Calvin McGowan   |   Twitter:@Cmcgowanii   |   10/19/2018

The NBA season has begun, and college and high school ball start in November. Basketball is back stateside ladies and gentlemen! And with that, all the hot takes, pontificating, and general nonsense that entails. I come to you today to only contribute to one of these things.
Today, I come to talk about college basketball. More specifically, I come to talk about a few of college basketball’s most exciting players. Do you only watch basketball to see dudes get put on posters? Do you look for defenders to be embarrassed night in and night out? Do YOU, dear reader, want, desperately, to see the type of ball handling that puts defenders on skates? Well… two out of three ain’t bad. Here (in no particular order) are four college basketballs most exciting players this upcoming season.

Mike Daum 6’9: 235 F Sr South Dakota St

(Dec. 4, 2017 – Source: Peter Aiken/Getty Images North America)

This bucket getting big man was one of only 4 players last season to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. If you ever feel compelled to ask what he’s doing on the basketball court, the answer is always whatever he wants. He has a solid post game and stopping from getting to the hoop is a bit like trying to stop a train. He may not be getting to the hoop fast, but you’re certainly not about to stop him. Couple that with the fact that he’s a very good shooter knocking down 42% of his shots from beyond the arc, and you have one of the most fascinating, and unstoppable offensive forces in college basketball today.

Zion Williamson 6-7 285 F Fr Duke

(Photo: Jeff Blake, USA TODAY Sports Images)

If you like basketball and haven’t been living under a rock, you know about Mr. Williamson here. And if you know about him you, you know about him for one reason, and one reason only.

Yes, Zion Williamson is a highlight reel waiting to happen. Athletically, this young man is an anomaly. He’s 285 lbs. with next level body control and can jump out of the gym. Make no mistake, though, for all the of his athleticism and skill, Williamson isn’t what you would call “a shooter”. If your life depended on somebody hitting a 3, you don’t want that person to be him. Fortunately for us though that means that his athleticism and tenacity guarantee that he’ll be spending the season making highlight reels and putting people on posters.

Kerwin Roach, II 6’4″ 180 G Sr Texas

Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

This young man is a tough defender averaging 1.5 steals a game and is respectable from three shooting 36% from deep. One of my favorite players in college basketball, he’s a competitor that consistently finds ways to contribute. Roach was also responsible for some of the best dunks in college basketball last season. He’s a surprising explosive athlete given his wiry frame. He put people on posters as often as anyone in college basketball last year. The problem was inconsistency. Roach played like one of the best players, and the Longhorns one of the best teams, in college basketball about as often as not. Here’s to hoping for more consistent play, and more posters.