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20 Glue Guys to monitor during the 21-22 season

This is ONLY October!

Check out our list below of 20 Glue Guys to monitor during the 21-22 college basketball season.

In no particular order:

DeAndre Williams, Memphis: The Tigers were 16-5 in games where Williams was in the lineup last season and 4-3 when he was not. Several coaches in the American Athletic Conference believe that this do-everything forward is Memphis’ best all-around player. There’s one word that describes Williams’ importance to this program: Indispensable.

Kyle Young, Ohio State: Chris Holtmann loves Young as much as his own daughter. On some days, maybe more. The 6-8, 225 pound forward exudes toughness as soon as he steps on the floor, seeking contact like he’s a boxer training for the Olympics. You don’t want to mess with this dude. 

Da’Monte Williams, Illinois: Brad Underwood tapped into his best bottle of wine when Williams decided that he was returning to Illinois for an additional season. The 6-3 guard can touch all areas of the box score and is capable of shutting down the opponent’s top perimeter scorer. He’s also a timely shooter, as his three-point percentage of 54.7 percent was the highest in all of college basketball. The nickname that Williams boasts inside of Illinois’ program? P.J. Tucker.

Gabe Osabuohien, West Virginia: Osabuohien only averaged 1.7 points a year ago, but led the country in scrapes and floor burns. The motor never stops running for this 6-7 forward, who should see a spike in his minutes following the departure of Derek Culver. 

Mason Gillis, Purdue: Matt Painter has two All-Big Ten caliber big men in Trevion Williams and Zach Edey, but needs someone next to them to seamlessly blend into the lineup. That’s where Gillis comes into play. The 6-6 forward had a very productive year last season as a redshirt freshman and needs to continue to embrace his role as a rebounder, passer, defender, and open shot maker. Although he’ll be suspended for the first four games of the year (OWI), Gillis has a chance to be a pivotal piece in what could be a memorable season in West Lafayette.

Isaiah Whaley, UConn: The man that Huskies fans call the “wrench” is back for another tour of duty in Storrs. It says here that it will be tough to keep him out of the starting lineup despite UConn’s overwhelming front court depth. The 6-9 Whaley was the Co-Big East Defensive Player of the Year last season after averaging eight points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks. 

Connor McCaffery, Iowa: Ball security is a speciality for McCaffery, who also shines as a lockdown defender. The son of Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery, Connor McCaffery only had a total of 30 turnovers last season in 707 minutes played. That’s just one turnover every 23.6 minutes. He also boasted an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.7:1.

Andrej Jakimovksi, Washington State: True hoop junkies know that the Cougars are a dark horse NCAA Tournament team in 2022. True die hards know about Jakimovski. The 6-8 forward has a tremendous feel for the game and had back-to-back games in Pac-12 play last season with 11 points and nine assists. Remember the name.

Brad Davison, Wisconsin: Davison is the guy that Wisconsin fans love and every other fan base hates. His intangibles, tenacity, and knack for always being the middle of things will be on display for one more season in Madison.

Jaylin Williams, Arkansas: Eric Musselman has loved Williams since the first day he arrived on the Razorbacks’ campus. When you watch him play, it’s easy to see why. The 6-10 big man has a tremendous basketball IQ and overall feel for the game. He also didn’t have a made field goal in Arkansas’ Round of 32 win over Texas Tech last March, but still finished with 10 rebounds and four assists in the two-point win. The Razorbacks wouldn’t have advanced to the Elite Eight without him.

Anton Watson, Gonzaga: Mark Few is going to need to put players on the floor this season who don’t need the ball to make an impact. That bodes well for Watson’s role with the Bulldogs. With Drew Timme, Andrew Nembhard, and a troika of five-star freshmen in Chet Holmgren, Hunter Sallis, and Nolan Hickman, Few needs guys who can just blend in and accept a role. The 6-8 Watson is a perfect candidate.

Osun Osunniyi, St. Bonaventure: One of the elite rim protectors in the sport, the 6-10 Osunniyi had four games last season where he blocked five or more shots. But it’s not necessarily the shots that Osunniyi blocks that always make the difference — it’s all the shots that he alters. Osunniyi had 15 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks in the Bonnies’ NCAA Tournament loss against LSU.

Caleb McConnell, Rutgers: The hidden gem during Rutgers’ reclamation project, McConnell is determined to be the best defender in the Big Ten this season. Armed with good size at 6-7 and tremendous length, McConnell can defend multiple positions on the floor all while being an absolute pest. He had a double-double — 13 points and 10 rebounds — to go with three assists in the Scarlet Knights’ NCAA Tournament win over Clemson last March. 

Eli Brooks, Michigan: Brooks’ defense on the opposing team’s offensive perimeter player doesn’t show up in the box score, but his ball security does. In four NCAA Tournament games last March, Brooks tallied 20 assists to just four turnovers. This guy has been the unsung presence in Michigan’s successful two-year run under Juwan Howard.

Myles Johnson, UCLA: The 6-11 Johnson was the best defensive big man in the country last season, averaging eight points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks for Rutgers as the Scarlet Knights advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991. If he replicates that same type of production this season for UCLA, Mick Cronin will have an excellent chance of leading the Bruins back to their second consecutive Final Four. 

Justin Bean, Utah State: Mountain West coaches are going to have a party when Bean finally concludes his college career because they’re so sick of facing him. When Bean is on the floor, there’s no such thing as a 50/50 play — it’s 90/10 in his favor. The 6-7 power forward has tallied 26 double-doubles over the past two seasons.

Lucas Williamson, Loyola Chicago: A sturdy defender and reliable long distance shooter (35.9 percent from three-point range in 20-21), the 6-4 Williamson is back for another season as a fifth-year senior. With a Final Four and Sweet 16 appearance already on his resume, Williamson’s decision to return for another year is one of many reasons why the Ramblers are expected to again be one of the top mid-majors in college basketball.

Race Thompson, Indiana: Trayce Jackson-Davis needs someone next to him who’s comfortable doing the dirty work on a nightly basis and that’s just what Thompson provides. The 6-8 forward has gotten a little better each year during his college career and knows what he’s good at and is good at what he knows. Thompson averaged 9.1 points and 6.2 rebounds last season as a junior.

Aaron Thompson, Butler: A shoulder injury only allowed Thompson to play in 14 games last season. He’ll now return to Butler for a fifth season of eligibility. That’s welcome news to LaVall Jordan and bad news for the rest of the Big East. The veteran lefty point guard can run a team, score in a pinch, and be ferocious on the ball defensively. His presence is a major reason why many Big East coaches believe that Butler is the conference’s sleeper team entering 21-22.

Derrick Walker, Nebraska: If Nebraska makes a move towards the middle of the Big Ten this season, Walker will be a major reason why. The 6-8, 230 pound bruiser is a solid screener, capable defender, and averaged 8.4 points and 6.2 rebounds over the Cornhuskers’ final five games of last year. This is quietly a critical piece for Fred Hoiberg and the Cornhuskers.

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