Top 9 College Basketball Players You Need to Know, But Probably Don’t: Part I

Posted by Stiletto Jen 1,300 views

It’s Blockbuster Saturday for NCAA basketball! I’m giving you the top players in the nation that are not necessarily the blockbusters! They are more the silent stars that live in the shadows of the big-timers

This is Part I: #1-3

1. David Holston, Chicago State Cougars, guard

I’d like to point out that I found him, not the boys! He is the #3 scorer in the country right now, right behind big name Stephen Curry. And no one even knows who he is, even in Chicago!

His Stats:

26.4 point per game (Curry has 29.1 In December, Holston averaged 27.7 and was #2)
5.7 Assists per game
2.9 Rebounds per game
53 steals in 18 games (almost 3/game)
Shoots 44% from 3-point land
He’s only 5′8.

Why he’s unknown:

“[He's on] a team with no conference, zero television exposure, a minuscule fan base and a bizarre recent history marked with chaos and turmoil. So the man is in desperate need of introduction to a wider audience.” ~ESPN.com

2. Arinze Onuaku, Syracuse Orangemen, forward

Why he should deserves to break out: “Because Shelton said so” probably isn’t the answer you are looking for. He has the #3 shooting percentage in the country right behind big name Patrick Patterson.

His Stats:

Field Goal %: 68.94, which is just sick!
11.7 ppg
7.7 rebounds per game

Why you haven’t heard of him: His teammate Jonny Flynn is the big name on campus.

3. James Harden, Arizona State Sun Devils, guard

Why he deserves a breakout: Actually, he is a candidate for Player of the Year so you should have heard of him but as I was told “You kinda need to know about ASU to know about him. I doubt people could pick him out of police lineup.” Oh, and his b’day is August 26, 1989; one day short of being exactly 10 years younger than me!

His Stats:

21.9 ppg
5.8 rebounds per game
4.5 assists
34 steals in 17 games

Why you haven’t heard of him: You haven’t heard of Arizona State’s most famous lefty since Phil Mickelson? Huh. Maybe because he doesn’t have any tattoos or a “flashy nickname.” He’s quiet, reserved and that’s the way he likes it.

“I’ve never had much notoriety. It’s fine with me. My main focus is just to keep working hard every day to make myself and my teammates better. I’m always the underrated guy. That’s fine.”~James Harden on ESPN.com

on to Part II

Part III will post at 8 p.m. EST.

Can’t wait? Check me out on The Bleacher Report for the article published as a slideshow!

About the author: Jennifer Taglione is the owner of this fabulous website Stiletto Sports. Despite writing well over 500 posts, she still maintains that she is not a sports writer! She is however a huge fan of Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Mark Sanchez, the Celtics, and totally kicks butt on March Madness brackets! Connect with her by following her on Twitter @StilettoSportsJ and subscribing to her weekly newsletter. For more info check out the About the Editor page!