Predicting the Top 20 Sophomores for the 2014-15 College Basketball Season
Even with the one-and-done marquee names having left for the NBA draft, college basketballโs rising sophomore class is loaded with star power. Mighty Kentucky held on to more of its freshmen than ever before under John Calipari, and the Wildcats have no monopoly on elite talent coming back for a second season on campus.
One of the biggest surprises among 2013-14โs freshmen was Texas point guard Isaiah Taylor. The novice floor general put the Longhorns back in the NCAA tournament, and now heโs got his sights set on leading them to a Big 12 title.
Read on for more on Taylor and the rest of the 20 rising sophomores positioned to turn in the biggest performances in 2014-15. Although prior effectiveness is important, potential for success next year is the biggest factor in these rankings.
20. Dakari Johnson, Kentucky
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During the 2013-14 regular season, Dakari Johnson (who split time with Willie Cauley-Stein at center all year) had two double-digit scoring nights.
In Kentuckyโs run to the NCAA title game, Johnson equaled that total in six contests, including a 15-point, six-rebound effort in dominating Louisville.
Cauley-Stein is also back in the pivot, but the hulking Johnsonโs late-season development should guarantee him enough minutes to put up substantial scoring numbers.
If he adds just a little more quickness to whatโs currently a 7โ0โ, 265-pound frame, he should also see a massive upswing in his disappointing 3.9 rebounds per game.
19. Mamadou Ndiaye, UC Irvine
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No matter what kind of stats Mamadou Ndiaye puts up as a sophomore, his most impressive numbers will always be 7โ6โ and 290 pounds.
The behemoth center is still learning how to use all that size, but his 3.1 blocks per game as a freshman show that heโs been a quick study.
Ndiaye showed flashes of potential to match his bulk, narrowly missing triple-doubles on multiple occasions (including an 18-point, eight-rebound, nine-block showcase against Washington).
Now that the Senegalese import has a year of American experience behind him, he could make the Anteaters one of the most dangerous NCAA tournament sleepers of 2015.
18. Wayne Selden Jr., Kansas
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Wayne Selden Jr. is going to be one of the most overlooked players in the Big 12 this offseason.
The focus in Lawrence is (as usual) on the jaw-dropping recruits Bill Self has brought in, and any leftover attention will go to rising senior leader Naadir Tharpe, but Selden stands to play a major role of his own for next yearโs Jayhawks.
The 6โ5โ wing did a little bit of everything as Andrew Wigginsโ sidekick last season, averaging 9.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
Heโs a big-time scorer when he gets hotโmaking 5-of-10 three-pointers in a shootout win over Oklahomaโbut he makes his name with his physical defense and ability to contribute up and down the box score.
17. Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame
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The presumed return of Jerian Grant is a good bet to spark a revival of the offense that deserted the Fighting Irish last season.
Grant will do plenty of his own scoring, but the biggest beneficiary of the seniorโs passing skills is likely to be new shooting guard Demetrius Jackson.
Jackson showed promise as a scorer off the bench a year ago, and he should fit right into Eric Atkinsโ old starting spot alongside the do-it-all Grant.
The 6โ1โ youngster is (like Atkins) a natural point guard; it's a skill set heโll also get plenty of chances to use with veterans such as Pat Connaughton spotting up for jump shots.
16. Andrew Harrison, Kentucky
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As a scorer, Andrew Harrison was erratic all season. As a playmaker, though, the 6โ6โ point guard steadily improved, as shown especially well by Kentuckyโs offensive resilience in the NCAA tournament.
For the year, Harrison averaged 10.9 points (mostly on penetration and free throws) to go with his 4.0 assists per game.
Heโll have at least as strong an offense around him in 2014-15, and he should make a good run at fulfilling his potential as the top-rated guard in his recruiting class.
15. Eric Mika, BYU
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If Eric Mika can shore up his defense over the offseason, heโll be one of the top mid-major post players of any age in 2014-15. The 6โ10โ Cougar is already a serious force in an offense that stands to be among the countryโs best once again.
Despite a season-ending slump, Mika finished with 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last season. In the WCC, he wonโt face many big men who can stand up to his low-post arsenal, and with Matt Carlino gone, his point production is only likely to rise.
14. Nigel Williams-Goss, Washington
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Although Washington has gotten used to much more impressive finishes, the Huskiesโ 17-15 record last year was appreciably better than expected for a patchwork roster.
The biggest key to that overachieving year was the fast start from point guard Nigel Williams-Goss, whose versatility helped cover for a lot of deficiencies in the rest of the lineup.
The 6โ3โ Williams-Goss averaged 13.4 points, 4.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game (all first or second on the roster) while also contributing 4.4 rebounds a night and .356 three-point shooting.
Heโll have a tough time keeping the Huskies competitive with high-scoring C.J. Wilcox gone, but then, heโs already shown an aptitude for overcoming serious challenges.
13. Austin Nichols, Memphis
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Few teams in the country are going to change more over the offseason than the Memphis Tigers, who graduate four terrific senior guards. With the backcourt depleted, Austin Nichols and the big men will get their chance to run the show.
A highly skilled 6โ8โ PF, Nichols displayed great intensity while putting up solid numbersโ9.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per gameโin his collegiate debut.
If he spends the offseason at the foul line (where he shot just .536 as a freshman), he should become one of the AACโs top post players for 2014-15.
12. Kasey Hill, Florida
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Despite Floridaโs major graduation losses, the Gators will still have plenty of offensive weapons, including three-point marksman Michael Frazier II and versatile forward Dorian Finney-Smith.
The man in charge of feeding those scorers will be Kasey Hill, whoโs already shown flashes of being a devastating playmaker.
Hill doesnโt have Scottie Wilbekinโs scoring punch, but he turned in some tremendous offensive gamesโsix points and 10 assists against UCLA, eight points and seven assists against Kentuckyโas Wilbekinโs understudy.
Heโs also got the quick hands to be a worthy replacement for Wilbekin in the Gatorsโ predatory full-court press.
11. Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina
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With so many superstar freshmen in last yearโs SEC, it was easy for Sindarius Thornwell to get lost in the shuffle.
Although Thornwellโs 14-20 Gamecocks werenโt up to the challenges of a deep league, he came through as the most consistent weapon for a struggling offense.
Thornwell not only poured in 13.4 points per game, but he shifted into a de facto point-guard role midseason and still finished with 3.0 assists a night.
A .370 long-range shooter, Thornwell will be in line for even more points with scoring leader Brenton Williams graduating.
10. Jarell Martin, LSU
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Slowed early in the season by a high ankle sprain, Jarell Martin was one of the few freshmen who actually improved during conference play last year.
Twenty-point outbursts against Mississippi State and Texas A&M last February are harbingers of what the Tigers can expect from their erstwhile top recruit in his second season.
Martin is a combo-forward type who poses a respectable three-point threat at 6โ9โ and 241 pounds.
With Johnny OโBryant III gone, he may have to spend more time mixing it up with bigger opponents down lowโand heโs already shown the rebounding potential to handle that assignmentโbut that will also provide plenty of opportunities to beat slower foes off the dribble on the offensive end.
9. Aaron Harrison, Kentucky
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Obviously, Aaron Harrison would be No. 1 on the list of โTop 20 Sophomores for the Last 10 Seconds of Games.โ
Even without accounting for his buzzer-beating heroics in the postseason, though, the 6โ6โ shooting guard is a substantial asset for Kentucky on both ends of the floor.
Harrisonโs length helped make him the teamโs most successful perimeter defender at 1.1 steals per game, a valuable feat overshadowed by his offensive contributions.
He provided Kentuckyโs best three-point shooting option (.356) and a welcome extra ball-handler while also scoring 13.7 points a night.
8. Kennedy Meeks, North Carolina
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It took until late December for Kennedy Meeks to force open a starting spot for himself in the crowded North Carolina frontcourt. Of course, it takes a pretty big spot to accommodate the 6โ9โ, 290-pound bulldozer of a forward.
Meeks finished with 7.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game for his freshman season, and both those numbers figure to shoot up in the absence of James Michael McAdoo.
Meeks will also benefit from the arrival of a platoon of high-scoring recruits on the perimeter, a group that will make it far more difficult for opponents to double-team him when he establishes position deep in the post.
7. Jabari Bird, California
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Californiaโs new head coach, Cuonzo Martin, helped develop Jordan McRae into one of the SECโs most dangerous scorers during his time at Tennessee.
In Jabari Bird, heโs got a shooting guard with the potential to be even more impressive than the one he left in Knoxville.
The 6โ6โ Bird is a first-class athlete (as seen especially in his dunking prowess) who got off to an excellent start before a January ankle injury wrecked his season.
He finally hit his stride again in the NIT (39 combined points against Arkansas and SMU), and his mix of slashing and three-point shooting make him a good bet to take over as the Golden Bearsโ top scorer next season.
6. Bobby Portis, Arkansas
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The amount of low-post talent departing the SECโJulius Randle, Jarnell Stokes, Patric Young, Johnny OโBryant III...โis a draft class unto itself.
One star who did stick around is Bobby Portis, who held his own against that exalted competition as the best player on a shaky Arkansas roster.
Portisโ two-way talent (12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game) led the Razorbacks to 22 wins, including a blowout over a tough Indiana State squad in the NIT.
He capped his season with back-to-back double-doubles (his fourth and fifth overall), and his strength and leaping ability are going to be even scarier after a full year of college weight training.
5. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Arizona
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Even as a freshman and part-time starter, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had an excellent case for being the best defensive player in the Pac-12.
Heading into his second season in Tucson, the versatile forward will continue to provide lockdown D for an Arizona team with serious championship aspirations.
Hollis-Jefferson, whose offense depends almost entirely on getting to the rim, will benefit from classmate Aaron Gordonโs departure (which should space the floor a little more).
Even at just 6โ7โ, heโll also be among the Wildcatsโ top rebounders after grabbing 5.7 boards per game last year.
4. Marcus Foster, Kansas State
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Even Marcus Fosterโs solid 15.5 points per game donโt tell the whole story of his value to Kansas State.
In Bruce Weber's ball-sharing, low-scoring motion offense, it took a minor miracle for one playerโand a freshman at thatโto put up 22.2 percent of his teamโs points.
The 6โ2โ Foster is a terrific shot (.395 from beyond the arc), and he also showed some ability as a distributor with 2.5 assists a night last season.
His defense is still a work in progress, but whatever success K-State has in 2014-15, heโll be right in the middle of it.
3. Isaiah Taylor, Texas
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Looking at many of his biggest gamesโincluding a 23-point explosion in an upset of Kansasโitโs not necessarily obvious that Isaiah Taylorโs most important job is running the point for Texas.
Over the course of the season, though, the 6โ1โ guard handed out four assists per contest to fuel a welcome turnaround for a Longhorns roster that had underachieved badly in 2012-13.
Taylor does need plenty of work on his jump shot after hitting just 39.1 percent of his field goals as a freshman.
Of course, if he could average 12.7 points a night on his penetration abilities alone, imagine what heโll be capable of with an offseason worth of shooting practice to expand his range.
2. Jordan Mickey, LSU
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Just looking at proven productivity, no sophomore in the country can touch Jordan Mickey. The SECโs leading shot-blocker as a freshman (3.2 a night), Mickey was also a serious offensive weapon, especially when it came to finishing dunks.
Even playing in the shadow of Johnny OโBryant III, Mickey averaged 12.7 points and a team-leading 7.9 rebounds per game last season.
With OโBryant gone, the only thing that will limit Mickeyโs offensive numbers is his 6โ8โ height, hardly impressive in this conference but also made less of a concern by his tremendous leaping ability.
1. Chris Walker, Florida
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Obviously, Chris Walker didnโt do nearly as much in his truncated freshman season as the rest of the players on this list. However, with a solid Florida team around him and his own titanic potential, heโs set up to become the best sophomore in the country.
The 6โ10โ Walker can jump out of the gym, and heโs a good bet to add some muscle to his 220 pounds by the start of next season.
Despite playing a mere 87 minutes last season, he still found time to show moments of phenomenal talent and instincts (as both a shot-blocker and a dunker), and heโll challenge even the loaded Kentucky front line for a spot on the All-SEC roster next season.
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