Top Early Breakout Candidates in 2020-21 Men's College Basketball Season
Some teams have the luxury of an undisputed star, but the earliest days of the college basketball season are often a chance to see which players will guide a roster.
Once in a while, it's a freshman. But in most cases, a returning player shifts from a complementary spot to a leading role.
With only two weeks of data, designating every top performer a "breakout player" is a hurried conclusion. Although many of the highlighted players will continue thriving, a few early standouts may struggle as the competition level rises.
Nevertheless, the initial returns are highly promising.
Each player highlighted has three-plus appearances, and the order is loosely based on team expectations this season.
Sahvir Wheeler, G, Georgia
1 of 10
Sahvir Wheeler has a little program history.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, he's the first Georgia player in 25 years to have three 10-assist games in any season. Wheeler—who averaged 9.0 points and 4.5 assists last year—accomplished the feat in three appearances while providing 16.7 points per game.
To be fair, Georgia's competition level has been pretty low. But after losing Anthony Edwards—the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA draft—the Dawgs had a major playmaking void on offense.
So far, it appears the offense can lean on Wheeler.
Alex Barcello, G, BYU
2 of 10
While at Arizona in 2017-18 and 2018-19, Alex Barcello held a minimal role off the bench. He transferred to BYU and became a starter, tallying 9.3 points per game mainly as a perimeter weapon.
Barcello is far more dangerous this season.
Through six contests, the hot-shooting senior has poured in 19.2 points per game with a ridiculous 62.1 three-point clip. Yes, that's unsustainable, but it shows Barcello's upside. He's also dished a team-leading 3.3 assists per game.
The biggest tests for Barcello and BYU in 2020-21 will be opposite West Coast Conference foes Gonzaga and Saint Mary's.
Keve Aluma, F, Virginia Tech
3 of 10
Mike Young left Wofford for Virginia Tech after the 2018-19 season, and Keve Aluma followed his coach to Blacksburg. He sat out 2019-20 because of transfer rules, but he's been worth the wait.
Aluma propelled the Hokies to an upset of then-No. 3 Villanova on Nov. 28, scoring a team-high 23 points. Overall, he's gathered 17.8 points—shooting 60.5 percent overall and 46.2 from three—and 6.8 rebounds per game in four appearances this season.
Considering he averaged 6.9 points and 6.8 rebounds as a starter at Wofford, Aluma's development is remarkable.
Javonte Perkins, G, Saint Louis
4 of 10
Since he won Atlantic 10 Sixth Man of the Year in 2019-20, labeling Javonte Perkins a breakout player is almost unfair. But there's also a line separating good and great that he's crossing.
Perkins is an excellent shooter, hitting 61.1 percent of his threes. However, he's also more confidently attacking the basket and creating chances for teammates. Perkins has lifted his averages from 15.0 points and 0.7 assists to 23.0 and 2.7, respectively.
Jordan Goodwin should be the leader in assists, but that allows Perkins to create three-point chances. And his improved playmaking is a key to Saint Louis unlocking its NCAA tournament upside.
Zach Freemantle, F, Xavier
5 of 10
Zach Freemantle joined the starting lineup around the midpoint of the 2019-20 campaign. During the last 14 games, he averaged 9.1 points and 5.2 rebounds.
That was merely a sample of what Freemantle could do.
In six games this season, the sophomore forward has recorded a team-high mark of 17.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. He's tallied a pair of double-doubles and finished the rivalry win over Cincinnati with 16 points and nine boards.
Foul trouble is a reasonable issue to address with Freemantle, but he's a leading piece of Xavier's 6-0 start.
Eugene Omoruyi, F, Oregon
6 of 10
Eugene Omoruyi was a good player at Rutgers, tallying 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in his final season.
But this? This is dramatically new.
Omoruyi—who sat in 2019-20 because of transfer rules—is the cornerstone of this Oregon roster. He racked up 31 points and 11 rebounds in his team debut against Missouri. Then, he netted 22 points opposite Seton Hall and 18 on Eastern Washington.
Omoruyi, Chris Duarte and Duquesne transfer Eric Williams Jr. are the foundation of this Pac-12 title contender.
Jalen Wilson, F, Kansas
7 of 10
An ankle injury limited Jalen Wilson to under five minutes last season. It's safe to say he's making up for lost time.
Through five games, Wilson has averaged 15.0 points and 8.8 rebounds while helping Kansas to a 4-1 record. He put up 23 points and grabbed 10 boards in a 65-62 win over Kentucky and sparked the Jayhawks past North Dakota State, too.
"From preseason workouts and all the stuff when we got back here in August, he was the one that had shown the most improvement out of all of us," guard Ochai Agbaji said, per Jack Johnson of 247Sports. "Last year, when he got hurt, he made a promise to come out here and be one of those guys for us. I'm proud of him too."
Matthew Hurt, F, Duke
8 of 10
The context of Matthew Hurt's breakout-type season means this is no surprise. He finished fourth in scoring for Duke last season, and all three players above him—Vernon Carey Jr., Tre Jones and Cassius Stanley—entered the 2020 NBA draft.
Production is never guaranteed, though, and Hurt has doubled what he provided as a freshman.
Hurt's numbers have jumped from 9.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game to 19.0 and 8.7, respectively. Duke's two wins (Coppin State and Bellarmine) are against low-level competition, but he collected 21 points and 13 points in the loss to Michigan State. Plus, he's buried 56.3 of his long-range attempts.
Especially in a season destined to have unusual obstacles, a young-as-usual Duke roster will look to Hurt for stability.
Adam Flagler, G, Baylor
9 of 10
Adam Flagler, the 2018-19 Big South Rookie of the Year, scored 15.9 points per game as a freshman at Presbyterian before transferring to Baylor and sitting last season.
And apparently, it's a "rich get richer" situation. The Bears already had All-American talent Jared Butler, All-Big 12 guards MaCio Teague and Davion Mitchell, and star defender Mark Vital. Flagler only bolsters one of the nation's most impressive perimeter groups.
Flagler has added an offensive jolt off the bench, averaging 15.7 points and 3.7 assists with a 45.0 three-point clip. He scored 18 points in Baylor's win over Big Ten front-runner Illinois.
Baylor is undoubtedly a favorite to earn a No. 1 seed in March.
Drew Timme, F, Gonzaga
10 of 10
Similar to Hurt, Drew Timme had a clear breakout future.
Gonzaga lost Filip Petrusev and Killian Tillie, so Timme—who held a 20-minute role last year—was the obvious replacement. Nevertheless, he's progressed from a valued reserve to a starter who is the Zags' leading scorer at 23.3 points per game.
Plus, unlike most of the West Coast Conference slate in the future, the nonconference schedule has not been friendly. Gonzaga took on—and defeated—Kansas, Auburn and West Virginia.
Timme, Corey Kispert, Jalen Suggs, Joel Ayayi and Andrew Nembhard are the backbone of Gonzaga, which is the early national championship favorite.
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