It may be just the beginning of summer, but we are going to continue looking forward to next season, and the players that every college basketball fan needs to have on their radar for fantasy, and other reasons.
After notable freshmen campaigns, here are our top five candidates for a breakout sophomore year.
1.) Jakob Poeltl, Utah Utes
Utah’s under the radar big man came into last season with less than little fan fare. In fact, most beat writers within the Pac-12 had no idea who he was, how he ended up in Salt Lake City, and whether or not he was any good. As it turns out, Poeltl was one of the most effective big men in college basketball, regardless of class.
Not only was he in the nation’s top ten for offensive efficiency from the field, but he proved to be one of the best rim protectors in the country as well. All of that he helped him garner more than his due from the media and NBA scouts, as he’s now considered to be a top ten pick candidate for the 2016 NBA Draft.
2.) Isaac Hamilton, UCLA Bruins
After being forced to sit out a season due to withdrawing from his LOI to UTEP, Hamilton finally settled in at UCLA as his first season wore on. Early, it looked like he was overwhelmed with the size and quickness of defenders, and he didn’t show much savvy in finding ways to affect the game without putting up a high volume of shots. That did change, though.
Hamilton began to buy into the role afforded him by Steve Alford, while also taking chances to let loose offensively, like the 36 points he dropped on USC in the Pac-12 Tournament. If he continues to develop like he has, he could be in for a huge year in 2015-2016.
3.) James Blackmon Jr., Indiana Hoosiers
For some strange reason it always felt like Blackmon Jr. was the forgotten one on Indiana’s team last season. That seems pretty absurd for a guy who likely could have been a first round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, had he declared.
Nonetheless, IU fans were excited to hear the news of his return, as he should be one of the most prolific shooters in CBB next season, especially given the cast of players around him.
4.) Anton Beard, Arkansas Razorbacks
Arkansas struggled with consistency last year, but as the season wore on, Beard began to step up for the Razorbacks on the perimeter. In fact, by year’s end, he was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, and had folks clamoring to see what he could do in a reprising role next season.
He’ll have some competition at the PG spot with four-star recruit Jimmy Whitt coming in, but if Beard keeps his head on his shoulders, he should be able to use the competition to his advantage, and elevate his game.
5.) Isaiah Whitehead, Seton Hall Pirates
Whitehead looked like a guy who could be one of, if not the, best freshman scorers in CBB for Seton Hall last season. That was, until he missed the second half of the year with an injury. The Pirates suffered without his scoring punch and finished the season with little more than a whimper.
Fully healthy, and surely being counted on as the go-to scorer for the team, Whitehead could explode for a monster season, and even be in the conversation for Big East POY if he can elevate the play of his teammates around him.
