From Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren to UNI’s AJ Green, here are 12 college basketball players we can’t wait to see next season.

An extra year of eligibility and exploding transfer market mean the 2021-22 college basketball season is shaping up to be one of the most fascinating years to project teams and lineups in recent memory.

The talent pool in college basketball for the upcoming season is as deep as ever. It will take months for fans to gain familiarity with the nation’s rosters. Let’s begin by analyzing the 12 players we can’t wait to see this fall.

—Mock draft: Full first-round projections
—Predicting first-time 2022 tournament teams
—SUBSCRIBE to Heat Check Premium today!

Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga

No. 1 recruits are always appointment television. It just so happens that Chet Holmgren is a 7-footer with guard skills who will step on campus in Spokane, Wash. as college basketball’s first consensus No. 1 prospect since RJ Barrett. Holmgren figures to slot alongside Drew Timme in yet another elite Gonzaga frontcourt. Despite the loss in the national championship, the Bulldogs could begin the season ranked atop the Top 25 again with Holmgren in the spotlight.

BartTorvik stat projections: 17.9 ppg, 8.0 rpg

Collin Gillespie, Villanova

Any true college basketball fan felt awful about how Collin Gillespie’s season ended. The 6-3 guard tallied 14 points a game in his 20 appearances this past year before suffering a torn MCL against Creighton on March 3. Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels announced they will use their free year of eligibility and return to the Wildcats. If fully healthy, Gillespie will be an All-American candidate on another Villanova title contender.

BartTorvik stat projections: 14.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.9 apg

DeVante Jones, Michigan

Last year’s Sun Belt player of the year, DeVante Jones is off to Ann Arbor after three stellar seasons with Coastal Carolina. A native of New Orleans, Jones’ recruiting interest was rather limited and he sat out his first season as a redshirt. He has been a stat-stuffing machine ever since, averaging 19.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.8 steals for the 18-8 Chanticleers this past year. At 6-1, 200, Jones combines a hefty frame with burst and quickness and will be an immediate contributor for Juwan Howard‘s team.

BartTorvik stat projections: 11.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg

To view the rest, LOG IN or SUBSCRIBE!

Subscribers have access to every piece of Heat Check CBB premium content, including analysis, breakdowns, rankings and more at just $5.99/month.

Header image courtesy of Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images.