College Basketball: 8 Players Poised For Breakout Seasons

Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Wiltjer (Forward), Junior – Gonzaga

Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Marquis Teague. Those were the three names that read ahead of Kyle Wiltjer‘s whenever anyone ever discussed Kentucky’s 2011 recruiting class. Wiltjer was an understudy to Anthony Davis as a freshman, and an afterthought behind Nerlens Noel and Will Cauley-Stein a year later, despite averaging double-digits and winning the SEC’s Sixth Man of the Year award.

With more incoming blue-chippers destined to keep his role limited, Wiltjer left Lexington in search of an opportunity to showcase his talents, and landed close to home at Gonzaga.

Though Wiltjer struggled inside during his years at Kentucky, expect to see him stand sturdier as he lines up next to the massive Przemek Karnowski in the Bulldogs frontcourt. Despite his classification as a junior, this will be America’s first real look at one of the nation’s top prospects from a class that has already yielded loads of dividends.