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

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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John Konchar-Sr. – Fort Wayne

Konchar does a little bit of everything for the Mastodons. The 6-5 guard redshirted his freshman season but made an immediate impact in his first year on the floor in 2015-16 when he averaged 13 points, nine rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.1 steals in 35 minutes per game. He exploded on the scene in his third game with 28 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Austin Peay. He also ended the year with a bang, notching 10 points, 18 rebounds and four assists against San Diego State in the NIT.

His sophomore season was much of the same for Konchar, he threw down 14.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists and registered 15 double-doubles. His points went up but the two areas he improved, becoming a more all-around player is taking better care of the ball, committing the same number of turnovers as his first season but dished out 34 more assists. He also shot a red-hot 63.7% from the field, 7th best in the country, while shooting 51% from three-point range.

Last season Konchar’s numbers remained steady, with 14.8 points and 8.1 rebounds, but his assists and steals took a big jump with 4.8 and 2.5 respectively. He discovered that he really liked the three-point shot, more than doubling his attempts from the previous season, but he shot just 38% from deep.

Mike Daum of South Dakota State may be the name people know from the Summit League but Konchar is primed for a big final season for Fort Wayne.

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