Top 5 most overhyped NCAAB stars of the 2023-24 season ft. Justin Moore
College basketball is filled with stories of players who exceeded expectations and became stars, but there is also another side of the coin. Many highly-regarded pre-season players fail to live up to expectations. While it's good to discuss players who exceed expectations, it's equally important to acknowledge those who don't.
Here are the five most overhyped players from the college basketball season.
Top 5 most overhyped NCAA basketball stars of the 2023–24 season
5. Tyrese Proctor, Duke
Proctor had a decent season, improving on his previous season's scoring and shooting averages. However, he did not emerge as a leader on a Duke team that suffered a humiliating Elite Eight defeat against NC State. Proctor underperformed in games that mattered, which is why he is on the overhyped list.
Proctor scored 10.5 points per game and shot 42.3%. But in Duke's losses, he scored just 7.3 ppg and shot 29.8%. In Duke's ACC Tournament loss to NC State, Proctor shot 4 for 16. In the Elite Eight, he shot 0 for 9. Proctor ended up being the fifth-highest scorer on Duke's team. The Blue Devils needed more from him.
4. Justin Edwards, Kentucky
For a time, Edwards was ranked as the top player in the freshman class per 247sports.com. His production didn't match the expectations.
The 6-foot-8 Edwards showed flashes where his combination of wing skills and size were apparent. Most notably, he had 28 points in a blowout win over Alabama. He also had games where he provided little value, like the third game of the year, when he had one point in 29 minutes against Kansas.
Edwards finished the year with 8.8 points per game. For much of the season, he wasn't even one of the best players on his own team, let alone the nation.
3. Isaiah Collier, USC
Collier overtook Edwards in the consensus rankings as the top player in the class. He was more productive than Edwards, scoring 16.3 points per game. But USC had a losing season and Collier routinely looked less than stellar.
Collier's 89 turnovers were the fifth most in the conference. When Collier took 13 or more shots in a game, USC was only 5-7. He wasn't good defensively. Collier still has NBA potential, but he did little to help himself in 2023-24.
2. Bronny James, USC
Bronny James dealt with unique expectations and suffered a medical emergency with his cardiac issues. The illness sidelined him through the preseason and the early portion of the season.
James was a McDonald's All-American and was ranked 11th in his recruiting class by On3.com. But Bronny started just six games and averaged 4.8 points per game. He shot just 36.6% overall and 26.7% from 3-point range. Bronny scored in double digits just three times all season and wasn't even a starter on an awful USC team.
1. Justin Moore, Villanova
Most of the players on this list were freshmen who struggled to acclimate to the college game. That wasn't the issue for Moore, a fifth-year senior who was named to several pre-season All-American teams. But Moore regressed, earning his overhyped spot by having the worst season of his career in 2023-24.
Moore's 9.8 ppg was a career low, as was his 38.4% shooting percentage. Meanwhile, his Villanova team ranked 22nd in the nation in the preseason, went 18-16 and missed the NCAA Tournament.