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Myron Medcalf, ESPN Staff Writer
Ron Hunter had coached his son, R.J., for two seasons at Georgia State, a Sun Belt contender based in Atlanta. But after R.J. nailed a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat Baylor in a stirring upset this March, and his injured father fell off his chair in the celebration that followed, folks nationwide began to take note of the duo.
R.J. Hunter (No. 28, Boston Celtics) took his talents to the NBA draft, where four first-round picks (Hunter, Rashad Vaughn, Cameron Payne and Larry Nance Jr.) competed for non-Power 5 schools.
The 2014-15 campaign maintained the truth that college basketball always will make room for outsiders. That’s the game’s mass appeal. Powerhouses usually win the national championship -- Duke, UConn, Louisville, Kentucky, UConn, Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and Florida (twice) in the previous 10 seasons -- but legitimate threats for the throne tend to sprout from unheralded conferences.
That theme will continue in 2015-16.
Wichita State’s Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker are both seniors, and they’re aiming for a return to the Final Four just three years after their 2013 appearance.
And Gonzaga’s Final Four hopes are valid too. You’ll find some of the strongest frontcourts in the country at Kansas, Kentucky, Purdue and North Carolina. But Gonzaga’s Kyle Wiltjer, Przemek Karnowski and Domantas Sabonis boast a strong case as the nation’s best trio of bigs.
They’re not alone. But they’re definitely the most notable names outside the power conferences.
Trending up
Sabonis, blessed with his father Arvydas’ passing touch and diverse post game, connected on 66 percent of his 2-point shots last season, 10th in the country. He also finished inside the top 50 of individual offensive and defensive rebounding percentages, per kenpom.com. If you believe the early reports, then it’s safe to peg Sabonis as a likely first-round pick and potential lottery selection in the 2016 NBA draft.
And yet, the sophomore could come off the bench again for the stacked Zags. Wiltjer, one of a handful of legit Wooden Award candidates entering the season, is back. And Karnowski is clearly the man in the paint. So one of the top power forwards in America will be a reserve for a top-15 squad -- unless Mark Few gets wild and throws Sabonis at the small forward slot next to Wiltjer and Karnowski. My goodness!
But Gonzaga’s national title aspirations aren’t a lock. Gary Bell Jr. and Kevin Pangos are gone. The latter was a reliable, veteran point guard and a 43 percent shooter from beyond the arc. Bell was Few’s most effective defender. In Bell’s four seasons (2011-15), Gonzaga never finished outside the top 40 in adjusted defensive efficiency and peaked at 15th in 2013-14. In the previous 10 seasons, Gonzaga cracked the top 40 only twice.
Byron Wesley (10.6 PPG) is out too.
So there are voids in the backcourt that Silas Melson, Eric McClellan, Kyle Dranginis and Josh Perkins all will work to fill.
Still, the return of key frontcourt pieces should position Gonzaga to make another deep run in the NCAA tournament.
Wichita State can relate to Gonzaga’s concerns. But the Shockers’ questions are inside. Baker and VanVleet comprise one of the game’s best backcourts. The Shockers finished sixth in turnover rate last season with that duo anchoring the perimeter. And former Kansas guard Conner Frankamp will join the team at the semester break. He couldn’t find a rhythm in Lawrence, Kansas, but he was a talented prep guard and former USA Basketball developmental team standout who could hit shots on the break and finish in traffic.
But Tekele Cotton was a stubborn defender, great athlete and catalyst on both ends of the floor. Darius Carter was a rugged forward who helped Wichita State remain tough in the paint. Now Evan Wessel and Rashard Kelly will be asked to play more significant minutes. And graduate transfer Anton Grady, who averaged 14.3 PPG and 7.9 RPG for Cleveland State last season, will pick up where he left off with the Vikings through a prominent role inside.
The final year of the VanVleet-Baker connection could be -- another -- special season.
Trending down
Anthony Drmic is back for Boise State. And the Broncos will return enough talent to compete for the Mountain West crown again. But MWC Player of the Year Derrick Marks is gone and Drmic is returning after missing most of last season with an ankle injury. Leon Rice’s squad could easily move to the “trending up” list early in the season. It might be wise, however, to hold off until we see how this squad kicks off the season without Marks.
Kyle Collinsworth is the new leader of a BYU squad that lost Tyler Haws (22.2 PPG). The Cougars should be a problem for the bulk of the WCC, but they thrived off their offensive attack (12th in adjusted offensive efficiency) with Haws on the floor. A team that gets few stops (160th in adjusted defensive efficiency) lost one of America’s top scorers.
Scoring was a luxury for San Diego State, a tenet exemplified by its 48-point outing in a loss to Duke in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Winston Shepard’s return will keep SDSU in the mix and Malik Pope could blossom, but losing Dwayne Polee II, Aqeel Quinn and JJ O’Brien to graduation will only complicate the Aztecs' offensive ambitions.
Newcomers
Grady could be a force inside for Wichita State. He was a strong rebounder and a member of the Horizon’s all-defensive squad last season. The Shockers will need those attributes throughout the season.
Ike Nwamu, who averaged 15.1 PPG for Mercer last season, will be eligible at UNLV. The Runnin’ Rebels need another offensive threat after losing Vaughn to the NBA.
Jeremy Hemsley, a four-star guard, could help San Diego State as a freshman.
Early reports suggest that four-star Wichita State prospect Markis McDuffie, a 6-8 forward, will contribute in 2015-16. Add Frankamp to the mix and it’s clear that the Shockers will be blessed with depth, although some of their talent is unproven.
Looking ahead
Wichita State
Northern Iowa
San Diego State
Murray State
Gonzaga
BYU
http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebask...14/early-look-sizing-up-the-other-conferences
