You would’ve witnessed the Week 5 College Basketball Rankings. Purdue slipped. Michigan went up. Everyone is arguing over who should be ranked No. 1, but only a few are talking about the hidden gems. They’re doing the heavy lifting, carrying their teams. They shoot well. Keep their opponents locked up. They do the little things that matter for winning. These stars who aren’t getting enough credit will show they are the difference-makers when conference play begins.

Men’s College Basketball Rankings – Underrated stars

Derek Dixon

Derek Dixon, a 6-foot-5 freshman guard for the North Carolina Tar Heels, is an apt example of an underappreciated player. The shooting guard was key in the team’s recent wins. He hit the game-winning shot against the Kentucky Wildcats and had a tidy game against the Georgetown Hoyas, scoring 14 points and getting four assists in just 27 minutes off the bench. Dixon’s ability to get things done quickly says a lot about his potential.

The freshman has shown he can score and stay composed like a star player, making 5 of 7 shots from the field and 3 of 5 from three-point range in the Hoyas game. His playmaking and clutch performances off the bench show why his team can’t win important games without him.

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Killyan Toure

Killyan Toure from the Iowa State Cyclones had a great game against the No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers. The freshman guard played 28 minutes and scored 13 points on 55.6% shooting, including 60% from deep. He also had five rebounds and two steals. The team’s reliance on Toure showcases how important he is. He’s started in all nine games.

Toure scored 13 points, six assists, and four steals in 27 minutes against the Alcorn State Braves, with a 50% shooting clip. As the season goes on, Toure’s continued excellence and all-around playmaking make him one of the most exciting, underrated discoveries of the year, and he will be key to the Cyclones’ success.

Rienk Mast

Rienk Mast has been on a roll with exceptional performances. He scored 20 points in 31 minutes on 50% shooting, including 60% from three-point range, and helped the Nebraska Cornhuskers win by grabbing five rebounds and making two assists. Mast’s consistency shows he is an underrated talent worth a lot. He missed an entire year due to a bad knee injury, but he began the ongoing season with elite passing vision, as if he never left. As the season goes on, Mast’s continued excellence in all areas makes him one of the year’s most exciting underrated finds.

KJ Lewis

KJ Lewis scored 17 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and stole three balls in 28 minutes against the North Carolina Tar Heels, proving that he can play defense and score efficiently. He shot 46.7% from the field and 50% in the UMBC Retrievers game. The junior player’s consistency makes him a grossly underrated talent in his first season at the Hoyas. It is essential to note that he decommitted from the Arizona Wildcats to seek a bigger, faster offense.

Carson Towt

Carson Towt continues to prove that he is one of the most underrated players in men’s college basketball. The forward has been near perfect from the field lately, hitting most of his shots in three straight wins. He had a great game against TCU, scoring 13 points, grabbing nine rebounds, and handing out four assists in 33 minutes. Last night, Towt recorded a double-double of 19 points and 15 rebounds, leading the team to a win against the Idaho Vandals.

Towt is an underrated talent because he is a good rebounder and a solid presence on the floor. In his game against the Missouri Tigers this month, he dominated the board with nine rebounds in just 23 minutes, showing how versatile he could be on the hardwood.

Thijs De Ridder

Thijs De Ridder held down the paint in three straight wins. The freshman scored 13 points and stole the ball twice against UMES. He can help his team at both ends of the court. De Ridder’s ability to control the inside and block shots is a key part of his team’s success. He fought for seven points and nine rebounds in a tough game against the Dayton Flyers, showcasing that he has multiple facets to his game.

De Ridder has also been productive at the club level overseas in the Basketball Bundesliga and on the international circuit with Germany’s U16 and U18 age groups. It’s only a matter of time before he wears an NBA jersey.

Cameron Carr

Even though he had an off shooting night against the Memphis Tigers, Cameron Carr is still one of the most underrated players on the Baylor Bears roster. He scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the Tigers’ loss, showing he can consistently rebound even when he is struggling to score. Carr’s ability to bounce back and impact both sides of the floor is what makes him a talent to watch out for.

On his day, Carr’s capable of single-handedly taking the game away. He scored 25 points against the Sacramento State Hornets, shooting 10 of 15 at 62.5%, in a blowout win. He was the second-highest scorer of the night, only behind Tounde Yessoufou.

Juke Harris

Juke Harris has a lot of offensive potential. In a big win over West Virginia, the guard scored 28 points and grabbed five rebounds. Heading into this season, he knew the assignment very clearly. He was going to see a lot more of the ball as a sophomore and needed to develop his 3-point game while getting stronger.

Ten games into the season, his stats reflect exactly that, as he averages 20.7 points, up from 6.1 last season, while shooting a steady 40.6% from deep. Harris has also been distributing the ball much better, with 1.5 assists per game.