NCAA Basketball: 10 early surprise player performances from 1st two weeks of 2024-25 season
Mackenzie Mgbako, Indiana Hoosiers
2024-25 season stats: 22.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG
Mackenzie Mgbako, the reigning Big Ten ROY, unquestionably boasted high preseason expectations along with the rest of the talented Hoosiers entering the 2024-25 NCAA basketball season. But few expected this type of start of the season for Mgbako given Indiana’s incoming transfer portal class, who has slotted into the starting lineup immediately.
Early returns in Bloomington have shown how talented Mgbako can be, averaging 22.0 PPG and 7.7 RPG on 71.4% shooting from the field through Indiana’s first three games. Mgbako has been scorching hot from behind the arc too, shooting 7-11 (63.6%) from three. Cherish Mgbako this season because he won’t be around much longer. The NBA awaits for the talented sophomore.
Jaylen Blakes, Stanford Cardinal
2024-25 season stats: 15.0 PPG, 4.8 AG
After spending three years in a reserve role for Duke, Jaylen Blakes entered the transfer portal looking for consistent backcourt minutes. Now at Stanford under first-year HC Kyle Smith, his decision to transfer couldn't have gone any better.
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The 6-foot-1 grad student is averaging 15.0 PPG and 4.8 APG throughout Stanford’s first four games and expects to be a key piece in Kyle Smith’s backcourt throughout the 2024-25 season. A surprise start to the season for Blakes makes the Cardinal a formidable squad in its first season in the ACC.