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          Clear that this senior class is something special

          • John Gasaway, ESPN InsiderMar 16, 2016, 04:05 PM ET
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            • ESPN Insider college basketball contributor
            • First began covering college hoops in 2004
            • Has written for Basketball Prospectus and the Wall Street Journal
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          I confess that until I set out to list the field of 68's top 10 players from each of the four classes, I didn't quite understand just how amazing this year's group of seniors really is.

          I made a list of 10 great seniors -- I hereby defy you to look at any single one of them askance, even after considering who I had to leave off: Gary Payton II, Marcus Paige, Sheldon McClellan, Alex Caruso, Taurean Prince, Jaysean Paige, Jalen Jones, Rico Gathers ... you get the idea. This senior class is truly remarkable.

          Here are my choices for the field of 68's top 10 players from each of the four classes.

          Seniors

          1. Denzel Valentine, Michigan State

          Valentine is my choice as national player of the year. Tom Izzo's star is the quartz movement in a Michigan State offense that combines high-shot volume with accuracy. Valentine distributes the ball, crashes the glass and hits 45 percent of his 3-pointers. Frankly, he's the main reason I picked the Spartans to win it all.