Sun Belt Basketball: Who are the stars for every team in 2017-18?

Texas State Bobcats – SO Nijal Pearson

The Bobcats were one of the biggest surprises last season, finishing in the top-tier of the Sun Belt and upsetting the favorites Texas Arlington in the conference tournament semi-finals. One of the reasons for the success last year was the revelation of freshman wing Nijal Pearson.

In his first season, he instantly went into the starting lineup, and his offensive talent was a much-welcomed addition for Texas State. He finished the year with impressive averages of 13.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, and 2.4 ppg. The amount of consistency displayed, particularly towards the second half of the season, should get Bobcat fans excited with him scoring double figures in 15 of his final 17 appearances.

In the biggest win for Texas State, Pearson stepped up with 14 points against Texas Arlington, making him a reliable player for the big games in the next couple of years.

Texas State will be going into a rebuilding phase next year with three of the top four scorers graduating. Besides Nijal, no one else returning averaged over six points a game. The hope for the team will be that another revelation like Pearson will emerge from the freshmen class, providing additional scoring options.

The first few games will be crucial for the new star player next year. Last season he could grow at his own pace due to the number of vets surrounding him, but this season he will be that vet.

As the only proven scorer on the team, he will have to score a ton just to keep the Bobcats in the game, until he younger players will be able to contribute themselves.