In the spirit of the NCAA tournament, we asked which player from each team in Mark Schlabach's Way-Too-Early Top 25 is the best basketball player?
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
Ronnie Clark, Soph., DB/RB: Clark is already known as a versatile player, given his ability to play both safety and running back. But many don't know that the Alabama native was a standout prep basketball player, too. He drew some early interest from Georgia's and Wichita State's hoops programs and led Calera High to an area championship. -- Alex Scarborough
2. Florida State Seminoles
Mavin Saunders, Soph., TE: Safety Derwin James has some high-flying material that would qualify him for the dunk contest at NBA All-Star Weekend, but Saunders is the Seminoles' best basketball player. UConn basketball was the 6-foot-5, 253-pound tight end's first scholarship offer, which came his freshman year. Athletic enough to play above the rim, Saunders complements his natural ability with a dangerous jumper from the field. -- Jared Shanker
3. Michigan Wolverines
Taco Charlton, Sr., DE: At 6-foot-6 and somewhere in the neighborhood of 275 pounds, Taco Charlton has been known to throw down a 360-degree dunk now and then. It's no surprise Michigan basketball coach John Beilein talked about putting him on the roster this winter. Charlton played alongside former Wolverines' hoop star Caris LeVert in high school, but decided to stay focused on his role on Michigan's defensive line. -- Dan Murphy
4. Baylor Bears
Seth Russell, Sr., QB: The obvious choice might be incoming freshman WR Tren'Davian Dickson, who was an excellent dunker in high school. But Baylor players swear their No. 1 pick in any pickup basketball game is their quarterback. In addition to his good size and 4.49 40-time speed, teammates say Russell can "jump out the gym" and has reverse tomahawks, windmills and between-the-legs jams in his dunk arsenal. -- Max Olson
5. Clemson Tigers
Mike Williams, Sr., WR: As a high school senior, Williams nearly averaged a double-double as he helped Lake Marion High to a 25-1 record and its first state championship. According to "The State," his football career began during a pickup basketball game. The football coach asked Williams to devote as much time to football as basketball. While Williams missed almost all of last season with a neck injury, he returns in 2016 as one of the ACC's best receivers. -- Jared Shanker
6. LSU Tigers
Malachi Dupre, Jr., WR: The Tigers have several players who could lay claim to this title, but we're suckers for guys who can play above the rim. Dupre, a 6-foot-3 wide receiver, can certainly do that -- as he has shown on many a jump ball in his football career. When he was a football recruit at John Curtis High (and a state champion jumper on the track team), Dupre showed off his hops on his Instagram account. -- David Ching
7. Oklahoma Sooners
Jeffery Mead, Jr., WR: At Tulsa Union High School, Mead doubled as a hoops star. At 6-foot-7 in high school, Mead thrived on the hardwood and drew interest from the likes of Tulsa, Oral Roberts, Stanford and Wichita State, who all recruited him for basketball. He ultimately signed with the Sooners to play football. And OU is hoping Mead's athleticism translates to a big junior season on the gridiron. -- Jake Trotter
8. Stanford Cardinal
JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Soph, WR: Some on The Farm will say it's ... wait for it ... all-purpose dynamo Christian McCaffrey, who is apparently genetically incapable of doing anything poorly. Others will point to Arcega-Whiteside. We're going to go with the latter, given his credentials. He was All-State in South Carolina in 2014 and a McDonald's All-America nominee. -- Kevin Gemmell
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Mike McGlinchey, Jr., OL: Word out of the football complex is that this is a hotly debated issue among the players. One name who continuously pops up, though, is McGlinchey. And at 6-foot-7.5 and 310 pounds, it is hard to imagine many of the agile offensive tackle's teammates getting a handle on him defensively. The rising redshirt junior did play on the hardwood while at William Penn Charter High as well. -- Matt Fortuna
10. Ohio State Buckeyes
Isaiah Prince, Soph., OL: Prince might have blossomed into a star on the hardwood -- albeit with a little different body type. He decided midway through high school that he was losing too much weight and not lifting enough during basketball season, which was keeping him from fully unlocking his potential on the football field. Now he's 6-foot-7, 305 pounds and poised to emerge for the Buckeyes, but he still has nimble footwork to go with that size, which could have made him dangerous in basketball. -- Austin Ward
11. Houston Cougars
Tyus Bowser, Sr., LB: Ask the Cougars and the answer is almost unanimous: Bowser. The reason? He's the only one on the team to actually play for the Cougar basketball team, which he did for two seasons. "The dude can shoot, he can drive," defensive end Cameron Malveaux said. "I've seen him get up there on a couple dunks, even though we should not be doing it during the spring." Quarterback Greg Ward Jr. called Bowser "very aggressive with the ball" and receiver Chance Allen compared Bowser's game to Zach Randolph's. "He's got a nice little jump shot, a little step back," Allen said. "His 3-point game ain't that bright, though." -- Sam Khan Jr.
12. Tennessee Volunteers
Jauan Jennings, Soph., WR: Jennings ran the 4x100 and 4x200 relays, was a star quarterback and standout basketball player at Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, averaging 17 points and eight rebounds as a senior. The ability on the hardcourt runs in the family, too, with little sister Alexis earning SEC All-Freshman Team honors at Kentucky last year. -- Alex Scarborough
13. Ole Miss Rebels
Evan Engram, Sr., TE: With his sister Mackenzie already playing basketball at Georgia, it only makes sense that Evan Engram has a chance to represent Ole Miss on the hardwood. With his elite athleticism complementing his 6-foot-3, 227-pound frame, Engram would be an excellent wing player on the court. He has the speed of a wide receiver and the frame to knock guys around down low. He already has great hops, so you can just imagine him slashing through traffic and flying to the hoop. -- Edward Aschoff
14. Michigan State Spartans
Demetrious Cox, Sr., DB: The Spartans safety is one of two players in the football locker room who scored more than 1,000 points in high school basketball (tight end Josiah Price is the other). Cox was an all-conference pick at Jeannette High School in Pennsylvania as a junior, when he averaged 18 points per game. Michigan State's football coaches were in the stands to see him pass the 1,000-point milestone as a senior, and he committed to the Spartans a few days later. -- Dan Murphy
15. TCU Horned Frogs
Emanuel Porter, Jr., WR: The rising wide receiver didn't play high school football until his junior year, because he was too busy balling for the Deron Williams Elite AAU basketball squad. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Porter certainly has the size, speed and leaping ability to do some damage on the court. -- Max Olson
16. USC Trojans
Zach Banner, Sr., OT: You can find the big man, a first-team all-conference tackle, still playing regular pickup games around campus. He actually joined the Trojans basketball team for the remainder of the 2012-13 season after football ended, but did not see any action. He won a state title with Lakes High School in 2011. At 6-9, 360 pounds, he's quite the inside presence. -- Kevin Gemmell
17. Iowa Hawkeyes
Maurice Fleming, Jr., DB: With its affinity for building NFL-caliber offensive tackles and tight ends from raw material, Iowa has had its share of outstanding post players on the gridiron. But teammates say they're wowed by a little guy, the 6-foot Fleming, who honed his skills as a slick guard before arriving in Iowa City out of Chicago in 2012. -- Austin Ward
18. North Carolina Tar Heels
Bug Howard, Sr., WR: We're not mistaking Bug for a basketball player -- his pet peeve -- but the North Carolina receiver is being recognized for his prowess on the court. Earlier in the season, Howard asked whether a pickup game involving the men's basketball team at halftime would draw more fans to home football games. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound senior averaged more than 20 points per game his senior season in high school and threw down at least one highlight-reel jam; a search of "Bug Howard dunk" will produce that clip. -- Jared Shanker
19. Georgia Bulldogs
Lorenzo Carter, Jr., LB: Mark Fox's UGA basketball team could probably use another post player who is as athletic as the 6-foot-6 Carter. The rising junior defensive end was also a standout basketball player in high school, helping two different schools (Whitefield Academy as a sophomore and Norcross as a junior) win state championships. In 2013, Carter was a key forward on a Norcross program that won its fifth state title in eight years playing in Georgia's biggest high school classification. -- David Ching
20. Oregon Ducks
Dillon Mitchell, Fr., WR: He hasn't played a down yet for the Ducks, but the incoming freshman wide receiver was a highly rated prep point guard. His ESPN scouting page describes him as having "all the tools to be a very attractive lead guard on the college level." -- Kevin Gemmell
21. UCLA Bruins
Eldridge Massington, Jr., WR: Does self-proclaimed count? The wide receiver said he spent the 2015 preseason working out with the UCLA basketball team in the Wooden Center -- where he'd post up the Bruins' 6-9 center Tony Parker. He told the LA Times last summer: "I post him up and dunk on him every now and then. I play big in the paint. I'm like Charles Barkley." -- Kevin Gemmell
22. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Raymond Taylor, Sr., RB: The running back is second-to-none when it comes to hoops among Oklahoma State players. Despite his lack of height at 5-foot-8, Taylor actually turned down basketball scholarship offers to eventually end up as a walk-on running back for the Cowboys. -- Brandon Chatmon
23. Washington Huskies
Connor Griffin, Soph., WR: Easy choice for the Huskies. Walk-on receiver Connor Griffin, a tight end last season, formerly played basketball at mid-major power Gonzaga for a couple of seasons. He appeared in 29 games for the Bulldogs over two seasons (after winning a spot in an open tryout) and went to the NCAA tournament twice -- including an Elite 8 appearance in the 2014-2015 season. -- Kevin Gemmell
24. Florida Gators
David Sharpe, Jr., OT: Believe it or not, the offensive tackle might make a pretty nice addition to the Gators basketball team. The 6-foot-6, 347-pounder would be a monster in the paint and actually had a pretty decent high school basketball career. He averaged 16 points and 8.6 rebounds per game as a junior (and won the Class 3A state championship). Sharpe also claims to have averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior, and with his size, it's best not to question him. -- Edward Aschoff
25. Boise State Broncos
Ryan Finley, Jr., QB: Quarterbacks get all the glory. Little known fact about Finley: He helped lead Paradise Valley High to an Arizona Division II title his senior year, earning second-team all-state honors in the process. The team went 26-7 his senior year. -- Kevin Gemmell