Bossi's Best: Sophomores primed for big leap this season
The start of college basketball practice is just over two weeks away. This week, we take a look at national analyst Eric Bossi’s best bets for highly ranked players from the class of 2015 to make a big leap during their sophomore seasons.
ACC - Raymond Spalding, Louisville
As a recruit: Ranked No. 63, four-star in 2015 Rivals150
As a freshman: 5.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 17.5 minutes per game
Sophomore expectation: Rick Pitino’s Cardinals actually have a trio of sophomores that should take huge leaps and others have either shooting guard Donovan Mitchell or small forward Deng Adel pegged as breakout sophomores. We will lean to Spalding, because it seems like he’s being overlooked a bit. All he lacked as a freshman was strength and consistency, and if he’s improved in those areas he could emerge as a 12-point, eight-rebound per night big man.
Big East- Jessie Govan, Georgetown
As a recruit: Ranked No. 40, four-star in 2015 Rivals150
As a freshman: 6.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 17.8 minutes per game
Sophomore expectation: It wouldn’t be reasonable to expect Govan to go for 27 points and seven rebounds like he did against Seton Hall in February of his freshman year on a regular basis. Even with the granting of an extra year of eligibility to Bradley Hayes, Govan figures to play a much bigger role. His skill, ability to eat space in the lane and shooting (50 percent on three-point attempts as a freshman) all add up to a guy ready to emerge as one of the Big East’s top big men.
Big Ten- Matt McQuaid, Michigan State
As a recruit: Ranked No. 84, four-star in 2015 Rivals150
As a freshman: 3.5 points, 1.6 assists, 15.8 minutes per game
Sophomore expectation: The Spartans lost a lot of firepower from last year’s team. Particularly in the backcourt where Denzel Valentine and Bryn Forbes accounted for nearly 34 points per game and the lion’s share of Michigan State’s three-point shooting. McQuaid proved a capable long-distance bomber making almost 41 percent of his threes last season and he should see a huge increase in utilization this season, turning into a double-digit scorer.
Big 12 - Carlton Bragg, Kansas
As a recruit: Ranked No. 21, five-star in 2015 Rivals150
As a freshman: 3.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 8.9 minutes per game
Sophomore expectation: A McDonald’s All-American in high school, there were big expectations for Bragg, but the truth was Perry Ellis was always going to play the majority of minutes at the power forward. With Ellis and reserve Jamari Traylor graduated, nearly 44 minutes per game are opening up in the Jayhawks' lineup. We saw Bragg at Adidas Nations in August and he has added muscle and confidence. With his ability to shoot, athleticism and length, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he tripled his freshman production in his second year.
Pac 12- Chimezie Metu, USC
As a recruit: Ranked No. 41, four-star in 2015 Rivals150
As a freshman: 6.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 18.5 minutes per game
Sophomore expectation: Maybe no conference had more impact freshmen than the Pac-12 in 2015-16. Because of that, Metu was overlooked at times. He’s an NBA-level athlete who can shoot from mid-range but lacked strength and fought with decision-making and indecision as a freshman. With a year under his belt and the departure of Nikola Jovanovic it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Metu double his output and emerge as a legitimate NBA prospect.
SEC- Chris Silva, South Carolina
As a recruit: Ranked No. 134, three-star in 2015 Rivals150
As a freshman: 5.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 13.3 minutes
Sophomore expectation: Silva is a little bit off the radar, but he’s in line to have a huge sophomore year. South Carolina is losing nearly half of its rebounding from 2015-16 and Silva’s 40-minute-per-game averages of 16.3 points, 13.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks were very impressive for a freshman who struggled with foul trouble. He’s gotten stronger in the offseason and has a chance to make huge gains if he’s ready to answer the bell.
OTHERS - Markis McDuffie, Wichita State
As a recruit: Ranked No. 145, three-star in 2015 Rivals150
As a freshman: 7.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 18.5 minutes
Sophomore expectation: Even with stud seniors Ron Baker and Fred Van Vleet on the roster in 2015-16, there were stretches during which McDuffie looked like the Shockers' best player. A 6-foot-8 forward with athleticism and versatility, McDuffie should be an improved perimeter shooter and rebounder as a sophomore. There just aren’t many outside of the power conferences with his potential for a big step forward.