College Basketball: Top 4 Players At Each Position

Nov 27, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Utes forward Jakob Poeltl (42) dunks the ball over Idaho State Bengals guard Justin Smith (32) during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Jakob Poeltl, Utah C

When you talk about Utah’s 7-ft sophomore center, you almost have to lead off with his efficiency. His true shooting percentage is an incredible 70 percent, as he’s averaging 21.3 points per game to go along with 10 boards, two assists and 2.5 blocks. His PER is a crazy 41.56, putting him at the top of the NCAA in that category. The closest guy to him – Purdue’s Isaac Haas at 39.36 – plays a whole 12 minutes less per game than Poeltl. To add to these stats, Poeltl has cut down on turnovers on the young season, and become an efficient devastator in the post.

The Utes’ only loss on the season was a blowout, but a 90-66 loss to Miami is similar to something that will happen to quite a few teams that go up against the Hurricanes this year. Poeltl and the Utes have an opportunity to notch a win against Wichita State, which doesn’t look all that great anymore after the Shockers racked up some injuries and didn’t manage to win a game in Orlando. Playing in the Pac 12 will give Poeltl an opportunity to showcase his skills and for the Utes to pick up some quality wins and national recognition, but Poeltl probably won’t need it – a guy with his size and skill is almost guaranteed to be a lottery pick in the NBA draft when he comes out.

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