Patriot League Basketball: 5 players to watch for 2019-20 season

Patriot League Basketball has plenty of talent to offer this upcoming season. Here’s a look at five players in particular.

No matter what team emerges as the Patriot League Basketball tournament champion, they’ll likely have a star player capable of putting on a show in the NCAA Tournament. As most teams are starting practice and college basketball games start next month, here’s a look at five of the league‘s most intriguing players.

Jordan Burns – Colgate

A player who shines the brightest on the big stage, Burns nearly led the 15th-seeded Raiders to a first-round upset over Tennessee. Burns finished with 32 points on 12-20 shooting, 8-13 from 3-point range.

The 6-foot, 175-pound guard plays with supreme confidence and is one of the few lead guards in the Patriot League who can score at an elite level. Had he not missed a handful of games due to injury, Burns would’ve been in the discussion for conference player of the year as a sophomore.

Burns may not be the best pro prospect in the conference, but he’s certainly one of the most tantalizing talents.

Sa’eed Nelson – American

In terms of sheer volume, the senior point guard has one of the highest usage rates in the country. He averaged 19.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.

At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Nelson is a decent sized point guard capable of playing with high-major talents. His 2.4 steals per game were second in the conference.

Max Mahoney – Boston University

A throwback big, the senior forward is a good bet to represent Boston University on the all-conference team. The 6-foot-8, 235-pounder has improved every season at BU.

Mahoney averaged 16.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game last year and should put up similar numbers as a senior. If he can average close to 30 minutes per game, Mahoney could average a double-double.

Rapola Ivanauskas – Colgate

The reigning Patriot League player of the year, Ivanauskas completes the best duo in the league with Burns. A senior, the 6-foot-10, 225 pound forward is the best professional prospect in the conference.

The Northwestern transfer averaged 15.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while posting an impressive .518-.434-.777 shooting splits. He missed most of the NCAA tournament game due to injury, so he should be hungry for a victory if Colgate can get there.

Tommy Funk – Army

The Army point guard isn’t one of the league’s top five, maybe not even top 10 players, but he is a heady pass-first player defining the idea of making those around him better.

Funk averaged 12.6 points and 5.8 assists per game, and was one of two players in the league to have at least a 2-1 assist to turnover ratio. Teammates Alex King and Matt Wilson are the main beneficiaries of Funk’s passing prowess. He even had a 12 point, 10 assist performance at Duke last year.

If Army does anything, Funk will be a major contributor. He’s the Black Knight’s all-time leading assist man.