NCAA Basketball: Formerly injured players set for big impact in 2020-21

LOUISVILLE, KY - NOVEMBER 27: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans talks to Joshua Langford #1 during the ACC/Big Ten Challenge against the Louisville Cardinals at KFC YUM! Center on November 27, 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville won 82-78 in overtime. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

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WICHITA, KS – JANUARY 07: Alexis Yetna #23 of the South Florida Bulls (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /

Alexis Yetna – South Florida

The native of Paris, France is a great reference point for anybody who writes, reads, or wonders about players coming out of high school. It does not matter if they are from power conferences like the Big East recruiting class, or a mid-major recruiting class, it is a process. Case in point, when Alexis Yetna received 15 offers and visited Old Dominion and Oregon State before committing to South Florida, rivals.com listed him at 6’7 / 205. Now, after sitting his freshman year due to an NCAA ruling, playing a season as a redshirt freshman then missing the entre 2019-20 season due to an injury, the University of South Florida’s website has Yetna listed at 6’8 /234.

Every one of those additional 29 pounds contributed to Yetna averaging just over twelve points and just under ten rebounds per game on his way to being named AAC Rookie of the Year. When a players game consists of hustling ahead of the fast break for an easy dunk, getting a dish for an easy dunk, rebound to start the transition or to put it back for a dunk, as well as laying his body into his defender to spin to the basket, the last thing you want is that particular player to have any extra motivation.

Motivation is all Yetna will have come 2020-21 as he will have an increased usage percentage than the 19 percent he had the last time he played. He will also upgrade from the AAC All-Freshmen team to the AAC All-Conference team.

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