Atlantic 10 Basketball: 6 potential breakout stars for 2022-23 season

Jayden Nunn: Guard, VCU Rams

The Freshman numbers for the springy 6’4” VCU Guard don’t jump off the page, but Nunn passed the eye test with flying colors in his debut season. He plays a downhill style of basketball and can create off the dribble as well as pop out for catch-and-shoot 3’s, which he has a knack for finding thanks to knowledgeable off-ball movement.

He’s also able to act as a second facilitator alongside Ram’s star Ace Baldwin because of his steady ball-handling and ability to collapse the defense on drives. On the defensive end of the floor, Nunn has great lateral movement and his wingspan allows him to interrupt passing lanes at a high rate (averaged 1.5 steals per game last season).

Mike Rhoades is known for developing solid freshmen guards into all-conference players (see Bones Hyland, Ace Baldwin), and Nunn has the makings of a strong candidate to be next in line. He put up a solid 8.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game as a Freshman, but he finished the season in particularly strong fashion – 31 points in VCU’s two NIT games – and he clearly has Coach Rhoades’ trust at 29.1 minutes per contest on the year.

It’s not necessarily going to be scoring, though he should find plenty of that, that will make Nunn a star for this team and in the league as a whole. His overall versatility and athleticism will allow him to fill up a balanced stat sheet on both ends of the floor and ultimately contribute to winning on what should be a very strong team.