In preparation for the start of the 2018-19 college basketball season in November, NCAA.com correspondent Andy Katz counted down the top 20 returning players in the nation.
Twenty different schools and 10 conferences are represented by his 20 selections. The ACC and Big Ten conferences each have four representatives, and two each in the top five.
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Katz explained the reasoning behind his picks and interviewed some of his top 20 selections in the videos below via the @marchmadness Twitter account. Here's who made Katz's list:
1. Carsen Edwards, Purdue
2. Luke Maye, North Carolina
3. Caleb Martin, Nevada
4. Ethan Happ, Wisconsin
5. Kyle Guy, Virginia
TOP 5!@TheAndyKatz reveals players #5 to #1 in his Top 20 Returning Players for 2018-19! pic.twitter.com/aTzbBFjmZ0
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) July 5, 2018
6. Tyus Battle, Syracuse
7. Markus Howard, Marquette
8. Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga
9. Shamorie Ponds, Saint John's
10. Ky Bowman, Boston College
Jumping into the top 10…
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) July 4, 2018
Here’s #10 to #6 on @TheAndyKatz’ Top 20 Returning Players! pic.twitter.com/iqwkn6T7fp
11. Grant Williams, Tennessee
12. Juwan Morgan, Indiana
13. James Palmer Jr., Nebraska
14. Bennie Boatwright, Southern California
15. Mike Daum, South Dakota State
Rounding out the first half of our countdown, @TheAndyKatz delivers #15 to #11 in his Top 20 Returning Players for 2018-19! pic.twitter.com/xUX4C4tKmr
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) July 3, 2018
16. Kellan Grady, Davidson
17. Tremont Waters, LSU
18. Lindell Wigginton, Iowa State
19. Jontay Porter, Missouri
20. McKinley Wright IV, Colorado
Turning the page to next year, let’s countdown the Top 20 Returning Players for 2018-19!@TheAndyKatz tips off his list with players #20 to #16! pic.twitter.com/Z08vE3u9gK
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) July 2, 2018
The 2018-19 college basketball season opens Tuesday, Nov. 6 with the Champions Classic. That will feature a doubleheader in Indianapolis between Duke and Kentucky, and Michigan State and Kansas.
