CBS: The Top 100 and 1 Players entering the 2025-26 season

[OrangeXtreme]

College basketball rankings: The Top 100 and 1 Players entering the 2025-26 season

UConn, Florida and Purdue have four players each in our annual preseason ranking of college basketball's Top 100 And 1 Players

www.cbssports.com

79. J.J. Starling | Syracuse
Position: Lead guard | Year: Senior
Starling put up 17.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and was Syracuse's alpha last season, but he's lower than you might think because the percentages weren't good: 48% on 2-pointers, 26.8% from 3-point range and 68.5% from the foul line. He's a bucket-wanter more than a bucket-getter, but nevertheless he cracks the list because we think he'll be a minutes and usage monster for a Syracuse team that has a lot of questions to answer and will rely on his playmaking.

 

[CusefanATL]

no donnie freeman? that seems odd.

 

[Niastri]

no donnie freeman? that seems odd.

"They didn't know. It's not their fault."

 

[Cuse99&01]

I'm surprised Nate George isn't being mentioned on a top 100 list. Top 10 in assists last year (6.5apg). The shooting percentages weren't that good but averaged 12.3ppg, 4.2 rpg and had over a 2:1 asst:to ratio. From a straight numbers perspective his averages and shooting percentages were very similar to Zeigler at Tennessee, who got a lot of praise an was on several of the top 50 to 100 lists throughout last season.

 

[721Comstock]

I'm surprised Nate George isn't being mentioned on a top 100 list. Top 10 in assists last year (6.5apg). The shooting percentages weren't that good but averaged 12.3ppg, 4.2 rpg and had over a 2:1 asst:to ratio. From a straight numbers perspective his averages and shooting percentages were very similar to Zeigler at Tennessee, who got a lot of praise an was on several of the top 50 to 100 lists throughout last season.

It’s because Cuse is expected to be mediocre again this year,
until proven otherwise.

Tenn has been good - we haven’t.

Donnie, Nait, and JJ (IF he gets much more efficient) could very well end up being on such a list at the end of the season.

IF Nait leads the ACC in assists again -
which I think is a high probability case -
then that will help Donnie & JJ and all the other Cuse players have a good year.

We finally have a proper PG again.

 

[Blanko97]

College basketball rankings: The Top 100 and 1 Players entering the 2025-26 season

UConn, Florida and Purdue have four players each in our annual preseason ranking of college basketball's Top 100 And 1 Players

www.cbssports.com

79. J.J. Starling | Syracuse
Position: Lead guard | Year: Senior
Starling put up 17.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and was Syracuse's alpha last season, but he's lower than you might think because the percentages weren't good: 48% on 2-pointers, 26.8% from 3-point range and 68.5% from the foul line. He's a bucket-wanter more than a bucket-getter, but nevertheless he cracks the list because we think he'll be a minutes and usage monster for a Syracuse team that has a lot of questions to answer and will rely on his playmaking.

pretty fair take

 

[PoppyHart]

Bucket-wanter. Harsh.

 

[Cuse On 3]

no donnie freeman? that seems odd.

I guess, I’m a Donnie Freeman fan but he was kind of awful against Buffalo. His ball handling and shot selection was bad. First game obviously so I’m not that concerned. He should bounce back and easily get in the groove a few games from now.

 

[Niastri]

Bucket-wanter. Harsh.

Kind of a stupid take when you consider Starling and Lampkin were the two legit P4 talents on the court a lot of the time last season. And Starling was the only one who could get his own shot.

Shooting 48% from two isn't a bad percentage for a guard when every opponent knows you are going to the basket every time you touch it and you still manage to score 18/game!

 

[tbonezone]

donnie freeman is coming off a season ending injury . probably some people holding judgement back.

 

[tbonezone]

Starling and Lampkin were the two legit P4 talents on the court a lot of the time last season.

and by " a lot of time " you mean the last 3 minutes of the game ? superstars of the lost cause.

 

[Niastri]

and by " a lot of time " you mean the last 3 minutes of the game ? superstars of the lost cause.

I meant we didn't have a lot of talent last year... Once Freeman was hurt and whatever the hell happened to Bell happened, the team had a bunch of mid major guys trying to play in the ACC. Lampkin and Starling (or, I'll give you Bell, I had very high hopes) were pretty much the only guys who were any good. And Lampkin needed somebody to get him the ball in a position to score.

Did you want Starling or one of those random scrubs taking the shot? Even if everybody in the building knew Starling was going to drive, he still shot 48% from 2pt range and scored 18 per game.

 

[tbonezone]

I meant we didn't have a lot of talent last year... Once Freeman was hurt and whatever the hell happened to Bell happened, the team had a bunch of mid major guys trying to play in the ACC. Lampkin and Starling (or, I'll give you Bell, I had very high hopes) were pretty much the only guys who were any good. And Lampkin needed somebody to get him the ball in a position to score.

Did you want Starling or one of those random scrubs taking the shot? Even if everybody in the building knew Starling was going to drive, he still shot 48% from 2pt range and scored 18 per game.

don't have to sell me that was a horribly constructed team. and to think that we paid them . too much .