NCAA Basketball: Top 25 breakout sophomore players for 2020-21 season

6. Tre Mitchell – UMass Minutemen

2019-20 stats: 17.7 ppg and 7.2 rpg

While his stats don’t seem to make him a real “breakout” candidate, Mitchell has a chance to become the best mid-major player in the country not from Gonzaga. The former top-100 recruit was even better than advertised, reaching in double figures in all but two games, including a 30-point effort at Rhode Island. With UMass getting older and better, don’t be surprised with a top-5 league finish, along with Mitchell posting up 20 ppg and 10 rpg averages.

5. Jalen Cone – Virginia Tech Hokies

2019-20 stats: 8.0 ppg and 1.0 rpg

The Hokies had a number of solid freshmen from last season but the player with the most potential to become a star is Cone, who produced a lot given just 18 mpg. He had a stretch of six games in ACC play where he averaged around 15 ppg and can shoot the lights out of the ball, including 46% from three-point range and 87% from deep. With more playing time and an extra year of experience, look for Cone’s scoring to potentially double.

4. Miles McBride – West Virginia Mountaineers

2019-20 stats: 9.5 ppg and 1.8 apg

There wasn’t much expected of the former three-star recruit but even coming off the bench, McBride still managed to be the top scorer from all Mountaineer perimeter players. His eight-game stretch scoring double figures, including twice going for 20+ is an indicator of his offensive potential. If Jordan McCabe can’t improve next season, McBride needs to be a 30+ mpg starter and provide the needed balance to help out the frontcourt.