The 2013-14 college basketball season officially stars on Friday. In preparation, The Catch and Shoot is releasing 10 players on its “Top 100 Players” list every Monday. After releasing No. 61-70 last week, the season preview continues this week with No. 51-60.
60. Anthony Collins, South Florida
Two seasons ago, Anthony Collins was one of the best freshmen in the Big East. And last year he was also great with 8.6 points and 6.5 assists per game. The one downside to his sophomore season statistically was his field-goal percentage dipped from above 50% to 39.3%. If he once again becomes an efficient scorer, he will be one of the better players in The American this season.
59. Travis Bader, Oakland
Bader is a pure scorer and a lights-out shooter. While ranking No. 89 in offensive rating and No. 16 in turnover rate, per Kenpom, Bader averaged 22.1 points per game and made 4.2 treys per contest. Against IUPUI, he drilled in 11 three-pointers and posted 47 points total.
58. T.J. Warren, North Carolina State
North Carolina State lost essentially all its key players from last season, with the exception of Warren. In 27 minutes per game, Warren averaged 12.1 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting better than 62% from the field. Although he did not shoot from the outside often, he was efficient with 14 three-pointers in 27 tries. According to Kenpom, Warren ranked No. 9 in the nation in effective field-goal percentage and No. 21 in offensive rating. He will be a star in the revamped ACC this season.
56 & 57. Aaron and Andrew Harrison, Kentucky
Aaron and Andrew Harrison are two of the top recruits in the Class of 2013. Both McDonald’s All-Americans and Jordan Classic participants, the Harrisons will be key pieces in Kentucky’s quest for a second national title in two years.
55. Andre Hollins, Minnesota
Hollins had a breakout sophomore season for the Golden Gophers, averaging 14.6 points and 3.4 assists while shooting nearly 42% on three-pointers. He made national headlines with his unreal, 41-point outburst against Memphis at the Battle 4 Atlantis. In that game, he shot 12-of-16 from the field and 12-of-13 on free throws. He was also phenomenal in two NCAA tournament games with 53 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, and 11-of-18 three-point shooting.
54. DaJuan Coleman, Syracuse
As a freshman last season, Coleman logged only 12.7 minutes per game for the Orange. Still, the 6’9″ forward had solid numbers with 4.8 points and four rebounds per game. He posted a double-double against Monmouth with 11 points and 14 rebounds, and he had four other games with more than 10 points. With James Southerland graduated, Coleman will become a much more critical part of Syracuse’s frontcourt this season.
53. Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati
Kilpatrick’s junior season was ultimately disappointing. As a sophomore, he averaged 14.3 points and shot 37.6% from beyond the arc, but last season his shooting percentages fell to 30.7% from long range and 39.8% from the field. Still, at various points last season, he showed flashes of being one of the nation’s elite scorers. Against Iowa State he scored 32 points, and against Marquette he posted 36.
52. Jerian Grant, Notre Dame
A 6’5″ point guard, Grant posted 13.3 points and 5.5 assists last season while ranking in the nation’s top 100 in assist rate, per Kenpom. Three times, against Chicago State, Rutgers, and Villanova, he posted 10 assists. Seven other times, he recorded at least eight dimes.
51. Tim Frazier, Penn State
Frazier returns as a redshirt senior after missing all but four games last season with a ruptured Achilles tendon. If he returns to his pre-injury form, he will be one of the nation’s top point guards. As a junior he averaged 18.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 2.4 steals per game. Against Nebraska, he fell one assist shy of a triple-double.
