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

6. Jared Rhoden – Seton Hall Pirates

2019-20 stats: 9.1 ppg and 6.4 rpg

There were a number of heroes from Seton Hall’s past season, including All-American guard Myles Powell, as well as Quincy McKnight, Romaro Gill, and Sandro Mamukelashvili. But the player who seems to have fallen under the radar is Rhoden, a 6’6 wing who actually led the team in rebounding last season. He played his role well as a secondary option who produced nearly double figures each night, while also being a quality defender as well.

With three starters and over 40 ppg of production gone, it’s a great opportunity for Rhoden to be an even bigger focal point of the offense. He can play both forward positions and Seton Hall will need his elite rebounding to keep the team upright next season. Harvard transfer Bryce Aiken is getting most of the offseason attention but Rhoden will arguably be the most important player.

5. David McCormack – Kansas Jayhawks

2019-20 stats: 6.9 ppg and 4.1 rpg

Although he only played for 15 mpg last season, McCormack was primarily a starter for the Jayhawks due to the lack of healthy and eligible power forward options on the roster. But it was evident early on that both he and Udoka Azubuike couldn’t play together on the court since neither can spread the floor or defend small forwards.

With Azubuike gone though, McCormack can play 25-30 minutes at the five-spot and dominate in the Big 12. The 28-point effort against UMKC is an indication of the former top-30 recruit’s potential and there’s no reason why he can’t be an elite offensive monster inside the paint. He has some tough shoes to fill but is more than adequate to take over.