We are now two weeks into the 2024-25 NCAA basketball season and plenty of players throughout the country have raised eyebrows, making their mark early on with spectacular individual performances. Although the sample size is still relatively small -- most teams have played only three or four games -- it’s never too early to recognize these red-hot starts as Feast Week looms. Here are 10 early surprise player performances.
HM: Kam Craft, Miami Ohio RedHawks
2024-25 season stats: 19.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG
After averaging 2.6 PPG during his freshman season at Xavier in 2022-23, Craft dealt with injuries and did not appear in any action in 2023-24. With a fresh start at Miami (OH) under former Musketeer HC Travis Steele, Craft is making a surprise early impact, leading the MAC in scoring at 19.0 PPG, shooting 54.3% from three on seven three-point attempts.
HM: Jarvis Moss, Radford Highlanders
2024-25 season stats: 21.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.3 APG
Jarvis Moss’ long-winded collegiate career -- which included stops at Stanford and Davidson -- didn’t necessarily pan out for the former three-star recruit. But now the 6-foot-4 junior guard is starting to make noise, averaging over 20 points per game for Radford. If the Highlanders wish to cement themselves into the top half of the Big South, Moss’ surprise start to the 2024-25 season will be a crucial factor.