Harry Giles, the No. 1-ranked recruit in this year’s freshman class, could very well be the No. 1 draft pick in the 2017 NBA draft. But is he even the No. 1 power forward in this upcoming college basketball season? If not, who are his closest competitors for that title? Let’s find out as we rank the top 10 power forwards for the 2016-17 college basketball season.
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Top 10 Power Forwards in College Basketball
10. Lauri Markkanen – Freshman, Arizona
Harry Giles may have grabbed most of the headlines during the offseason, but Markkanen was rated right up there with him as one of the top big men in this class. The 19-year-old Fin is 7-feet tall, but he has the range and the ball-handling skills of small forward.
He posted ridiculous numbers in the 2016 FIBA U20 European Championship over the summer (25 points on 50 percent shooting with 8.6 rebounds). With Kaleb Tarczewski’s graduation, Markkanen will be called upon to be an immediate contributor for Arizona this season.
9. Tyler Lydon – Sophomore, Syracuse
In case you forgot, Lydon was an instrumental part of Syracuse’s Cinderella run in the tournament last season. He posted a modest 10 points and six rebounds per game in the regular season as a freshman.
However, it’s Lydon’s ability to hit the three (40 percent) and protect the rim at just 6-foot-9, 205 lbs. which makes him such a promising prospect. He blocked an incredible 20 shots in five tournament games, none bigger than his game-saving rejection against Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 (see above).
He’s sure to command a bigger role with the Orange as a sophomore this season, and could very well establish himself as one of the top players in the ACC.
8. Dedric Lawson – Sophomore, Memphis
Lawson put up some serious numbers in his freshman season for Memphis. The bruising 6-foot-8 forward from Tennessee averaged close to 16 points and 9 rebounds for the Tigers as he took home the AAC’s Co-Player of the Year award. Again, that’s as a freshman.
With frontcourt mate Shaq Goodwin’s graduation, the paint will be all Lawson’s this season, so a 20-point, 10-rebound campaign is well within the realm of possibility.
7. Austin Nichols – Junior, Virginia
After sitting out the past year, Memphis transfer Austin Nichols is set to take the court for Virginia. The incoming junior spent his sophomore season averaging 13 points, 6 rebounds for the Tigers.
Not only will Nichols be a key part of a Hoos offense which lost stars Malcolm Brogdon and Anthony Gill, but he’ll also provide Tony Bennett with a nifty rim protector. Nichols averaged 3.4 blocks per game in his last season for Memphis.
6. Alec Peters – Senior, Valparaiso
This is not a typo. Valpo has one of the best power forwards in the country in Alec Peters. Peters has been wildly productive over the past two years. He averaged close to 17 points and 7 rebounds in 30 minutes as a sophomore, and went 18.5 and 8.5 in 32 minutes last season.
He’s also shot well over 40 percent on threes while hitting 2.5 per game over those two years. You’ll be seeing him in the NBA soon, but before then, he’s got one more year to terrorize overmatched college defenses.
5. Kris Jenkins – Senior, Villanova
Just call him Mr. Big Shot. Jenkins will forever have a place in NCAA history after his dramatic buzzer-beating jumper to win Villanova the national championship last year. The 6-foot-6 stretch 4 of Nova’s four-out system was an integral part of their title run, as he averaged 13.6 points and 2.5 3-pointers per game.
This year, Jenkins returns to be the team’s senior leader as the Cats look to be the first team in a decade to successfully defend their national title. (They are priced at +1,400 to do so.)
4. Bam Adebayo – Freshman, Kentucky
Skal Labissiere didn’t quite live up to his immense hype last year, so can Bam Adebayo – the No. 5 ranked player in this class – rekindle Coach Cal’s production line of awesome big men? Probably so. Bam doesn’t quite have the skill of a DeMarcus Cousins or a Karl Towns. However, he’s tremendously athletic and gives all-out effort.
He should be quite a force throughout the Wildcats’ quest for another national title. Kentucky is once again one of the favorites at +900 to win it all this year.
3. Moses Kingsley – Senior, Arkansas
Presenting this year’s SEC preseason player of the year: Arkansas’ Moses Kingsley. Kingsley doesn’t have tremendous size – he’s just 6-foot-9, 210 lbs. – but that didn’t stop him from dropping 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game for the Razorbacks last season. Don’t be the least bit surprised if he raises those numbers up to 18 and 10 with around 3 blocks in his senior year.
2. Ivan Rabb – Sophomore, California
Widely tipped to be a one-and-done, Rabb opted to stay in school for one more year. That could turn out to be a wise move by Rabb, who is currently projected to be a top-10 pick. Rabb put up 12.5 points and 8.6 rebounds as a very raw freshman last season.
With a season’s worth of seasoning and a lot of touches for him to take up following so many offseason departures, Rabb should put up some big numbers as the go-to option for the Bears.
1. Harry Giles – Freshman, Duke
Giles’ talent is so undeniably good that despite all the injury issues he’s gone through before even stepping onto a college court, he’s still probably the best power forward in the country by some margin. He is a big reason why the Duke Blue Devils are +300 national championship favorites this year.
Giles, widely considered the top prospect in this freshman class, is just a physical specimen. He has otherworldly length – he’s 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan and 9-foot-1 standing reach – and moves with the speed and agility of a guard. Those immense physical gifts should allow Giles to dominate in what will likely be his lone college season.
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