NCAA Basketball: 10 early surprise player performances from 1st two weeks of 2024-25 season
Ante Brzovic, Charleston Cougars
2024-25 season stats: 27.5 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 3.0 APG
After starting his collegiate career at NCAA Division II Southeastern Oklahoma State, no player in NCAA basketball has gotten off to as red-hot of a scoring start than Charleston’s Ante Brzovic, who led the country in scoring through Charleston's first three games at 33.3 points per game. And that isn’t all. Brozovic is averaging a double-double. He’s shooting 63.6% from three. And he capped out his 39-point night with a wild three-point buzzer-beater to fend off FAU in 2OT on Friday, Nov. 15.
ANTE BRZOVIC AT THE BUZZER!! COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON WINS A BARNBURNER 119-116 OVER FAU!! OMGMGMGMGMGMGGGGG pic.twitter.com/1yDpaB4qfB
— NCAA Buzzer Beaters & Game Winners (@NCAABuzzerBters) November 16, 2024
Gabe Madsen, Utah Utes
2024-25 season stats: 21.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG
Despite its narrow defeat to Mississippi State on Sunday, The Utah Utes have been a pleasant surprise to the start of the 2024-25 college basketball season thanks to senior guard Gabe Madsen. Madsen is shooting 40% from three on a Utah squad that was averaging 98 PPG before it succumbed to its first loss.
Sure, the overall quality of competition hasn’t been the cream of the crop for Craig Smith’s club and its poor second-half performance leaves much to be desired. Still, the early returns are pleasantly surprising for a team that looks to play spoiler in the ultra-competitive Big 12 behind Madsen, averaging 21.3 PPG.