We are reaching the time of the season when key players hit their stride and catch the eyes of media and scouts alike. Many players have caught my eye in the past month, but the five listed below are standing out as they help their teams gain positive momentum as we heads towards conference and NCAA tournament play.
I really like what I see with a pari of freshmen perimeter scorers in Keaton Wagler and Kingston Flemings. There are plenty of great freshman and those two help make the 2025 national high school class historically great.
Keaton Wagler (Illinois)
Shooting guard, 6-6, 180 pounds, Freshman (Shawnee Mission Northwest, Shawnee, Kan.)
Statistics per game: 32 minutes, 17.7 points, 5 rebounds, 4.2 assists
I certainly wasn’t planning to see what I saw Wagler do to Purdue. We are talking 46 points on nine made 3-pointers in an 88-82 win over Purdue on the road. That is exactly what I saw from the freshman. There are not that many 6-6 scorers with the wiggle with the basketball that Wagler possesses. On top of the scoring wiggle, Wagler has a complete skill set and relishes the big moment.
How did Keaton Wagler respond to his 46-point explosion and the national praise that followed?
22 PTS, 8 AST, 1 TO in a win over Washington. The unheralded 6-foot-6 guard’s shooting and processing drive the No. 1 offense in college basketball, per KenPom. pic.twitter.com/mOjSqze0Q4
— Jacob Myers (@League_Him) January 30, 2026
Rueben Chinyelu (Florida)
Center, 6-10, 265 pounds, Junior (Enugu, Nigeria)
Statistics per game – 24.4 minutes, 12 points, 11 rebounds, 1 block
Begin with size. Then factor that size into the top five rebounder in the country with 24.4 minutes on the court and it’s easy to see why he’s so impactful. Chinyelu dominates the paint on both ends. Just wish Florida would take more advantages of Chinyelu’s abilities in the paint offensively. What I do know for sure is that Chinyelu is one of my top center picks if I want to win a college game.
Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt)
Point guard, 6-foot, 173-pounds, Sophomore (Brentwood Academy, Bentwood, Tennessee)
Statistics per game – 31 minutes, 17.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.4 steals
Living in Nashville, I have seen a bit of Tanner on the court. And it leaves you wanting to see more. Ex-San Antonio Spurs’ star Tony Parker comes to my mind when I watch Tanner. The deep shot is developing, the foundation of the midrange funk is intact and there is a beautiful basketball mind that organizes it all.
Dailyn Swain (Texas)
Wing, 6-8, 220 pounds, Junior (Africentric Early College, Columbus, Ohio)
Statistics per game – 30.6 minutes, 17.5 points, 7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 steals
Swain is the epitome of that player that you do not want to guard and that you do not want guarding you. At 6-foot-8, he can put buckets on you in a plethora of ways. The shot is smooth and flows off the dribble, while the rim is a destination. Defensively, he brings another level of value to his team with his ability to defend numerous positions.
Kingston Flemings (Houston)
Combo guard, 6-4, 190 pounds, Freshman (Brennan, San Antonio, Texas)
Statistics per game – 31.1 minutes, 17.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.9 steals
You reach a special level as a prospect if you get an animal as a comparison. Never really thought I would pull out kangaroo for the gait of Houston’s freshman scoring phenom who was wisely chosen on the Elite All-American Team third five as a senior at Brennan but wasn’t chosen for the McDonald’s All-American Game. Flemings bounds down the court in the gracefulness of exaltedness. Then at 40 percent, he unleashes 33-pointers while constantly having opponents on their heels hoping not to be embarrassed in the lane.
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