With the official begin of follow subsequent month, UMHoops and Contained in the Corridor have partnered to deliver you our annual preseason breakdown of the highest gamers within the Massive Ten. This 12 months, the record has been expanded after the addition of 4 applications to the convention.
The sequence is damaged into seven components, with one put up every weekday by means of Friday, August 30. Our first installment taking a look at gamers 40-31 for the 2024-25 season is accessible under:
40. William Kyle III, UCLA (6-foot-9, ahead, junior)
Why he might outperform this rating: Kyle arrives in Westwood with main defensive accolades. He was the Summit League defensive participant of the 12 months final season at South Dakota State and will slot in because the beginning 5 for Mick Cronin.
Offensively, he’s an explosive athlete who loves to complete above the rim. He was second within the nation final season with 88 dunks and shot 62 p.c on twos. Whereas he is perhaps flying below the radar within the preseason, Kyle seems like a stable wager to be one of many league’s extra productive frontcourt gamers.
39. Ben Humrichous, Illinois (6-foot-9, ahead, fifth-year senior)
Why he might outperform this rating: Humrichous has outperformed expectations at each cease in his school basketball journey. The Tipton, Indiana native started his profession at Huntington College, an NAIA program in Indiana. He parlayed success there right into a transfer to Evansville, the place he made 2.2 3s per recreation final season and shot 41.4 p.c from the perimeter and have become a portal precedence for high-major applications.
Now in his fifth season of school hoops, Humrichous ought to begin on the 4 for Brad Underwood, who will make the most of his flooring stretching capability, which is exclusive for his measurement, on a revamped Illini roster.
38. Josh Dix, Iowa (6-foot-5, guard, junior)
Why he might outperform this rating: Dix got here on late final season and averaged 12 factors in 31 minutes in Iowa’s remaining 19 video games, up from simply 5 factors in 16 minutes within the opening 15 contests.
He’s a lethally environment friendly offensive participant – 62.5 p.c on twos, 42.1 p.c on threes – in one of many league’s most effective offensive programs. There ought to be extra pictures accessible after Tony Perkins transferred out of Iowa’s backcourt.
37. Juwan Gary, Nebraska (6-foot-6, ahead, senior)
Why he might outperform this rating: Gary isn’t a family title nationally, however he was one of the vital beneficial forwards within the Massive Ten final season. He defends, he rebounds and he’s an environment friendly finisher.
Gary shot 60 p.c on twos final season total, and 61 p.c in Massive Ten play, the sixth-best mark within the convention. If Gary can enhance his perimeter shot – 30.6 p.c on threes final season – he’ll elevate his already environment friendly offensive ranking.
36. Xavier Booker, Michigan State (6-foot-11, ahead, sophomore)
Why he might outperform this rating: Booker is a 6-foot-11 former five-star recruit who shot 33 p.c from deep as a real freshman. The expertise is simple and he has an expert upside if he can put all of it collectively for the Spartans. Booker’s freshman 12 months was a disappointment, however it might be a mistake to disregard his upside.
He’s more likely to step into a bigger function in a frontcourt that has misplaced a number of key contributors, together with Malik Corridor.
35. Desmond Claude, USC (6-foot-6, guard, junior)
Why he might outperform this rating: Claude averaged 16.6 factors, 4.2 rebounds and three.2 assists per recreation as a sophomore within the Massive East final season. If Eric Musselman’s 12 months one experiment works in Los Angeles, then Claude will definitely be a vital piece of the puzzle. He’s a confirmed shot-creator on the high-major stage who’s a 3-point shot away (27-of-113 final 12 months) from being one of many higher guards within the league.
34. Saint Thomas, USC (6-foot-7, ahead, graduate scholar)
Why he might outperform this rating: After two uninspiring seasons at Loyola Chicago, Thomas broke out in a serious means final season at Northern Colorado. He was one in every of simply 4 gamers within the nation to common no less than 19.7 factors and 9.8 rebounds final season.
On a USC staff that’s completely revamped below Musselman, Thomas will likely be a featured piece alongside Claude. Nevertheless it’s not simply the scoring that makes Thomas particular. He was sixth within the Massive Sky final season in help price, ninth in block proportion and 14th in steal proportion. He additionally shot higher than 85 p.c from the foul line. If his recreation absolutely interprets to the Massive Ten, this rating will likely be too low.
33. Selton Miguel, Maryland (6-foot-4, guard, fifth-year senior)
Why he might outperform this rating: Miguel is a high-level shot maker coming off of a profession 12 months at South Florida. He shot 39 p.c on 182 3-point makes an attempt, a talent that Maryland desperately wants after ending 347th in 3-point accuracy final season. With 4 years of expertise below his belt, Miguel might overachieve as he returns to the high-major stage after starting his profession at Kansas State.
32. Frankie Fidler, Michigan State (6-foot-7, ahead, senior)
Why he might outperform this rating: One other up switch, Fidler arrives in East Lansing after averaging 20.1 factors, 6.3 rebounds and a pair of.6 assists within the Summit League. Michigan State wants wing scoring and Fidler will present it.
He’s a profession 36.4 p.c 3-point shooter and his environment friendly offensive recreation will give Tom Izzo the boldness to get him pictures usually.
31. Kwame Evans Jr., Oregon (6-foot-9, ahead, sophomore)
Why he might outperform this rating: A five-star recruit within the 2023 class from Montverde Academy, expertise has by no means been a query with Evans Jr. The left-handed ahead confirmed flashes of his potential as a freshman and properly opted to return for his sophomore season in Eugene.
He’s a fluid, cellular ahead who bought higher because the season went alongside. With an expanded function this season – he averaged solely 22.5 minutes final season – Evans Jr. has the potential to interrupt out as a star for the Geese this season.
Those that simply missed (or omissions that might come again to chunk us): Aaron Bradshaw, Ohio State; Ty Berry, Northwestern; Eric Dailey, UCLA; Kobe Johnson, UCLA; Dylan Andrews, UCLA; Will Riley, Illinois; Derik Queen, Maryland; Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State; Steven Crowl, Wisconsin; Brandon Angel, Oregon; Cam Heide, Purdue; Myles Colvin, Purdue; Kanaan Carlyle, Indiana
Filed to: 2024-25 Massive Ten preview
