College Basketball: 8 Players Poised For Breakout Seasons

Ron Baker (Combo Guard), Junior – Wichita State

Despite CleAnthony Early’s dominance of the Missouri Valley Conference and the rest of college basketball last year, one player doesn’t deliver a team 35 straight wins without a lot of help. The media acknowledged that when Shockers’ point guard Fred Van Vleet was named an AP preseason All-American.

Despite Van Vleet’s obvious gifts as a floor general, it seems that someone will have to fill the role of go-to scorer that Early leaves behind. This is when you finally get around to thinking about Ron Baker.

While Van Vleet made the plays and Early grabbed the headlines, Baker settled into a role as one of the most consistent and efficient players in college basketball. He’s already caught the eye of scouts due to a chiseled NBA-ready frame (6’3, 222lbs.) that compares more closely to that of an outside linebacker rather than a basketball player.

Baker will look to improve on his already stellar shooting numbers to minimize the loss of Early. Expect last year’s 13.1 points per game to move north of 17, thanks to a higher volume of three-point attempts (68-179, 38% 3PT last year). He will also benefit from now being the primary beneficiary of Van Vleet’s slick playmaking.