ACC Basketball: Top 5 rising sophomores for 2018-19

3. Braxton Beverly, NC State

Braxton Beverly didn’t enter the 2017-18 season as the starter but four games in, he was. Beverly was the NC State Wolfpack’s starting point guard for 25 of his 31 appearances as a freshman. He’s paid dividends for the Wolfpack who will have a lot to replace in 2018-19.

Beverly produced 9.5 points, 3.9 assists and 2.4 rebounds per contest during his freshman campaign. He put up 20 points on 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point range against the Arizona Wildcats in a 90-84 upset back on Nov. 22. After that, he started every game but Senior Night.

He nearly shot better from 3-point range (38.5 percent) than he did from the field (39.1 percent) but with so much talent gone, that’s sure to change. Omer Yurtseven, the team’s third-leading scorer, transferred to Georgetown. Allerik Freeman, last year’s leading scorer, is out of eligibility.

It opens the door for Beverly to contribute more this upcoming season. They were an NCAA Tournament team under head coach Kevin Keatts in Year 1. Beverly will be a key player if they make the tournament again in 2018-19.