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CBSsports Top 100 Player Rankings
1. Jared Sullinger (sophomore forward, Ohio State). Sullinger is big and strong and the nation's best player, which is why he's ranked where he's ranked. — Gary Parrish
2. Harrison Barnes (sophomore forward, North Carolina). Barnes finished strong last season and could lead the Tar Heels to a national championship. — G.P.
3. Jordan Taylor (senior guard, Wisconsin). Taylor was mostly unknown outside of the Big Ten this time last year. That's no longer the case. — G.P.
4. Tu Holloway (senior guard, Xavier). Kelvin Sampson's resignation at Indiana was a blessing for Xavier because it led to Holloway becoming a Musketeer. — G.P.
5. Perry Jones (sophomore forward, Baylor). Jones' decision to return to Baylor was a surprise. Him leading the Bears to a Big 12 title won't be. — G.P.
6. Thomas Robinson (junior forward, Kansas). Look for a huge season for the relentless, athletic forward, especially with the departure of the Morris twins. — Jeff Goodman
7. Anthony Davis (freshman forward, Kentucky). Not sure there's anyone more versatile in the nation and that's why many NBA types have him pegged as the top overall pick in 2012. — J.G.
8. John Henson (junior forward, North Carolina). His offensive game is still a work in progress, but he's long and is arguably the most dominant defensive player in the nation. — J.G.
9. John Jenkins (junior guard, Vanderbilt). There's no better pure perimeter shooter in the country, and his game is no longer one-dimensional. — J.G.
10. Austin Rivers (freshman guard, Duke). Doc Rivers' kid can score the basketball. He's strong and can really get to the basket and make plays. — J.G.
11. Terrence Jones (sophomore forward, Kentucky). What's it tell you about Jones that he was humbled, accepts his faults, is on his way up ... and is still this high on the list? If he can learn to go right with consistency, look OUT. — Matt Norlander
12. Kendall Marshall (sophomore guard, North Carolina). His game is so pure at the point, only Jordan Taylor is a more enjoyable backcourt player to watch. Perfect guy for this group of Tar Heels. — M.N.
13. Tyler Zeller (senior forward, North Carolina). Back-to-back Heels. Zeller can run the floor beautifully and has done a fine job fulfilling the expectations put on him when he replaced Tyler Hansbrough. He's not better than Hansbrough, but he's as close as you could expect him to be. — M.N.
14. Ashton Gibbs (senior guard, Pittsburgh). Gibbs scored almost 1.3 points per possession last year, which was top 20 in the country. As he goes, so does Pitt. — M.N.
15. Jeremy Lamb (sophomore forward, Connecticut). He's our highest-ranked Husky, but will he be considered the most valuable by year's end? And will he be the highest-drafted UConn player off this team? Would you take that bet right now? — M.N.
16. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (freshman forward, Kentucky). Do-it-all freshman could be a steadying influence for star-studded Wildcats. — Jeff Borzello
17. Trevor Mbakwe (senior forward, Minnesota). Underrated on a national level, Mbakwe is a double-double machine and is only getting better. — J.B.
18. William Buford (senior guard, Ohio State). This could be the year Buford truly breaks out; one of the top wing scorers in Big Ten. — J.B.
19. Marcus Denmon (senior guard, Missouri). Sleeper candidate for Big 12 Player of the Year, Denmon is a scoring machine. — J.B.
20. Elias Harris (junior forward, Gonzaga). He's looking to bounce back from a down season, but has the talent and experience to do it. — J.B.
21. Andre Drummond (freshman center, Connecticut). By the end of the season, this ranking might seem way too low for Drummond. — J.B. (Norlander note: That is because he is a dragon.)
22. Kris Joseph (senior forward, Syracuse). It's Joseph's turn to be the leader for an Orange team looking for its next go-to-guy. — J.B.
23. Terrence Ross (sophomore forward, Washington). An easy choice for a breakout player, Ross could be the Pac-12's top scorer. — J.B.
24. Reeves Nelson (junior forward, UCLA). It's not pretty, but Nelson is one of the toughest players in the country and a great rebounder. — J.B.
25. Aaron Craft (sophomore guard, Ohio State). One of the best on-ball defenders in the country, Craft will look to build on solid frosh campaign. — J.B.
26. Brad Beal (freshman guard, Florida). Think Ray Allen. Smooth, good size and can really shoot the ball. — J.G.
27. Draymond Green (senior forward, Michigan State). May not blow you away, but he does a little -- no, a lot -- of everything for the Spartans. Scores, rebounds, passes and also leads. — J.G.
28. Robbie Hummel (senior forward, Purdue). Health is the major concern following a pair of torn ACLs. When healthy, the skilled veteran brings the entire package to the table. — J.G.
29. Patric Young (sophomore forward, Florida). He has a man's body and his game reminds some of Ben Wallace. Needs to develop a go-to offensive move. — J.G.
30. Alex Oriakhi (junior forward, Connecticut). Consistency is the key. He's an athletic big man who has the rap of being too nice. — J.G.
31. Le'Bryan Nash (freshman forward, Oklahoma State). Oklahoma State's tournament hopes and dreams rely on this freakishly talented freshman. — G.P.
32. Will Barton (sophomore forward, Memphis). Barton is out of control often, but his talent is undeniable. — G.P.
33. Scoop Jardine (senior guard, Syracuse). Jardine is a solid point guard except for in those times when he tries to do too much. — G.P.
34. Jeffery Taylor (senior forward, Vanderbilt). Taylor's development of an outside shot has turned the elite athlete into a possible lottery pick. — G.P.
35. Tim Abromaitis (senior forward, Notre Dame). Abromaitis will miss the first four games because of a stupid NCAA ruling, then try to shoot the Irish back to the NCAA tournament. — G.P.
36. Orlando Johnson (senior guard, UC-Santa Barbara). Stud of a player who I'm really glad got this high of a ranking. Johnson's the real deal. Can be a future pro, and he deserves a moment in the 2012 NCAA tournament. — M.N.
37. Adonis Thomas (freshman forward, Memphis). Haven't seen a lot of Thomas, but I'm fairly certain Parrish ranked him something like eighth overall when we started this process. Could be the piece that gets Memphis back into national conversation. — M.N.
38. Kyle Weems (senior forward, Missouri State). Blowing up Goodman's spot here. He thinks Weems is way, way too high. I say he wins the Player of the Year in the Missouri Valley. Again. — M.N.
39. Doug McDermott (sophomore forward, Creighton). And if Weems doesn't win it, McDermott will. McD's an extremely effective shooter. — M.N.
40. Myck Kabongo (freshman guard, Texas). Texas hoops will be down, somewhat, but Kabongo -- with that name and all (first name pronounced as "Mike") -- will make Rick Barnes' team very watchable. Awesome athlete. — M.N.
41. Tarik Black (sophomore forward, Memphis). Black has more heralded teammates, but he's probably Josh Pastner's most important piece. — G.P.
42. Josh Smith (sophomore center, UCLA). A weight issue is the only thing preventing Smith from becoming a dominant big. The height and touch and feel are all in place. — G.P.
43. Quincy Miller (freshman forward, Baylor). Miller is the latest future pro Scott Drew has lured to Waco. — G.P.
44. Maalik Wayns (junior guard, Villanova). Wayns' minutes and points both doubled last season. — G.P.
45. JaMychal Green (senior forward, Alabama). Green led the Crimson Tide in scoring and rebounding last season. — G.P.
46. Josiah Turner (freshman guard, Arizona). Sean Miller likely to hand Turner the ball from Day 1. Talented floor leader with the size, strength, athleticism and talent to be a star in Tucson. — J.G.
47. Jorge Gutierrez (senior guard, California). It's hard not to love this kid. Terrific work ethic and can do it all for the Bears. — J.G.
48. Marquis Teague (freshman guard, Kentucky). A mix of the past two point guards that came through Lexington: Brandon Knight and John Wall. He's a pure point guard who is a blur. — J.G.
49. Jabari Brown (freshman guard, Oregon). Could wind up being Dana Altman's leading scorer. Strong, athletic and can fill it up. — J.G.
50. Jason Clark (senior guard, Georgetown). It's his turn to shine with Chris Wright and Austin Freeman gone. His offensive game has come along -- and he's a quality defender. — J.G.
1. Jared Sullinger (sophomore forward, Ohio State). Sullinger is big and strong and the nation's best player, which is why he's ranked where he's ranked. — Gary Parrish
2. Harrison Barnes (sophomore forward, North Carolina). Barnes finished strong last season and could lead the Tar Heels to a national championship. — G.P.
3. Jordan Taylor (senior guard, Wisconsin). Taylor was mostly unknown outside of the Big Ten this time last year. That's no longer the case. — G.P.
4. Tu Holloway (senior guard, Xavier). Kelvin Sampson's resignation at Indiana was a blessing for Xavier because it led to Holloway becoming a Musketeer. — G.P.
5. Perry Jones (sophomore forward, Baylor). Jones' decision to return to Baylor was a surprise. Him leading the Bears to a Big 12 title won't be. — G.P.
6. Thomas Robinson (junior forward, Kansas). Look for a huge season for the relentless, athletic forward, especially with the departure of the Morris twins. — Jeff Goodman
7. Anthony Davis (freshman forward, Kentucky). Not sure there's anyone more versatile in the nation and that's why many NBA types have him pegged as the top overall pick in 2012. — J.G.
8. John Henson (junior forward, North Carolina). His offensive game is still a work in progress, but he's long and is arguably the most dominant defensive player in the nation. — J.G.
9. John Jenkins (junior guard, Vanderbilt). There's no better pure perimeter shooter in the country, and his game is no longer one-dimensional. — J.G.
10. Austin Rivers (freshman guard, Duke). Doc Rivers' kid can score the basketball. He's strong and can really get to the basket and make plays. — J.G.
11. Terrence Jones (sophomore forward, Kentucky). What's it tell you about Jones that he was humbled, accepts his faults, is on his way up ... and is still this high on the list? If he can learn to go right with consistency, look OUT. — Matt Norlander
12. Kendall Marshall (sophomore guard, North Carolina). His game is so pure at the point, only Jordan Taylor is a more enjoyable backcourt player to watch. Perfect guy for this group of Tar Heels. — M.N.
13. Tyler Zeller (senior forward, North Carolina). Back-to-back Heels. Zeller can run the floor beautifully and has done a fine job fulfilling the expectations put on him when he replaced Tyler Hansbrough. He's not better than Hansbrough, but he's as close as you could expect him to be. — M.N.
14. Ashton Gibbs (senior guard, Pittsburgh). Gibbs scored almost 1.3 points per possession last year, which was top 20 in the country. As he goes, so does Pitt. — M.N.
15. Jeremy Lamb (sophomore forward, Connecticut). He's our highest-ranked Husky, but will he be considered the most valuable by year's end? And will he be the highest-drafted UConn player off this team? Would you take that bet right now? — M.N.
16. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (freshman forward, Kentucky). Do-it-all freshman could be a steadying influence for star-studded Wildcats. — Jeff Borzello
17. Trevor Mbakwe (senior forward, Minnesota). Underrated on a national level, Mbakwe is a double-double machine and is only getting better. — J.B.
18. William Buford (senior guard, Ohio State). This could be the year Buford truly breaks out; one of the top wing scorers in Big Ten. — J.B.
19. Marcus Denmon (senior guard, Missouri). Sleeper candidate for Big 12 Player of the Year, Denmon is a scoring machine. — J.B.
20. Elias Harris (junior forward, Gonzaga). He's looking to bounce back from a down season, but has the talent and experience to do it. — J.B.
21. Andre Drummond (freshman center, Connecticut). By the end of the season, this ranking might seem way too low for Drummond. — J.B. (Norlander note: That is because he is a dragon.)
22. Kris Joseph (senior forward, Syracuse). It's Joseph's turn to be the leader for an Orange team looking for its next go-to-guy. — J.B.
23. Terrence Ross (sophomore forward, Washington). An easy choice for a breakout player, Ross could be the Pac-12's top scorer. — J.B.
24. Reeves Nelson (junior forward, UCLA). It's not pretty, but Nelson is one of the toughest players in the country and a great rebounder. — J.B.
25. Aaron Craft (sophomore guard, Ohio State). One of the best on-ball defenders in the country, Craft will look to build on solid frosh campaign. — J.B.
26. Brad Beal (freshman guard, Florida). Think Ray Allen. Smooth, good size and can really shoot the ball. — J.G.
27. Draymond Green (senior forward, Michigan State). May not blow you away, but he does a little -- no, a lot -- of everything for the Spartans. Scores, rebounds, passes and also leads. — J.G.
28. Robbie Hummel (senior forward, Purdue). Health is the major concern following a pair of torn ACLs. When healthy, the skilled veteran brings the entire package to the table. — J.G.
29. Patric Young (sophomore forward, Florida). He has a man's body and his game reminds some of Ben Wallace. Needs to develop a go-to offensive move. — J.G.
30. Alex Oriakhi (junior forward, Connecticut). Consistency is the key. He's an athletic big man who has the rap of being too nice. — J.G.
31. Le'Bryan Nash (freshman forward, Oklahoma State). Oklahoma State's tournament hopes and dreams rely on this freakishly talented freshman. — G.P.
32. Will Barton (sophomore forward, Memphis). Barton is out of control often, but his talent is undeniable. — G.P.
33. Scoop Jardine (senior guard, Syracuse). Jardine is a solid point guard except for in those times when he tries to do too much. — G.P.
34. Jeffery Taylor (senior forward, Vanderbilt). Taylor's development of an outside shot has turned the elite athlete into a possible lottery pick. — G.P.
35. Tim Abromaitis (senior forward, Notre Dame). Abromaitis will miss the first four games because of a stupid NCAA ruling, then try to shoot the Irish back to the NCAA tournament. — G.P.
36. Orlando Johnson (senior guard, UC-Santa Barbara). Stud of a player who I'm really glad got this high of a ranking. Johnson's the real deal. Can be a future pro, and he deserves a moment in the 2012 NCAA tournament. — M.N.
37. Adonis Thomas (freshman forward, Memphis). Haven't seen a lot of Thomas, but I'm fairly certain Parrish ranked him something like eighth overall when we started this process. Could be the piece that gets Memphis back into national conversation. — M.N.
38. Kyle Weems (senior forward, Missouri State). Blowing up Goodman's spot here. He thinks Weems is way, way too high. I say he wins the Player of the Year in the Missouri Valley. Again. — M.N.
39. Doug McDermott (sophomore forward, Creighton). And if Weems doesn't win it, McDermott will. McD's an extremely effective shooter. — M.N.
40. Myck Kabongo (freshman guard, Texas). Texas hoops will be down, somewhat, but Kabongo -- with that name and all (first name pronounced as "Mike") -- will make Rick Barnes' team very watchable. Awesome athlete. — M.N.
41. Tarik Black (sophomore forward, Memphis). Black has more heralded teammates, but he's probably Josh Pastner's most important piece. — G.P.
42. Josh Smith (sophomore center, UCLA). A weight issue is the only thing preventing Smith from becoming a dominant big. The height and touch and feel are all in place. — G.P.
43. Quincy Miller (freshman forward, Baylor). Miller is the latest future pro Scott Drew has lured to Waco. — G.P.
44. Maalik Wayns (junior guard, Villanova). Wayns' minutes and points both doubled last season. — G.P.
45. JaMychal Green (senior forward, Alabama). Green led the Crimson Tide in scoring and rebounding last season. — G.P.
46. Josiah Turner (freshman guard, Arizona). Sean Miller likely to hand Turner the ball from Day 1. Talented floor leader with the size, strength, athleticism and talent to be a star in Tucson. — J.G.
47. Jorge Gutierrez (senior guard, California). It's hard not to love this kid. Terrific work ethic and can do it all for the Bears. — J.G.
48. Marquis Teague (freshman guard, Kentucky). A mix of the past two point guards that came through Lexington: Brandon Knight and John Wall. He's a pure point guard who is a blur. — J.G.
49. Jabari Brown (freshman guard, Oregon). Could wind up being Dana Altman's leading scorer. Strong, athletic and can fill it up. — J.G.
50. Jason Clark (senior guard, Georgetown). It's his turn to shine with Chris Wright and Austin Freeman gone. His offensive game has come along -- and he's a quality defender. — J.G.
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