ESPN inSIDER ($): Nik Stauskas ranked #8 (of 25) player in MBB
Now that the regular season has been in the books for a few hours, I decided it's high time that I update my rankings of the top 25 players in Division I. The premise of my list is simple:
The NBA doesn't exist. If we were evaluating these players purely on college production and not on anticipated professional potential, who would rise to the top as the best performers in Division I?
To find that answer, I've gone back to a number of my preferred information sources, including but not limited to:
• My observations based on watching hundreds of hours of college hoops (I like my job)
• The excellent individual player stats generated by Ken Pomeroy at kenpom.com
• Data on play-by-play performance collected by Jeff Haley and available at hoop-math.com
• Translations that project NBA performance based on college metrics, compiled by Insider colleague Kevin Pelton
Here are my choices for the 25 best players in the college game.
(Who'd I miss? Let me know in the comments and on Twitter -- @JohnGasaway.)
Note: Statistics through games of March 8.
McDermott is #1
Stauskas is #8...no other B1G player is ranked in the top 25.
http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/10581926/…
Ranked #1 in our hearts.
In my dreams Stauskas is number one on this list next year
Obviously it would be great if he stayed but I think he is likely gone and I wouldn't blame him one iota. The silver lining is that he will be another 1st round pick that JB and staff have developed which is huge in recruiting these days.
At this point I think we all realize that next year we will be down a certain Canadian. Thanks Nik for your time in Ann Arbor and hopefully we will cap it off with another Final Four appearance.
so he can win back to back POY. (Maybe he will if we all say please!)
Great to see Nik succeed; he certainly has worked his butt off. Look forward to see kids wearing his NBA jersey to Michigan games.
I know many of you are already saying your goodbyes to lessen the blow if Stauskas does choose to leave. I know it's likely that he will leave but can we stop saying goodbye as if he's already left, it's depressing and slightly annoying. We still have the B10 tournament and that one other tournament. Can I just have those weeks to still BELIEVE? Please?
.....please don't go
McDermott my ass. Dude plays in a fucking mid-major conference. Sick of the hype. They haven't played a team worth their salt all season. And don't say Villanova. They're no great shakes either.
Nova and Xavier are both tournament teams (one is going to probably be a #1) along with Georgetown Providence and St Johns all on the bubble. They definitely played a stronger schedule this year than when they were in the valley.
March 10th, 2014 at 10:15 PM ^
Larry Bird played at Indiana State. What an idiotic statement.
I want Nik to do what is best for him. I would love for him to stay if that is what is best for him because it is fun to watch him play but if he leaves someone else wlll fill the void. We lost Trey to the NBA and won the B!G Championship.