do.

And hey, yeah, I want to read that Featherston article, too.

 

[df64]

Here is Al's article. Not saying they won't be good, but a lot has to go very right for them to be great. Personally, I don't think they are a very resilient team that lost their "toughest" player. Unless Tokoto is addition through subtraction, they are over rated.

http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/2015/10/30/9642008/could-this-be-a-huge-ncaa-year-for-the-acc

 

[timo0402]

Tokoto was definitely addition by subtraction- guy was not a good locker room kid, did not like Roy and didn't get along with some of the players.

 

[crazyduke3]

Yeah they are actually better off without him. Not a guy with high BBALL iq

 

[dukiejay]

Tokoto was still their best defender. I don't think his loss is crucial for them, but I also think it's being somewhat downplayed. He was pretty valuable to that team last season.

 

[timo0402]

Tokoto was still their best defender. I don't think his loss is crucial for them, but I also think it's being somewhat downplayed. He was pretty valuable to that team last season.

and they lost 12 games. I disagree with you. he was their best athlete but he's addition by subtraction b/c he was a cancer to them.

 

[johnl1219]

Tokoto was still their best defender. I don't think his loss is crucial for them, but I also think it's being somewhat downplayed. He was pretty valuable to that team last season.

I agree that Tokoto was/is a head case, but I agree that his departure will be felt. Call him what you want, but he came up big against Duke in Cameron last year, with 15 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. He was a major reason they almost won the game.