NCAA Basketball: 9 players primed for breakout seasons in 2018-19

Ja Morant, PG, Murray State

The only player from a non-Gonzaga mid-major on the list, Morant was largely hidden during his freshman campaign because of where he plays, but his sheer level of production is going to make people pay attention to Murray State this season.

The 6-for-3, 170-pounder was one assist away from recording back-to-back triple-doubles in December and finished the season averaging 12.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg, and 6.3 apg while leading the Racers to the NCAA Tournament. He was also just one of two players in the country who recorded 400 points, 200 rebounds, and 200 assists on the season.

That all-around success allowed him to get one of the 20 invites to the 2018 Chris Paul Camp, something that will only help him improve his game.

I’d expect Morant to put up crazy numbers again given the level of competition he’s playing against (perhaps another triple-double or two…or three or four). He needs to improve his shooting (30.7 percent from three last season) but he’ll be someone NBA scouts will be watching closely.