Picking the NYC-area’s top players

A new college basketball season is upon us.

The NYC Metro area has produced plenty of NCAA talent that will be on display in the 2020-21 season, and there will be even more worth watching on the local teams.

With a fresh season kicking off on Wednesday, The Post’s top college hoop experts make their picks for which area stars will shine brightest.

Locals All-Area First Team

Sr. G Jose Alvarado (14.4 PPG, 4.0 APG), Georgia Tech (Brooklyn)

High character, high intensity and all about team, Alvarado has improved each season, and now with more talent and experience around him, hopes to complete a quality career with an NCAA Tournament berth.

So. G James Bouknight (13.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG), UConn (Brooklyn)

The 6-foot-5 guard has NBA potential, and now he’ll get to prove himself in one of the nation’s best conferences. A major leap is expected after a strong finish to his freshman season.

So. C Kofi Cockburn (13.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG) Illinois (Brooklyn)

The bruising former Christ the King star took the Big Ten by storm as Illinois’s leading rebounder and shot-blocker, winning the league’s freshman of the year and was pivotal in the Illini’s best season in six years.

Jr. G Ron Harper Jr. (12.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG), Rutgers (Franklin Lakes, N.J.)

A breakout star for Rutgers last winter, the physical 6-foot-6 wing’s development as a shooter and defender would’ve led to the Scarlet Knights first tournament berth since 1991 if not for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jr. G Markquis Nowell (17.2 PPG, 4.9 APG), Arkansas-Little Rock (Harlem)

One of the premier little guards in the country, Nowell stands just 5-foot-7, but he plays big. He relentlessly attacks the paint and his 3-point shot, up to 39 percent last year, has become lethal.

Second Team

Sr. G Bryce Aiken (16.7 PPG, 1.3 SPG), Seton Hall (Randolph, N.J.)

Jr. G R.J. Cole (21.4 PPG, 6.4 APG), UConn (Union, N.J.)

So. G Scottie Lewis (8.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, Florida (Hazlet, N.J.)

So. G/F Jared Rhoden (9.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG), Seton Hall (Baldwin, L.I.)

Sr. G Keith Williams (12.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, Cincinnati (Brooklyn)

Third Team

So. F Julian Champagnie (9.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG), St. John’s (Brooklyn)

So. F Justin Champagnie (12.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG), Pittsburgh (Brooklyn)

Jr. G/F Alan Griffin (8.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG), Syracuse (Ossining, N.Y.)

Jr. G Marcus Hammond (14.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG), Niagara (Queens)

So. F Isaac Kante (11.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG), Hofstra (Brooklyn)

Zach’s Haggerty Pick: Sr. G Geo Baker, Rutgers

Zach’s All-Met First Team:

Sr. G Zach Cooks, NJIT

So. F Julian Champagnie, St. John’s

Jr. F Ron Harper Jr., Rutgers

Sr. F Sandro Mamukelashvili, Seton Hall

Sr. G Jalen Ray, Hofstra

Howie’s Haggerty Pick: Sr. F Sandro Mamukelashvili, Seton Hall

Howie’s All-Met First Team:

Sr. G Geo Baker, Rutgers

So. F Julian Champagnie, St. John’s

Jr. F Ty Flowers, LIU

Jr. G Ron Harper Jr., Rutgers

Jr. F Isaac Kante, Hofstra

Local Predictions

A Posh start for…