Ranking the 15 Best Small Forwards in Men’s College Basketball for 2025

This week, Sports Illustrated is rolling out its college basketball player rankings by position. Grouping players into traditional position groups in the era of positionless basketball is always a challenge, though SI’s rankings are largely based on where a player projects to play the majority of his minutes this season (with a few exceptions). From elite freshmen to top transfers and potential breakout stars, the player pool for these rankings was deep. So far in the series, we ranked point guards and shooting guards, and continue today with small forwards.

Dybantsa will spend what’s sure to be his only year of college basketball under an incredible microscope. That comes with the territory of being one of the most-hyped recruits in recent memory. His talent more than backs up the hype though, with rare shotmaking gifts at 6′ 9″ with long arms and the potential to be an elite defender in time. 

Potential All-Americans are few and far between in the transfer portal, but Will Wade and NC State got one in Williams. He’s the epitome of a stat-stuffer, fresh off a season at Texas Tech during which he averaged north of 15 points, five rebounds and three assists per game. He has an elite post-up game for a wing and creates so many mismatches because of his thick frame.

Florida plans to slide Haugh to the wing after playing almost exclusively at the four in his first two college seasons. He looks prepared for the shift, having improved significantly this offseason as a shooter and ballhandler. Playing these big lineups should allow the Gators to absolutely dominate the glass, and Haugh has proven mobile enough to guard smaller perimeter players without much issue.

Ament has nudged his way into the early conversation for No. 1 in the 2026 NBA draft. There’s much to be intrigued about with a player who has Ament’s length and shooting ability, even if he’s a bit further away from consistently dominating games than a more game-ready prospect like Dybantsa. Tennessee will need him to produce from Day 1 if it hopes to contend for an SEC title. 

A shoulder injury ended DeVries’s season early at West Virginia in 2024–25, but he seemed on pace to continue his torrid rate from his three seasons at Drake despite moving up a level. Indiana fans will undoubtedly hope that continues in Bloomington, Ind., where he’ll be the face of his father Darian’s first team as a Hoosier. He’s an elite three-point shooter with the ability to play in ball screens and get others involved. Don’t be surprised if he’s an all-league player from Day 1 in the Big Ten. 

Stojaković is on his third school in three years, enrolling at Illinois this season after previous stops at Stanford and Cal. While his father, Peja, was known as a sharpshooter, Andrej is more of a pure scorer. He’s highly effective going downhill to the rim and drawing fouls. Improving his efficiency is a must, but he should benefit from far better talent around him than he had in either of his first two years of college. 

Texas Tech needed a replacement for the aforementioned Williams and found the closest thing in the portal in Watts, who plays an incredibly similar style as a jumbo ballhandler who loves to play with his back to the basket. He might be an even better passer than Williams, posting an eye-popping 25% assist rate at Washington State last season. 

While a bit of a tweener between the three and the four, one thing that can’t be argued with Royal is his production. He averaged nearly 14 points and seven rebounds per game a year ago as a sophomore and had some monster games late in the season, like his 29 points against Illinois and 26 against Michigan. 

Baker-Mazara has become something of a punchline given his age (he’ll turn 26 midway through this season), but he’s a very good college wing. He’s also a great fit in Eric Musselman’s system, which has traditionally done very well with bigger wings who can score in isolation. Baker-Mazara’s volatility can be a problem, but the highs are very high. 

Yessoufou is a natural scorer, setting California’s all-time scoring record in high school before enrolling at Baylor this summer. He has built considerable NBA draft momentum at camps and All-Star games this summer thanks to his defensive upside in addition to his high-scoring ways. He should be Baylor’s eighth first-rounder in the last six classes. 

If there was a metric for highlight-reel plays per minute, Carr would lead the country. He’s college basketball’s most dynamic athlete, soaring through the air for acrobatic dunks and thunderous blocks. The big hole in his game has been his three-point shot, though Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has said Carr has made strides there this offseason. 

Dailey could be the biggest beneficiary of UCLA adding one of the top point guards in the portal in Donovan Dent. The bruising 6′ 8″ wing/forward is an absolute terror for opposing teams in transition, and playing next to Dent ensures he’ll get plenty more chances to get out and run. His improvement from three (38% last season) has also been huge in his development. 

Momcilovic didn’t have the breakout sophomore year some expected, but his role could grow as a junior with Iowa State in clear need of a boost offensively. He’s one of the most dynamic shooters in the country, with the size and length to get shots off over just about anyone and a pure stroke to go with it.

Knox could be one of the most improved players in the SEC this season after showing flashes of elite scoring potential as a freshman. He finished the year strong with big performances in the Hogs’ run to the Sweet 16, and has the size, physicality and three-level scoring ability to take over games at times this season. 

Loyer is Mr. Reliable, a starter since the moment he arrived on campus three years ago with sights set now on helping the Boilermakers to their first national championship in the modern era. He has shot 44% from three in each of the last two seasons. He’s 84 threes from tying Carsen Edwards’s career record for made threes at Purdue, a goal that feels attainable if the team makes a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

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