https://www.cbssports.com/college-b...eakout-seasons-to-keep-an-eye-on-for-2020-21/
Here are the players who took a big step last season and could be in line for even more next season
Freshmen, seniors and players who have declared for the 2020 NBA Draft were not considered. The following list of breakout players are, at present, expected to be back in college basketball playing for the same team they played for this season.
Buddy Boeheim | Syracuse
Boeheim proved as a freshman in the 2018-19 season that his place on the Syracuse roster was more than a token family favor as he made 35.3% of his 3-pointers in a steady reserve role. But Boeheim took his game to the next level as a sophomore as he complimented Syracuse star Elijah Hughes by averaging 15.3 points per game. Best about Boeheim's sophomore surge is that he increased his 3-point shooting to 37% even while averaging 8.2 attempts per game. With Hughes declaring for the NBA Draft, even more will be expected from Boeheim as a junior. But as a player who was ranked No. 349 by 247Sports in the 2018 class, he's already exceeded expectations while playing under his father.
Garrison Brooks | North Carolina
It's jarring to consider where the Tar Heels may have been this season without the quantum leap Brooks made as a junior. He was a starter as a sophomore but but just a role player for a 29-win Tar Heels squad featuring first-round draft picks Coby White, Cameron Johnson and Nassir Little. But as UNC dealt with injuries and unmet expectations this season, Brooks emerged as a bright spot by averaging 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. His veteran presence and production and the arrival of the nation's No. 3 recruiting class should be enough to get UNC back to the NCAA Tournament.
David Duke | Providence
Providence improved dramatically in the 2019-20 season, and so did Duke. Making the jump from 7.1 points per game as a freshman to 12.0 per game as a sophomore was significant. But the uptick in efficiency from 29.7% 3-point shooting to 42% while increasing his number of attempts per game is what made him one of the Big East's top breakout players expected to return for another season. Duke also doubled his number of steals per game and held his number of turnovers steady, even while playing more minutes per game and having the ball in his hands more often as a focal point of the Friars' offense. With leading scorer Alpha Diallo graduating, look for Duke to make another jump offensively next season while also drawing more challenging defensive assignments.
John Fulkerson | Tennessee
With Grant Williams and Kyle Alexander departed, Fulkerson finally got to build on the promise he showed in 10 games as a freshman in the 2016-17 season before injuries derailed a promising beginning to the 6-foot-9 forward's career. As a redshirt junior this season, Fulkerson averaged 13.7 points on 61.3% shooting as he became the centerpiece of Tennessee's offense. The lanky left-hander averaged 16.6 points per game over the final 15 games of the season. For a reserve who scored 3.1 points in 12 minutes per game the season before, it was a great reward for his perseverance through injuries and two seasons of playing a lesser role than the one he initially seemed destined for. If Fulkerson can improve his right-handed finishing ability and add a perimeter jumper, he could be a dark horse candidate for SEC Player of the Year next season.
Ron Harper Jr. | Rutgers
Harper keyed Rutgers' historic season by leading the Scarlet Knights in scoring as he transformed from a role player on a mediocre team in 2018-19 into a star for a team that was likely headed its first NCAA Tournament in 29 years before the season was cut short. At 6-6, 245 pounds, Harper possesses a suave shooting touch and is also capable of bruising opponents on the block. His increase in offensive production from 7.8 points as a freshman to 12.1 as a sophomore stands out, but his increase in rebounding from 3.1 per game to 5.8 while playing only six more minutes per game is arguably the biggest improvement in his game this season. Look for him to take another leap as a junior.
Keyontae Johnson | Florida
On a team loaded with youth, Johnson's steady sophomore improvement stood out. The versatile 6-5 forward averaged a team-high 14 points per game and was the Gators' second-leading rebounder at 7.1 per game. His consistency was also a welcome plus for a team that dealt with plenty of ups and downs. Johnson reached double figures in 13 of Florida's last 14 games. The former four-star prospect will be an early favorite for SEC Player of the Year next season as he could end up as the only one of nine players voted First Team All-SEC by the league's coaches to return to college.
Here are the players who took a big step last season and could be in line for even more next season
- by David Cobb
Freshmen, seniors and players who have declared for the 2020 NBA Draft were not considered. The following list of breakout players are, at present, expected to be back in college basketball playing for the same team they played for this season.
Buddy Boeheim | Syracuse
Boeheim proved as a freshman in the 2018-19 season that his place on the Syracuse roster was more than a token family favor as he made 35.3% of his 3-pointers in a steady reserve role. But Boeheim took his game to the next level as a sophomore as he complimented Syracuse star Elijah Hughes by averaging 15.3 points per game. Best about Boeheim's sophomore surge is that he increased his 3-point shooting to 37% even while averaging 8.2 attempts per game. With Hughes declaring for the NBA Draft, even more will be expected from Boeheim as a junior. But as a player who was ranked No. 349 by 247Sports in the 2018 class, he's already exceeded expectations while playing under his father.
Garrison Brooks | North Carolina
It's jarring to consider where the Tar Heels may have been this season without the quantum leap Brooks made as a junior. He was a starter as a sophomore but but just a role player for a 29-win Tar Heels squad featuring first-round draft picks Coby White, Cameron Johnson and Nassir Little. But as UNC dealt with injuries and unmet expectations this season, Brooks emerged as a bright spot by averaging 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. His veteran presence and production and the arrival of the nation's No. 3 recruiting class should be enough to get UNC back to the NCAA Tournament.
David Duke | Providence
Providence improved dramatically in the 2019-20 season, and so did Duke. Making the jump from 7.1 points per game as a freshman to 12.0 per game as a sophomore was significant. But the uptick in efficiency from 29.7% 3-point shooting to 42% while increasing his number of attempts per game is what made him one of the Big East's top breakout players expected to return for another season. Duke also doubled his number of steals per game and held his number of turnovers steady, even while playing more minutes per game and having the ball in his hands more often as a focal point of the Friars' offense. With leading scorer Alpha Diallo graduating, look for Duke to make another jump offensively next season while also drawing more challenging defensive assignments.
John Fulkerson | Tennessee
With Grant Williams and Kyle Alexander departed, Fulkerson finally got to build on the promise he showed in 10 games as a freshman in the 2016-17 season before injuries derailed a promising beginning to the 6-foot-9 forward's career. As a redshirt junior this season, Fulkerson averaged 13.7 points on 61.3% shooting as he became the centerpiece of Tennessee's offense. The lanky left-hander averaged 16.6 points per game over the final 15 games of the season. For a reserve who scored 3.1 points in 12 minutes per game the season before, it was a great reward for his perseverance through injuries and two seasons of playing a lesser role than the one he initially seemed destined for. If Fulkerson can improve his right-handed finishing ability and add a perimeter jumper, he could be a dark horse candidate for SEC Player of the Year next season.
Ron Harper Jr. | Rutgers
Harper keyed Rutgers' historic season by leading the Scarlet Knights in scoring as he transformed from a role player on a mediocre team in 2018-19 into a star for a team that was likely headed its first NCAA Tournament in 29 years before the season was cut short. At 6-6, 245 pounds, Harper possesses a suave shooting touch and is also capable of bruising opponents on the block. His increase in offensive production from 7.8 points as a freshman to 12.1 as a sophomore stands out, but his increase in rebounding from 3.1 per game to 5.8 while playing only six more minutes per game is arguably the biggest improvement in his game this season. Look for him to take another leap as a junior.
Keyontae Johnson | Florida
On a team loaded with youth, Johnson's steady sophomore improvement stood out. The versatile 6-5 forward averaged a team-high 14 points per game and was the Gators' second-leading rebounder at 7.1 per game. His consistency was also a welcome plus for a team that dealt with plenty of ups and downs. Johnson reached double figures in 13 of Florida's last 14 games. The former four-star prospect will be an early favorite for SEC Player of the Year next season as he could end up as the only one of nine players voted First Team All-SEC by the league's coaches to return to college.
