NCAA Basketball: Analyzing 10 sophomore breakout candidates entering 2024-25 season

Rodney Rice, Maryland Terrapins

As a freshman at Virginia Tech in 2022-23, Rodney Rice only played in eight games after dealing with numerous injuries throughout the season. However, in his minuscule eight-game sample size, Rice made noteworthy splashes, averaging 7.4 PPG and 3.3 RPG.

After stepping away from the Hokie program last season, the 6-foot-4 faces a fresh start in College Park as the Terps adjust to life without Jahmir Young. Rice excels as a three-point shooting, shot-creating point guard, according to a scouting report by Robert Irby, making him a much-needed addition for a Maryland team that struggled to shoot the ball efficiently last season.

It’s a new quartet of guards in College Park -- DeShawn Harris-SMith, Rodney Rice, Selton Miguel and Ja’Kobi Gillespie -- and the potential breakout of Rodney Rice will be an integral piece on a team that looks to avenge last year’s struggles. 

Dai Dai Ames, Virginia Cavaliers

Dai Dai Ames, a former four-star recruit out of Chicago, Illinois, played a serviceable role at Kansas State last season. The 6-foot-1 PG averaged 5.2 PPG and 2.0 APG on 16 of 31 starts for the Wildcats last season. Ames firmly cemented himself in the starting five in early February, starting in the Wildcats’ final 13 games.

Ames is an ultra-quick and aggressive scorer. He may not have been overly efficient last season, but there is no shortage of confidence in his game. Despite his smaller frame, Ames may be the missing piece Tony Bennett needs as he looks to revamp the Cavalier's offense. According to Hoop Math, Ames shot 45.8% of his shots from behind the arc. For a team that shot only 18 three-pointers per game -- which was near the bottom 12 percent in all of college basketball, according to TeamRankings -- this addition is massive and one that may surely spell a “breakout” come the start of the 2024-25 men’s college basketball season.