Column: Basketball players to watch this season against IU

Looking ahead to the coming IU basketball season, Hoosier fans can anticipate more than just the marquee matchups dotting the schedule.

Fans will be treated to a slew of the nation’s best individual players.

Will they live up to their hype against the Hoosiers?

C.J. Fair, PF, Syracuse
This season, the Syracuse offense will undoubtedly revolve around Fair, a 6-foot-8-inch, 215-pound forward out of Baltimore.

Without Michael Carter-Williams, James Southerland and Brandon Triche pouring in points, the Orange will look to Fair to spark an offense in need of proven scorers.

As a junior last season, Fair averaged 14.5 points per game, but he was even more valuable on the boards, snatching 7 rebounds per game.

Gary Harris, SG, Michigan State
Although IU fans would rather they’d seen Hoosier point guard Yogi Ferrell bring home the 2012-13 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Award, there’s no doubt the award belonged to Harris.

An explosive shooting guard, Harris averaged 12.9 points per game last season.
Harris’ versatility as a scorer is what has made him such a highly regarded prospect to NBA scouts.

Aaron Craft, PG, Ohio State
Michigan State’s Harris has made a name for himself as a scorer, but Craft has earned conference-wide respect through his stifling defense.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound point guard isn’t the most athletic of players, but he makes up for what he lacks in physical ability with pure hustle and lateral quickness on the defensive end of the court.

Adreian Payne, C, Michigan State
Ferrell and IU shooting guard Will Sheehey became familiar with Payne during the summer as the trio competed for Team USA in the World University Games.

Whether that familiarity will pay dividends when Michigan State and IU square off this season remains to be seen, though Payne’s combined 35 points and 16 rebounds against the Hoosiers in two meetings last season are cause for concern.