Men's college basketball player rank: Revisiting the top 50 - ESPN

Entering the season, there was more anticipation around the level of talent in college basketball than we've seen in years. A handful of AP All-Americans returning to their programs instead of entering the draft, elite freshmen headlining the incoming class and an influx of pro-level international players made for a loaded Top 100 player ranking back in October.

The big debate then was about the No. 1 player. Should it be North Carolina's RJ Davis, the first ACC Player of the Year to return to school since 2008? Or the ballyhooed freshman Cooper Flagg, the prohibitive favorite to go first in the NBA draft since he reclassified back in August 2023? In a controversial decision — at the time, at least — we went with Flagg.

This time around, there's another massive debate around No. 1 — but it's between Flagg and another veteran star, Auburn's Johni Broome.

After those two, though, it's an experienced group at the top. Some of the freshmen who would have been in the mix for a top-5 or top-10 spot last month have slowed down, while this season's transfer class — which looked relatively disappointing through the first few weeks — is starting to hit its stride.

ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf sought to sort it all out, ranking the top 50 players in the sport as we enter the final two months of conference play. While overall talent and potential is still a factor, this season's production is the biggest criterion. Here's the full list — plus a few who just missed the cut.

Ten who just missed: Bruce Thornton, Ohio State Buckeyes; Caleb Love, Arizona Wildcats; Andrej Stojakovic, California Golden Bears; Mason Falslev, Utah State Aggies; Bennett Stirtz, Drake Bulldogs; Owen Freeman, Iowa Hawkeyes; Collin Murray-Boyles, South