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Looking forward to next season, we now take a look at some of the players coming back to major-conference basketball. In these lists, there are always sleepers, players who, given more time and minutes, emerge as stars.
Well, maybe.
Here are some returning players who take up a ton of possessions for their teams in conference play ONLY while playing at least 100 minutes in that time.
Best returning high-major scorers?
Player | Class | Pos | Conference | Team | G |
MP |
2PPct |
3PPct |
FTPct |
PTS |
eFGPct |
FTr |
TOVPct |
USGPct |
Jawun Evans | FR | G | Big 12 | Oklahoma State | 9 |
258 |
0.488 |
0.500 |
0.833 |
140 |
0.525 |
0.42 |
19.5 |
31.5 |
Isaac Haas | SO | C | Big 10 | Purdue | 18 |
229 |
0.577 |
0.702 |
145 |
0.577 |
0.485 |
13.1 |
30.6 |
|
Corey Sanders | FR | G | Big 10 | Rutgers | 14 |
498 |
0.503 |
0.263 |
0.680 |
252 |
0.468 |
0.215 |
14.1 |
30.3 |
Norense Odiase | SO | C | Big 12 | Texas Tech | 7 |
118 |
0.533 |
0.750 |
54 |
0.533 |
0.178 |
26.9 |
30.3 |
|
Dwayne Bacon | FR | G | ACC | Florida State | 18 |
527 |
0.451 |
0.254 |
0.659 |
260 |
0.433 |
0.345 |
12.6 |
29.6 |
Kelan Martin | SO | F | Big East | Butler | 18 |
576 |
0.440 |
0.333 |
0.785 |
316 |
0.457 |
0.35 |
8.0 |
29.5 |
Seth Allen | JR | G | ACC | Virginia Tech | 18 |
536 |
0.421 |
0.333 |
0.775 |
250 |
0.452 |
0.54 |
18.8 |
28.8 |
Malcolm Hill | JR | G | Big 10 | Illinois | 18 |
646 |
0.469 |
0.309 |
0.823 |
335 |
0.468 |
0.603 |
11.7 |
28.7 |
Ja'Quan Newton | SO | G | ACC | Miami (FL) | 14 |
321 |
0.433 |
0.429 |
0.684 |
141 |
0.459 |
0.514 |
18.8 |
28.7 |
Nigel Hayes | JR | F | Big 10 | Wisconsin | 18 |
646 |
0.418 |
0.343 |
0.765 |
301 |
0.448 |
0.618 |
13.4 |
28.4 |
Yante Maten | SO | F | SEC | Georgia | 18 |
547 |
0.446 |
0.500 |
0.771 |
279 |
0.454 |
0.35 |
12.6 |
28.3 |
Jaron Blossomgame | JR | F | ACC | Clemson | 18 |
669 |
0.516 |
0.457 |
0.825 |
373 |
0.563 |
0.402 |
11.6 |
28.1 |
Grayson Allen | SO | G | ACC | Duke | 18 |
678 |
0.514 |
0.435 |
0.802 |
395 |
0.575 |
0.467 |
11.7 |
27.6 |
Maurice Watson Jr. | JR | G | Big East | Creighton | 18 |
606 |
0.525 |
0.263 |
0.725 |
286 |
0.502 |
0.416 |
20.8 |
27.4 |
Dillon Brooks | SO | F | Pac 12 | Oregon | 18 |
586 |
0.523 |
0.344 |
0.819 |
307 |
0.521 |
0.303 |
14.7 |
27.4 |
Rutgers' Corey Sanders - who wasn't bad given the state of the roster around him - is a highlight on this list, but the player who comes first is Oklahoma's Jawun Evans, who combined high usage and high free throw rates with some high assist rates as well. With so many guards gone from the Sooners, he has a chance to shine.
Grayson Allen of Duke and Jaron Blossomgame may defer to other players on occasion, but both are very efficient. Combined with being on a Duke team that should contend for the national championship, Grayson Allen looks to be viewed as college basketball's best returning scorer.
Best returning high-major rebounders
Player | Pos | Conference | Team | G | MP | 2PPct | FTPct | eFGPct | FTr | ORBPct | DRBPct | BLKPct | USGPct |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Josh Hawkinson | F | Pac 12 | Washington State | 17 | 603 | 0.544 | 0.757 | 0.545 | 0.374 | 6.2 | 29.6 | 2.8 | 21.8 |
Donta Hall | F | SEC | Alabama | 18 | 227 | 0.559 | 0.381 | 0.559 | 0.618 | 16.0 | 28.8 | 12.7 | 12.0 |
Tavario Miller | F | SEC | Texas A&M | 18 | 201 | 0.379 | 0.500 | 0.379 | 0.759 | 12.5 | 28.8 | 4.1 | 14.3 |
Caleb Swanigan | F | Big 10 | Purdue | 17 | 414 | 0.519 | 0.696 | 0.486 | 0.333 | 7.4 | 28.8 | 0.8 | 24.6 |
Ethan Happ | F | Big 10 | Wisconsin | 18 | 492 | 0.522 | 0.583 | 0.522 | 0.611 | 10.4 | 25.1 | 2.7 | 26.7 |
Cole Huff | F | Big East | Creighton | 18 | 390 | 0.471 | 0.809 | 0.487 | 0.315 | 3.5 | 24.6 | 1.1 | 23.6 |
Thomas Welsh | C | Pac 12 | UCLA | 18 | 476 | 0.600 | 0.800 | 0.600 | 0.185 | 12.3 | 24.4 | 3.5 | 16.2 |
Landen Lucas | F | Big 12 | Kansas | 18 | 351 | 0.607 | 0.681 | 0.607 | 0.839 | 16.8 | 24.3 | 5.2 | 14.2 |
Obinna Oleka | F | Pac 12 | Arizona State | 18 | 500 | 0.422 | 0.852 | 0.465 | 0.312 | 6.9 | 23.0 | 2.0 | 22.4 |
Chris Silva | F | SEC | South Carolina | 18 | 221 | 0.556 | 0.574 | 0.556 | 0.870 | 13.0 | 22.8 | 5.6 | 19.5 |
Derek Ogbeide | F | SEC | Georgia | 18 | 306 | 0.479 | 0.500 | 0.479 | 0.384 | 13.0 | 22.6 | 6.1 | 18.1 |
Kelan Martin | F | Big East | Butler | 18 | 576 | 0.440 | 0.785 | 0.457 | 0.350 | 6.6 | 22.1 | 2.6 | 29.5 |
Moses Kingsley | F | SEC | Arkansas | 18 | 537 | 0.547 | 0.597 | 0.547 | 0.740 | 9.1 | 22.0 | 8.0 | 26.0 |
Kameron Rooks | C | Pac 12 | California | 18 | 320 | 0.612 | 0.524 | 0.612 | 0.429 | 13.2 | 22.0 | 3.7 | 11.2 |
Sidy Djitte | C | ACC | Clemson | 18 | 268 | 0.589 | 0.700 | 0.589 | 0.714 | 13.7 | 21.6 | 4.1 | 18.3 |
If you're looking for big men/ defensive rebounders, Washington State's Josh Hawkinson is a talent on the glass. Auburn's Donta Hall also shined in his freshman year as a player willing to do the dirty interior work without demanding the ball. Butler's Kelan Martin also pops up here, as he did on the high-usage scorer list.
Best returning high-major passers
Player | Class | Pos | Conference | Team | G |
MP |
2PPct |
3PPct |
FTPct |
PTS |
eFGPct |
FTr |
PF |
ASTPct |
TOVPct |
USGPct |
Jawun Evans | FR | G | Big 12 | Oklahoma State | 9 |
258 |
0.488 |
0.500 |
0.833 |
140 |
0.525 |
0.42 |
22 |
57.2 |
19.5 |
31.5 |
Maurice Watson Jr. | JR | G | Big East | Creighton | 18 |
606 |
0.525 |
0.263 |
0.725 |
286 |
0.502 |
0.416 |
48 |
42.4 |
20.8 |
27.4 |
Chris Chiozza | SO | G | SEC | Florida | 18 |
463 |
0.378 |
0.250 |
0.780 |
145 |
0.377 |
0.273 |
45 |
39.2 |
18.3 |
21.6 |
T.J. Dunans | JR | G | SEC | Auburn | 5 |
146 |
0.371 |
0.125 |
0.682 |
44 |
0.337 |
0.512 |
21 |
38.4 |
23.0 |
23.1 |
Bryant McIntosh | SO | G | Big 10 | Northwestern | 18 |
655 |
0.404 |
0.276 |
0.769 |
211 |
0.408 |
0.176 |
40 |
37.3 |
15.2 |
23.3 |
Traci Carter | FR | G | Big East | Marquette | 18 |
429 |
0.408 |
0.350 |
0.645 |
102 |
0.461 |
0.348 |
58 |
36.6 |
28.8 |
17.1 |
Corey Sanders | FR | G | Big 10 | Rutgers | 14 |
498 |
0.503 |
0.263 |
0.680 |
252 |
0.468 |
0.215 |
25 |
35.5 |
14.1 |
30.3 |
Nate Mason | SO | G | Big 10 | Minnesota | 15 |
489 |
0.444 |
0.297 |
0.780 |
223 |
0.444 |
0.242 |
26 |
34.2 |
10.1 |
27.0 |
Kyron Cartwright | SO | G | Big East | Providence | 18 |
479 |
0.341 |
0.342 |
0.730 |
122 |
0.396 |
0.308 |
39 |
32.6 |
16.9 |
16.7 |
JaQuan Lyle | FR | G | Big 10 | Ohio State | 18 |
522 |
0.505 |
0.246 |
0.757 |
202 |
0.449 |
0.422 |
28 |
30.2 |
18.8 |
24.2 |
Franklin Howard | FR | G | ACC | Syracuse | 16 |
174 |
0.368 |
0.125 |
0.500 |
23 |
0.315 |
0.444 |
16 |
30.2 |
36.8 |
15.8 |
J.J. Frazier | JR | G | SEC | Georgia | 18 |
595 |
0.409 |
0.412 |
0.804 |
302 |
0.507 |
0.47 |
52 |
29.7 |
9.2 |
24.1 |
Travis Jorgenson | SO | G | ACC | Georgia Tech | 13 |
134 |
0.300 |
0.200 |
0.750 |
12 |
0.300 |
0.267 |
7 |
29.3 |
41.5 |
10.9 |
Myles Davis | JR | G | Big East | Xavier | 18 |
545 |
0.400 |
0.400 |
0.814 |
208 |
0.533 |
0.393 |
44 |
28.2 |
18.7 |
19.0 |
I.J. Ready | JR | G | SEC | Mississippi State | 17 |
497 |
0.457 |
0.342 |
0.800 |
137 |
0.475 |
0.252 |
33 |
27.9 |
16.3 |
15.9 |
If passing is more your thing, Maurice Watson - who played heavy minutes last year - shines as a returnee. His assist rate isn't quite Kris Dunn's... it was actually better (42% of teammates' made shots vs. 40%). Auburn's TJ Dunans may not have gotten more than five games, but he was a dynamic, high-usage, high assist guard who could help elevate Bruce Pearl's program next season. Marquette's Traci Carter, despite his high turnover rate, was an excellent passer as a freshman.
Who do you think we missed?