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NCAA Basketball: 6 biggest breakout candidates for 2019-20 season

By Brian Rauf

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 05: NBA Hall of Famer and former Georgetown Hoyas player Patrick Ewing is introduced as the Georgetown Hoyas' new head basketball coach John Thompson Jr. Athletic Center on April 5, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 05: NBA Hall of Famer and former Georgetown Hoyas player Patrick Ewing is introduced as the Georgetown Hoyas' new head basketball coach John Thompson Jr. Athletic Center on April 5, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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LOUISVILLE, KY – JANUARY 26: Xavier Johnson #1 of the Pittsburgh Panthers dribbles the ball after a steal against Ryan McMahon #30 of the Louisville Cardinals in the first half of the game at KFC YUM! Center on January 26, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville won 66-51. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY – JANUARY 26: Xavier Johnson #1 of the Pittsburgh Panthers dribbles the ball after a steal against Ryan McMahon #30 of the Louisville Cardinals in the first half of the game at KFC YUM! Center on January 26, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville won 66-51. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Pitt Panthers

Pitt is another team I’m picking to have a breakout season because of a star guard duo that performed extremely well as freshmen. Xavier Johnson (15.5 ppg, 4.5 apg) and Trey McGowens (11.6 ppg) were among the ACC’s better guards last season and should be improved with a year of experience under their belts.

That experience could pay major dividends for Johnson in particular, who I also tabbed as one of my breakout players for the season. His numbers speak for themselves, but he also struggled with turnovers (4.0 per game) and didn’t shoot well from the field (41.5 percent per game). Simply being a smarter player – which he should be as a sophomore – will increase his production and effectiveness even more and should give the Panthers a legitimate star.

Of course, it’s going to take more than one guy to get Pitt out of the Kevin Stallings-sized hole they’re trying to rebuild from, and Jeff Capel has done an excellent job at improving his rotation this offseason.

He landed UNCG transfer Eric Hamilton, who will give the Panthers a reliable big man in the middle. JUCO transfer Ryan Murphy is a knockdown three-point shooter and will be one of the best in the ACC in that regard, really helping a Pitt team that struggled from distance a year ago. There’s also four-star freshman Gerald Drumgoole, who will give Capel a talented, versatile wing player.

So Pitt has the star power and improved depth, but they also have the opportunity. The ACC is in for a down year, at least in terms of depth. Outside of Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, Virginia, NC State, and Florida State, the other nine teams in the conference are relatively interchangeable with a few notable exceptions (pretty sure Virginia Tech is finishing last). Pitt already has a leg up on most of those teams by having two players they can rely on.

If Johnson takes that next step forward and their depth delivers, the Panthers will be one of the nation’s biggest surprises.

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