Big Ten Basketball: 5 breakout candidates to watch for 2024-25 season

Every year there is a new breakout star in college basketball. Last year it was Northern Colorado transfer Dalton Knecht. The year before? Two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey. Several players each year set themselves up to be breakout superstars in new situations. Just last year, several players demonstrated talent and abilities that showed promise in their programs. Most were blocked by veteran players, and now have the chance to shine in a larger role.

In Big Ten Basketball alone, there were some sophomores who took the leap into taking key roles on their respective teams. Some examples include Braden Smith (Purdue), Kanye Clary (Penn State), and the the duo of Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle from Ohio State.

But who will take the same kind of leap this upcoming season? Here are some candidates to watch in the Big Ten.

Mackenzie Mgbako - Indiana Hoosiers

A major breakout candidate this year is rising sophomore Mackenzie Mgbako. Mgbako, in his first year with the Indiana Hoosiers, had a successful freshman season for most freshmen. However, the former top ten recruit had higher aspirations, with outlets like Yahoo Sports and ESPN projecting him to go as high as the middle of the first round in the 2024 NBA Draft. Mgbako never reached those lofty aspirations in his first year but cemented himself as one of the better shooters in the Big Ten. The six-foot-eight-inch forward averaged 12.2 points per game, shooting 38 percent on five three-point attempts per game in Big Ten play.

This year the former five-star is surrounded by more offensive talent and has had an entire offseason to develop under coach Mike Woodson, who has an increasingly impressive track record of pros. If Mgbako adds creation off the dribble to his game and shores up some defensive inefficiencies, the forward could be an All-American level player on one of the best teams in the nation.