NCAA Basketball: Top 25 breakout sophomores to watch for 2023-24 season
2. Tyrese Proctor – Duke Blue Devils
2022-23 season stats: 9.4 ppg and 3.3 apg
The former five-star prospect started 34 of 36 games for the Blue Devils, shooting 38% from the field and 32% from deep. Proctor was a consistent double-digit scorer and quality passer in the ladder half of the season, including an 11-point and 10-assist outing against Pittsburgh.
Proctor is one of three five-star freshmen to come back, joining leading scorer Kyle Filipowski and Mark Mitchell. As the projected starting point guard, there’s going to be just as much pressure on the ball-handler to have the offense play at a consistently high level. As good as Filipowski is, the most important player on the roster this year for Duke is Proctor.
1. Donovan Clingan – UConn Huskies
2022-23 season stats: 6.9 ppg and 5.6 rpg
Adama Sanogo averaged over 17 ppg and 7.0 rpg last season and was the Final Four MVP of the national title UConn team. And yet there was a time when some felt that Clingan should’ve gotten more minutes. He was that effective coming off the bench, making 66% of his shots and blocking a whopping 5.5 shots per 40 minutes. Offensively, the 7’2 center had 21 points and 11 rebounds against LIU Brooklyn and 20 and 10 versus Marquette.
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Without Sanogo around, Clingan’s minutes are going to at least double from 13 mpg. And that means expect his production on both ends to take a massive leap. It might not be to the same level as Purdue’s Zach Edey from last season but the sophomore center for UConn is the safest bet for breakout star of the upcoming NCAA Basketball season.