15 players to watch during the 2016-17 NCAA basketball season

As a freshman, Rabb averaged 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds on a talented Golden Bears team. With starters that combined to average 43.4 points per game graduated or gone for the NBA, Rabb will be the go-to guy at Cal.

He is an old-school, back-to-the-basket center with developed footwork and ability to finish through contact. He is a little slow-footed on defense, but his length makes opponents think twice before going into his patrol area. Expect him to go top 10 in the 2017 NBA Draft. 

Harry Giles, Duke, Freshman  

The Blue Devils have a scary young team, and Giles should be the spearhead for head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Scout.com’s top player in the class of 2016 can do a lot at 6’10” and is showing no ill effects of the ACL tear he suffered his sophomore year of high school.

One thing Giles can do scary well is score. With post moves and a mid-range jumper, he looks ready to lead Duke. Oh yeah, and even with that knee injury, he can still get up and finish over people.  Already a developed rebounder, expect Giles to be in the top five picks in next year's draft. 

Markelle Fultz, Washington, Freshman  

In the last year, no player has had a more meteoric rise than Fultz. It’s not hard to see why. The young man can straight-up play.

His ball-handling skills aren't the quickest, but he keeps defenses off-balance with changes of pace. He already has a developed jumper and has shown the ability to finish over the top of defenses in transition. More importantly, he is unselfish in transition and in pick-and-roll situations, and he has good vision and good defensive instincts. Fultz has the potential to go No. 1 in the 2017 NBA Draft. 

Josh Jackson, Kansas, Freshman

Kansas head coach Bill Self has had some special athletes under his care. Josh Jackson is the latest addition.

Jackson may be one of the most explosive athletes in college basketball this year. His ability to finish in transition will get Jayhawks fans excited, but he also uses that athleticism to play defense and make plays for his teammates. He does not have a jumper yet, but if he figures that out he could be a top five pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. 

Thomas Bryant, Indiana, Sophomore

It is rare to find a player who is this big and plays with so much effort. The Indiana Hoosiers have a good one in Thomas Bryant, who averaged 11.9 points on 68 percent shooting from the field last season.

He’s not the fastest big on the court, but he can rumble down the floor in transition and make up for his slower foot speed with maximum effort on defense. On offense, he uses his strong upper body to clear space and finish around the rim. His length and effort make him an intriguing NBA prospect. He shouldn’t go past the 20^th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft if he decides to leave. 

Lonzo Ball, UCLA, Freshman

 It seems that point guards keep getting bigger and bigger. At 6’6”, Lonzo Ball is going to be a good point guard UCLA head coach Steve Alford can utilize this year.

Not only can Ball find the open man with his great vision, but he can defend the other team's best perimeter threat and finish over the top of defenses. While his shooting mechanics leave a lot to be desired, he can shoot the ball well and stretch defenses out. He may be a late lottery pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. 

Grayson Allen, Duke, Junior

 For all the crap Grayson Allen gets for being, well, Grayson Allen, people forget that he is actually a heck of a basketball player who never backs down from a challenge.

The latest Duke villain will be the veteran player at Duke this year, and he brings a wealth of experience from hitting game winners to being the catalyst to Duke’s comeback win in the 2015 National Championship Game. Allen can score from anywhere and has athleticism that a lot of fans overlook. Although he looks like one of those traditional Mike Krzyzewski four-year players, he would be a late first-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. 

Tyler Lydon, Syracuse, Sophomore

 There aren’t a lot of pick-and-roll bigs in the nation better than Tyler Lydon. The Syracuse forward can finish above the rim and find open spaces around the basket for easy scores. He can also pop out to the three-point line and stretch defenses out.

Defensively, he is a good athlete who can contest shots. In last year's NCAA Tournament, Lydon had 20 blocks in five games. As it stands now, he could be a mid-first rounder in the 2017 NBA Draft. 

Monte Morris, Iowa State, Senior

True point guards are a bit of rarity in the modern game. It seems that every point guard needs to be able to score, but Monte Morris makes his own skill set work for him.

Morris is most dangerous in the pick and roll where he can pick teams apart with his passing. He has great vision finding angles for the roll man or throwing outside to his shooters. He won’t hang 30 points on you, but he can do some damage if you forget about him, shooting 52.4 percent from two-point range and 38.3 percent from three-point range for his career t Iowa State. Morris could be picked late in the first round or early in the second round in the 2017 NBA Draft.

De’Aaron Fox, Kentucky, Freshman

Kentucky head coach John Calipari loves him some athletic guards. From Derrick Rose to John Wall, he has molded some of the most explosive point guards in the country. De’Aaron Fox might be the next Calipari success story.

When I say that Fox gets up, I mean he gets UP. He doesn’t have a consistent jumper yet, but he can finish in transition and find open teammates with impressive vision. We’ll have to see how this young man develops, but he may be one of the most exciting players to watch in college basketball this year. He has so much potential that he may be a lottery pick in next year's NBA Draft.

Justin Jackson, UNC, Junior

Like Ivan Rabb at Cal, Jackson will need to step up for North Carolina with Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson plying their trade in the NBA. He looks to be ready for the challenge.

Jackson has shown that he’s a good overall player during his time with the Tar Heels. He does most of his damage within the three-point line on curls and cuts but has no fear in the shooting the three despite his subpar shooting percentage (29.7 percent career). He also has good vision finding teammates and can lock down defensively. Unless he improves that three-point stroke, he will be an early second-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Dillon Brooks, Oregon, Junior

Dillon Brooks started as a three-star prospect as a freshman but has grown to be one of the best players in the nation. He blossomed last year during March Madness and is an early favorite to win Pac-12 Player of the Year.

Brooks has a knack for making the right play. He has no trouble scoring, averaging 16.7 points last year on 47 percent shooting from the field. He uses his wide body to clear out space on the boards and has shown good vision on offense. While his skill set will work for him in college, the pros aren’t falling over themselves to get him. He may be an early second-round pick in next year's draft if he doesn’t return for his senior year.

Jayson Tatum, Duke, Freshman

Brandon Ingram part 2? Duke fans are hoping that’s true.

Tatum’s scoring touch is already the most developed part of his game. His shooting stroke is smooth, and he has no problem pulling up from beyond the three-point line. He doesn’t have the length that Ingram has, but he is more developed physically. He has all the tools needed to go top three in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Josh Hart, Villanova, Senior

Hart is the lone starter from last year’s national championship-winning Villanova team on this list. At the end of this year, he might be the team's best player.

Hart led the Wildcats last year in scoring (15.5 points per game) and was their second-best rebounder (6.8 rebounds per game). His numbers could get a boost after the departure of seniors Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu. While his scoring touch will light up the NCAA, his pro prospects aren’t as good as some of his colleagues on this list. He is most likely going to be a mid-second-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Ethan Happ, Wisconsin, Sophomore

Another back-to-the-basket gem, Happ was a big part of Wisconsin’s resurgence last season after Bo Ryan’s departure. As a freshman, Happ led the team in rebounding with an average of 7.9 rebounds per game and scored 12.4 points exclusively from within the three-point line.

He won’t wow you with athleticism, but he is quick in the paint and has strength to move people around and finish through contact. That skill set has not interested a lot of NBA teams so far, though. He may go undrafted if he decides to declare for the NBA Draft after this year.