College basketball big man ladder: Zach Edey on top, PJ Hall and Joel Soriano emerge
We are a month into the college basketball season, which means it’s time to update the FOX Sports Big Man Ladder.
If you’re just catching up on our new series this year, we’re following the trend of big men dominating across the country. There is no singular “Year of the Big Man” anymore in college basketball, because in a sport where NIL opportunities are more valuable for these players, as opposed to potentially getting lost in the NBA G League or overseas, this is going to be an annual theme.
Last year, five of the 10 players named to the first and second AP All-America teams played the center position (Zach Edey, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Drew Timme, Oscar Tshiebwe and Azuolas Tubelis).
All signs are pointing toward that type of recognition for the big men stars across the country this year as well, with reigning national player of the year Zach Edey being the clear favorite to repeat.
What’s fun about big men flourishing at such a high rate in the sport is that some can emerge as the year goes on from being solid players to high-impact, all-conference stars. That’s the whole point of the ladder – if a player is emerging, we’ll add another rung to the ladder.
The early riser on our ladder is Clemson senior PJ Hall, who has led the Tigers to the program’s first 7-0 start in 15 years. After getting invited to the NBA Draft Combine last spring but electing to return to Clemson for his senior season, the 6-foot-11 star has taken his game to a new level, currently ranking in the top 15 in scoring at 21.4 points per game. We’ll get to more on Hall below.
The criteria for our featured big men: We are zoning in on players who stand 6-10 or taller and are making significant contributions for ranked teams across the country.
With that said, let’s get to the latest edition of the Big Man Ladder, with a couple of new names debuting.
1. Zach Edey, Purdue
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 7-4, 300 pounds
Stats: 23.7 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 64% FG
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Edey’s evolution is that he didn’t start playing organized team basketball until seven years ago, in his sophomore year of high school. We are watching a once-in-a-lifetime talent in West Lafayette, Indiana, and in a lot of ways, that’s what is refreshing about his story. He’s not dominating as another Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky or Kansas great. He’s doing it at Purdue, and working with Matt Painter for that elusive Final Four trip and ending a Big Ten title drought. Edey powered Purdue to the Maui Invitational title, and with the win over Xavier in the Gavitt Games, he put up four consecutive 20-point, 10-rebound games for the first time in his career. In fact, in his last six contests against power-conference opponents, Edey has averaged 27.3 points and 12.7 rebounds per game.
From FOX Sports Research:
- Edey ranks third in Division-I in scoring at 23.5 PPG and sixth in rebounding at 11.1 RPG.
- Edey leads all Power 6 players in scoring.
- Edey is one of five Division-I players to average 20 PPG and 10 RPG (Hunter Dickinson,Jaedon LeDee, Vonterius Woolbright, Dillon Jones).
- Edey has 25 career games with 20 points and 10 rebounds, now tied for the most for a Big Ten player since the 2010-11 season.
- Edey leads all of Division-I with seven double-doubles.
2. Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 7-2, 260 pounds
Stats: 20.1 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 64% FG
The Michigan transfer has powered the Jayhawks to a 7-1 mark with wins over UConn, Tennessee and Kentucky, with Dickinson posting massive performances against the Volunteers and Wildcats.
He delivered the most dominant performance in the first two weeks of the college hoops season in the Champions Classic when he posted 27-and-21 in a thrilling 89-84 win over Kentucky. In the third-place game at the Maui Invitational, the 7-foot-2 Dickinson ensured that Kansas would not go home without two wins, tallying 17 points and 20 boards.
Dickinson has also been highly efficient from beyond the 3-point arc, shooting 11-for-17 (65%) from downtown.
From FOX Sports Research:
- Dickinson ranks third in Division-I in rebounding at 12.2 RPG.
- Dickinson is one of only two Power 6 players averaging 20 PPG and 10 RPG (Zach Edey).
- Dickinson has recorded two games with 20 rebounds this season; the rest of Division-I has four.
- Dickinson is one of two Division I players to have a game with 20 points and 20 rebounds this season (Armando Bacot).
- Dickinson is the only Power 6 player to average 20 PPG on 60% shooting from the floor and 50% shooting from the 3-point line.
3. PJ Hall, Clemson
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-10, 238 pounds
Stats: 21.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 56% FG
Clemson is ranked No. 12 in my FOX College Hoops Top 25 this week, and Hall is the biggest reason for that.
Hall is the leading scorer in the ACC and absolutely a front-runner for the conference’s player of the year honor and an All-American slot. In two road wins over Alabama and Pittsburgh last week, Hall combined for 43 points, 19 rebounds, five assists, five blocks and four steals. What makes him so dangerous – and different from others on our ladder – is that he does have more pro upside in my mind because he can shoot it. Hall shot 5-for-11 from 3 in the two wins over the Tide and Panthers and has connected on multiple triples in six of seven games this year. He’s shooting 42% from downtown.
From FOX Sports Research:
- Hall leads the ACC in scoring at 21.4 PPG and is third in field goal percentage (56%).
- Hall is one of two players in the ACC averaging 20 PPG and seven RPG (Quinten Post).
- Hall averaged 21.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.5 blocks and 2.0 steals in wins over No. 23 Alabama and Pittsburgh, both on the road
4. Armando Bacot, North Carolina
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-11, 240 pounds
Stats: 15.9 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 51% FG
The Tar Heels’ all-time leading rebounder is beginning to really pick up steam in his fifth season, having combined for 35 points and 24 rebounds in a pair of wins over Tennessee and Florida State this past week. Bacot dominated a good defensive team in the Volunteers, notching 22 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor in an eyebrow-raising win.
From FOX Sports Research:
- Bacot is one of two Division I players to have a game with 20 points and 20 rebounds this season (Hunter Dickinson).
- Bacot is one of five D-1 players to record 20 rebounds in a game this season.
- Earlier this season, Bacot broke the UNC career record for offensive rebounds (Tyler Hansborough), currently at 509.
- Bacot is the only Division-I player to average 10 RPG and shoot over 78% from the free throw line.
5. Joel Soriano, St. John’s
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-11, 255 pounds
Stats: 17.3 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 69% FG
It might surprise some people that I have Soriano as the best big man in the Big East right now, but you cannot argue with his production for Rick Pitino’s Johnnies.
After a bumpy start to the Red Storm’s season, they have won three straight games, including a neutral site victory over a Utah team with a KenPom ranking of 32 and a road win at West Virginia. Soriano has been the constant, scoring in double figures in all seven games and notching at least nine rebounds in six of the team’s seven contests. The Mountaineers could not stop the big man from Yonkers, New York on Friday night, as Soriano shot 8-for-11, scoring 24 points with nine rebounds and three blocks. Before this season, St. John’s star had never attempted a 3-pointer. He’s 5-for-6 from deep this season, a sign of Pitino’s player development.
More from FOX Sports Research:
- Soriano has six games with 10-plus points and nine-plus rebounds, tied for the second-most in the country.
- Soriano has scored at least 10 points in every game this season, and 15-plus points in five of his seven games.
- Soriano has shot 50% or better in every game this season, including 60% or better in six of seven games.
6. Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Class: Sophomore
Height/Weight: 7-0, 248 pounds
Stats: 18.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 53% FG
How has the reigning ACC Freshman of the Year elevated his game as a sophomore? He has raised his field goal percentage from 44% to 53%, but his 3-point clip is down to 27%. That’s the part of Filipowski’s game – and a 5-3 Duke team that is struggling for that matter – that needs to evolve. In his last three games, he has shot just 1-for-11 from 3-point territory.
But, Filipowski’s 18.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game can’t be argued. On a team that now has Tyrese Proctor injured and is searching for perimeter consistency, it does magnify Filipowski’s presence. His four blocks against Georgia Tech is a good sign, as Duke needs him to continue to protect the rim. Filipowski does a good job avoiding foul trouble, as he’s only fouled out of a game twice in his career.
From FOX Sports Research:
- Fllipowski is one of seven Power 6 players to average 18 PPG and eight RPG.
- Filipowski ranks seventh in the ACC in scoring at 18.9 PPG.
7. Oso Ighodaro, Marquette
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-11, 235 pounds
Stats: 12.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 65% FG
Even though the Marquette big man was quiet this past week against Wisconsin and Southern, I’m putting him on the ladder because without him, the Golden Eagles don’t knock off Kansas to advance to the Maui Invitational championship game. In the best multi-team event in the country, Ighodaro averaged 17 points and six rebounds per game, including his 21-point, nine-rebound performance in the win over Kansas.
Shaka Smart’s offensive system is predicated on a mobile big man being able to ball screen, create mismatches and knock down the baby jumpers when applicable. Ighodaro has mastered the 8-to-12-foot shot, and I expect his pro prospects to continue to elevate as the year goes on.
From FOX Sports Research:
- Ighodaro is one of only two Big East players to have a game this season with 20-plus points, nine-plus rebounds, two-plus assists and two-plus blocks.
- Ighodaro is one of five Big East players to have a game with nine-plus made field goals and nine-plus rebounds.
- Marquette is 5-1 when Ighodaro scores 10-plus points and 1-1 when he fails to reach 10 points.
8. Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 7-1, 270 pounds
Stats: 15.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 60% FG
Super. Steady.
That’s what Creighton has in Kalkbrenner, who has tallied 16 blocks through the first eight games of the season to begin his pursuit at a third consecutive Big East Defensive Player of the Year honor. He has such a great feel for the game and understands when he needs to take control, like when he went off for 29 points in the win over Loyola Chicago at the Hall of Fame Classic. In road wins last week over Oklahoma State and Nebraska, the 7-1 tower combined for 29 points and 24 rebounds.
Kalkbrenner is shooting 60% on the year and 66% in his career from the field. If he ended his career today, he would have the sixth-highest field goal percentage in a career in college basketball history. Kalkbrenner has a real chance to leave his mark in March again after the Jays went to the Elite Eight for the first time since the NCAA Tournament shifted to 64 (now 68) teams in 1985. Creighton returned to the top 10 of the AP Top 25 poll this week.
From FOX Sports Research:
- Kalkbrenner is one of just five 7-footers in college basketball to make four or more 3-pointers in a game this season.
- Kalkbrenner is one of just six 7-footers shooting 60% or better from the field and 35% or better from 3-point range this season.
- Kalkbrenner has scored in double figures in seven straight games.
9. Kel’el Ware, Indiana
Class: Sophomore
Height/Weight: 7-feet, 242 pounds
Stats: 17.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 64% FG
Mike Woodson made a great pickup with the Oregon transfer, and the Hoosiers are 7-1 because of Ware. He’s posted a trio of 20-plus point performances already on the season, including a master class on Nov. 26 in a win over Harvard in which Ware shot 12-for-13 from the floor, scoring 28 points with eight rebounds and three assists.
In the Hoosiers’ 2-0 start in Big Ten play, Ware combined for 31 points and 22 rebounds while shooting over 60% from the field.
From FOX Sports Research:
- Ware leads the Hoosiers in points, rebounds, and blocks in 32 minutes per game.
- Ware is one of two Big Ten players to average 17 PPG and nine RPG this season (Zach Edey).
- Ware is one of five Power 6 players to average 17 PPG and nine RPG this season.
- Ware is one of five players in all of Division-I to average 10 PPG, nine RPG, and shoot over 50% from boththe field and the 3-point line.
10. Oumar Ballo, Arizona
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 7-feet, 260 pounds
Stats: 12.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 66% FG
Yes, we will give a nod to the starting center on the new No. 1 team in the country, the Arizona Wildcats. After Ballo more than doubled his scoring and rebounding last season from the previous year with 14.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, the Mali native is down a little bit to start the year, but there’s a reason for that. Arizona is incredibly balanced with five players averaging in double figures, and San Diego State transfer Keshad Johnson was the perfect addition following the loss of All-American Azuolas Tubelis. Ballo has been rock solid in big wins over Duke and Michigan State, scoring a combined 23 points and shooting better than 54% from the floor.
From FOX Sports Research:
- Ballo has scored 10-plus points in every game this season.
- Ballo has shot 50% or better in every game this season.
- Ballo leads all 7-footers with a 65.5% field goal percentage this season.
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John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.
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