Bossi's Best: Sophomore tracker
The high school class of 2016 was considered one of the best of the 2000s and expected to leave a big impact on college basketball and the NBA. So far, it’s proving to be true. After just one season, 18 members from the class have already taken the step to the next level and the only top 10 player that remains in college is potential All-American Miles Bridges of Michigan State.
The one-and-dones are gone, but the class of 2016 continues to leave a serious mark on the college game. In this week’s Bossi’s Best, national analyst Eric Bossi discusses 10 from the class who have made the leap to college stardom during their second season on campus.
RANKINGS: 2018 Rivals150 | 2019 Rivals150 | 2020 Rivals150 | 2018 Team | 2018 Position
How he got here: A native of Nigeria, Azubuike needed until halfway through his senior season of high school to make his college pick. He chose Kansas over his other finalists Florida State and North Carolina.
This season: 14.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.
Analysis: After having his freshman season cut short by injury, Azubuike has been a total monster as a sophomore. He leads the nation in field goal percentage (77.1 percent) and when he’s been able to avoid foul trouble his presence in the lane opens up lots of space for the Jayhawks' four-guard offense to get clean looks from deep.
How he got here: A native of Brooklyn, Ponds decided to stay home and try to help resurrect the near flat-lined St. John’s program rather than head to Connecticut, Providence or some other options.
This season: 21.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.
Analysis: Ponds put up big numbers as a freshman and wasn’t exactly efficient early on as St. John’s struggled mightily and endured an 11-game losing streak. All of the sudden, Ponds looks like an All-American and the Red Storm have wins over Duke and Villanova. During the win streak, Ponds is averaging an astounding 32.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and five assists per game. All of the sudden, Chris Mullin may have to figure out how to replace Ponds for the 2018-19 season.
MORE ST. JOHN'S: RedStormReport.com
How he got here: A product of New Jersey, Battle initially committed to Michigan after a campus visit during May of his junior year. Not much more than a month later he backed off that pledge before committing to Syracuse within another month or so.
This season: 19.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
Analysis: Battle leads the nation in minutes per game (38.7) and while his overall shooting percentage has dipped slightly, he’s nearly doubled his scoring from his freshman season. One of the only reasons that Syracuse has any chance of making the NCAA Tournament this year has been Battle’s All-ACC level play.
How he got here: A McDonald’s All-American, Guy’s pick was a bit of a surprise. Not that people ruled out Virginia, but Guy made the choice after an unofficial visit during October of his junior season rather than waiting until at least after his junior season as initially planned.
This season: 15.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.
Analysis: Virginia is ranked No. 1 in the country and Guy has emerged as the offensive leader during his second season on campus. His overall shooting numbers have dipped slightly from his freshman year, but he’s doubled his points and nearly doubled the time he’s on the floor. Regardless of percentages, he’s one of the country’s premier shooters.
How he got here: The highest-ranked recruit to pick Penn State during the Rivals.com era, Carr chose PSU during the fall of his senior season over Maryland, SMU and Temple.
This season: 19.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
Analysis: Carr is part of a sophomore class that was expected to turn things around at Penn State and he’s leading the way. PSU has a winning record in the Big Ten, is competing for postseason play and he’s a legitimate All-Big Ten player. So far, he’s been everything that was hoped for and more.
How he got here: A Syracuse scholarship crunch – and a commitment from the previously mentioned Battle – hit at just the right time. Maryland was able to outduel Notre Dame and Michigan among others to land the rangy shooter.
This season: 14.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
Analysis: The Terrapins have been a little up and down, but when they are up much of it has to do with Huerter taking the next step. Along with fellow sophomore star Anthony Cowan, he’s been a bright spot while emerging as one of the Big Ten’s premier shooters and a skilled all-around player with tremendous size.
How he got here: Gibbs didn’t make Mike Brey and the Irish wait long to land his commitment. He visited in the late spring of his junior season and committed shortly after the trip, over interest from Virginia, St. John’s, Pittsburgh, Georgetown and many others.
This season: 15.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
Analysis: An injury to senior star Bonzie Colson may ultimately cost the Irish a trip to the NCAA Tournament but Gibbs has done everything in his power to keep his team in the conversation. He’s tripled his scoring and more than doubled his minutes from his freshman season, and has established himself as the man for Notre Dame moving forward.
How he got here: At one point between his junior and senior seasons, Childs favored Notre Dame. The parties moved on before Childs ended up electing to stay home and picked BYU over Auburn, Vanderbilt, Princeton and Boise State.
This season: 17.4 points, 8.6 rebounds an 2.4 assists per game.
Analysis: Childs is rapidly emerging as one of the West Coast’s top big men and he’s done so while staying relatively under the radar. He’s adding a jump shot to go along with his toughness and strong hands, and looks poised to turn into a 20 and 10 guy and All-America candidate during his final two years in Provo.
MORE BYU: CougarNation.com
How he got here: Originally a member of the class of 2017, Howard first committed to Arizona State in August of 2014. After decommitting in the spring of 2015, he ended up picking Marquette over ASU, Baylor and Central Arkansas before enrolling a year early.
This season: 21.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
Analysis: Marquette has disappointed with a losing record in Big East play, but Howard has been a scoring machine. He has a 52-point game to his credit and is one of most willing and dangerous three-point shooters in the entire country. If he sticks around, he could challenge for the national scoring title over the next few seasons.
How he got here: Edwards put up big numbers but was somewhat overlooked, especially in his home state of Texas. He visited Purdue prior to July of his senior season and while Kansas State, Texas Tech and Vanderbilt looked as if they could get visits, he committed in August of his senior year before seeing any other campuses.
This season: 17.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
Analysis: After a terrific senior season, Edwards looked like he could be a steal for Purdue. As a freshman, he may have been a bit underrated coming out of high school. Now, he looks like a future All-American candidate and has developed into one of the nation’s more explosive guards. He’s adding to Matt Painter’s reputation for talent identification and getting the most out of his players.