Busting Brackets
Fansided

A-10 Basketball: 4 sophomores poised for breakout campaigns in 2019-20

By Stu Luddecke

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 13: Head coach Matt McCall of the Massachusetts Minutemen reacts in the game against the George Washington Colonials during the first round of the 2019 Atlantic 10 men’s basketball tournament at Barclays Center on March 13, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 13: Head coach Matt McCall of the Massachusetts Minutemen reacts in the game against the George Washington Colonials during the first round of the 2019 Atlantic 10 men’s basketball tournament at Barclays Center on March 13, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /

Samba Diallo – UMass

As a Freshman, Diallo gave UMass fans hope for the future in what was, to put it mildly, an otherwise disappointing season in Amherst. He battled knee problems throughout the year and had a hard time finding a consistent rhythm because of that, and his 3.5 points per game were good for just eighth on the team in scoring, but there’s reason to believe that he’ll be a key piece on a much improved Minutemen squad this winter.

As an athletic 6’7” wing who can handle the ball and get to the rim, he can play and defend either forward position, and he has a knack for chasing down boards (3.4 rebounds per game in just 16.9 minutes) as well.

On a UMass team that will have seven Freshmen and just one Senior, his experience and effort will warrant heavy playing time, especially early on in the season. If he can stay healthy, it’s easy to imagine him become one of McCall’s go-to options alongside Carl Pierre, Keon Clergeot, and Tre Mitchell.

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