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

18. Osun Osunniyi – St. Bonaventure Bonnies

2019-20 stats: 10.8 ppg and 8.4 rpg

Injuries limited the 6’10 big man’s overall production but he still ended up on the all-conference team in the Atlantic 10. He’s considered one of the best individual defenders in all of college basketball and towards the end of last season, showed consistency on the offensive end (10 straight games in double figures) that should concern the rest of the league.

Osunniyi has a great shot at averaging a double-double and lead the Bonnies to a top-tier finish in the A-10. The only thing keeping the big man from being higher on the list is the rest of the team returning for 2020-21 as well, limiting how much statistically he can rise. But when healthy, this is a frontcourt player that will fight Tre Mitchell of UMass for best big in the conference.

17. Leaky Black – North Carolina Tar Heels

2019-20 stats: 6.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg

Outside of Cole Anthony (when he was healthy), the perimeter for the Tar Heels was a complete disaster. That would unfortunately have to include the former four-star recruit Black, who shot 36% from the field and 25% from three-point range. But he was great outside of scoring, including being the defacto point guard when Anthony was out, while also being great at rebounding and defense. He was near a triple-double in the matchup against Duke last season.

With a top-2 overall recruiting class featuring five-star guard Caleb Love coming in, Black isn’t going to be tasked with being a 15 ppg. But if he can become any kind of threat on offense combined with the all-around effort he has in the rest of his game, the 6’5 guard will be not only a starter but an important piece on the UNC comeback campaign.