Andy Katz’s list of top college basketball players includes KU Jayhawks, KSU Wildcats

Kansas fifth-year senior Hunter Dickinson will enter the 2024-25 season as the No. 1 big man in college basketball, according to NCAA.com analyst Andy Katz.

Dickinson, a 7-foot-2, 260-pound native of Alexandria, Virginia, finished one slot ahead of 7-1, 270-pound Creighton fifth-year senior Ryan Kalkbrenner on Katz’s list of top centers. The two will be matched against each other when KU takes on Creighton in the Big 12/Big East Battle on Wednesday, Dec. 4, in Omaha, Nebraska.

Dickinson, who turns 24 on Nov. 25, averaged 17.9 points and 10.9 rebounds per game during the 2023-24 campaign, his first at KU after three seasons at Michigan.

Kalkbrenner, a 22-year-old Florissant, Missouri native, averaged 17.3 points and 7.6 rebounds his fourth season at CU.

Auburn’s Johni Broome placed third in Katz’s list of top big men followed by Gonzaga’s Graham Ike, Maryland’s Derik Queen, Baylor’s Norchad Omier, Washington’s Great Osobor, Indiana’s Oumar Ballo, Houston’s J’Wan Roberts and UAB’s Yaxel Lendeborg. Kansas State’s Coleman Hawkins placed 11th and Texas Tech’s JT Toppin 16th on the big man list.

• Kalkbrenner ranked first on Katz’s list of the country’s top defensive players. He averaged 3.1 blocks per game (107 total) last season. KU had no players on Katz’s list, which included 16 defenders. K-State junior Ugonna Onyense, a transfer from Kentucky, checked in at No. 12. He had 82 blocks in 40 games last season.

• KU senior Dajuan Harris will enter the season ranked No. 6 on Katz’s list of top guards. Rutgers’ Dylan Harper placed first on the list, one in which the Big 12 was represented by Arizona’s Caleb Love (No. 4), Iowa State’s Tamin Lipsey (No. 9) and Houston’s LJ Cryer (No. 10)

• KU’s AJ Storr, a junior transfer from Wisconsin, and Rylan Griffin, a junior transfer from Alabama, placed ninth and 15th respectively on Katz’s list of the country’s top wings. Duke’s Cooper Flagg topped the list. The only other Big 12 player on the top wings list was West Virginia’s Tucker DeVries (No. 6). Former KU and DePaul player Tyon Grant-Foster of Grand Canyon was included at No. 13.

• KU senior Zeke Mayo ranked 13th on Katz’s list of the top 3-point shooters in college basketball. He averaged 18.8 points off 39.1% 3-point shooting last season for South Dakota State. Kentucky’s Kobe Brea was ranked as top 3-point marksmen. Big 12 players on the list: Mayo, plus Houston’s Cryer (No. 6), BYU’s Trevin Knell (No. 8), Arizona’s Love (No. 12).

• KU’s Storr made Katz’s list of top transfers (No. 4). Hawkins, a 6-9 transfer from Illinois, topped the list. Toppin of Texas Tech was ranked No. 10, Baylor’s Omier 11th and WVU’s DeVries 12th.

• KU’s Allen Fieldhouse was ranked the top arena in the country by Katz. Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium placed second, followed by Purdue’s Mackey Arena, UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion, Arkansas’ Bud Walton Arena, ISU’s Hilton Coliseum, Penn’s Palestra, Michigan State’s Breslin Center, Arizona’s McKale Center and New Mexico’s Pit. Katz’s bonus pick was BYU’s Marriott Center, the largest arena in the Big 12 at 17,978 fans.

• The Jayhawks’ student section was ranked third best in the country by Katz. KU finished behind Duke and Purdue. Lawrence was ranked sixth best college town in America by Katz. Madison (Wisconsin) was first, followed by Austin (Texas), Boulder (Colorado), Chapel Hill (North Carolina) and Tuscaloosa (Alabama). KU’s fanbase was ranked third best in the country by Katz behind Kentucky and UConn. Iowa State came in 10th.

• Katz’s list of top 10 rivalries did not include KU versus K-State or KU versus Missouri. It did place Missouri vs. Illinois as the seventh best rivalry in college hoops. UNC vs. Duke was No. 1.