NCAA Basketball: Top 20 players midway through 2022-23 season

#20- Justyn Mutts, Forward, Virginia Tech

Now here are one of the players on my list that I would not have anticipated being on here at the beginning of the season. I knew Justyn Mutts was a solid player and a key piece for this Hokies team, but when comparing him with other players on my radar, he stood out way more than I expected.

He’s had some great moments this season including an eye-popping game against North Carolina in a big ACC win at home earlier this month. It was a quintessential game from Mutts, who poured in an efficient 27 points on 12-16 shooting to go with 11 rebounds and four assists. It’s that insane efficiency that made him stand out to me. He’s got an eFG percentage of 64.9 which is one of the highest numbers of anyone on this list.

At 6-7, Mutts is another versatile defender and anchor for this Virginia Tech team that is off to an 11-2 start. He records one of the highest STOCKS (steals and blocks) totals per 100 possessions on this list at 4.6 and with his size and athleticism, is a match-up problem for many teams.

Mutts turns the ball over a little too much for my liking but still flashes an ability to be a plus playmaker. He still records almost seven assists per 100 possessions and over three and a half per game.

The Hokies will be an intriguing bunch to look out for during the rest of ACC play and the potential for Mutts to become one of the breakout stars in the sport is something to look out for.