Busting Brackets
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NCAA Basketball: 10 mid-major gems to watch for 2018-19

By Jason Burgess

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 24: A detailed view of a Wilson Basketball with a NCAA March Madness logo on it during the first half between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Florida Gators during the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament East Regional at Madison Square Garden on March 24, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 24: A detailed view of a Wilson Basketball with a NCAA March Madness logo on it during the first half between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Florida Gators during the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament East Regional at Madison Square Garden on March 24, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 20: Gary Blackston #3 of the Prairie View A&M Panthers drives in for a layup against Nick Mayo #10 of the Eastern Kentucky Colonels during day one of the Main Event basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on November 20, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 20: Gary Blackston #3 of the Prairie View A&M Panthers drives in for a layup against Nick Mayo #10 of the Eastern Kentucky Colonels during day one of the Main Event basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on November 20, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /

Gary Blackston-Sr. – Prairie View A&M

A 6-2 senior guard from Baltimore, MD, Blackston, who graduated from Patterson High School has one season under his belt at Prairie View A&M after playing the 2016-17 season at Angelina Community College in Texas. At Angelina, he averaged 13.7 points, six rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 steals. He started 32 games for the Roadrunners and scored in double figures in 27 of those games.

Last season Blackston saw action in 33 games and logged over 32 minutes per game. He made an immediate impact for the Panthers, scoring at least 15 points in 24 of those 32 games and a career-high in a win over Alabama A&M and again in the SWAC Tournament semifinal loss to eventual champion Texas Southern. He also recorded the only double-double of his career with 21 points and 10 rebounds in a defeat of Georgia State. He would finish the season with averages of 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 44% from the field and 35.8% from three-point range, earning Second Team All-SWAC Honors.

Despite the 16-18 overall record, the Panthers 12-6 conference record was good enough for the No.2 seed in the conference tournament. In his final season, a more efficient Blackstone could be enough to push Prairie View A&M over the hump and into the NCAA Tournament.

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