Davidson: Grant Huffman, 6’3 185 junior guard
With Hyunjung Lee an early entrant to the NBA draft and Mike Jones transferring to Stanford, there’s a huge need for scoring guards to play alongside fifth-year point guard Foster Loyer. Grant Huffman is one of, if not the best option to step up and take on a starting role.
A regular rotation piece in his first two seasons, Huffman was just seventh on the team last season in field goal attempts, but his career shooting efficiency (52.6 2p%, 38.5 3p%) and team leading steal rate (2.5% also ranked 419th nationally) should make Wildcats fans excited for his two-way potential. He needs to work on his free throw yips (53.2% in 47 career attempts), but everything is there for Huffman to be a double-digit scorer this season.
Dayton: Mike Sharavjamts, 6’8 180 freshman wing
The first Mongolian citizen to earn a Division 1 athletic scholarship, Mike Sharavjamts finished his high school career at the International Sports Academy in Ohio where he averaged 10.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.8 threes made per game at an impressive 51.2%. While he needs to gain strength, the lefty wing has the skill and smarts to be a dangerous, versatile offensive mismatch.
The four-star, consensus top-100 prospect picked Dayton over Providence and Rutgers, and will have time to develop at his own pace but also has enough potential right away to push wing RJ Blakney or even Mustapha Amzil for playing time at the 4.
Duquesne: Quincy McGriff, 6’6 200 wing
Originally a three-star commit who picked UTEP over Kansas State, San Francisco, Missouri State and others, McGriff played the last two seasons at Salt Lake City CC where he earned Second Team NJCAA All-American honors and helped lead the Bruins to the NJCAA championship game last year.
After averaging 13.5 points and shooting 51.9 2p%, 37.1 3p% and 81.2 ft%, McGriff’s efficient offense earned him seventeen D1 offers, picking Duquesne over Texas A&M, Wichita State and others.
The Dukes were the worst shooting team in the A-10 last season, but McGriff fits perfectly at the 3 along with Miami (Ohio) transfer Dae Dae Grant (17.5 ppg) and Florida International transfer Tevin Brewer (15.2 ppg) to make up a potentially dynamic backcourt.
Fordham: Angel Montas, 6’5 210 freshman wing
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Montas is, according to 247, Fordham’s 5th highest ranked prospect in program history. Montas picked Fordham over Illinois, Tennessee, Dayton and others.
On offense, Montas is a downhill scorer thanks to his size, balance, agility and ability to finish at the rim with both hands. A part of a very promising freshman class, including three-star recruits Will Richardson, Noah Best and Elijah Gray, Montas will have to compete for playing time but compared to his recruiting classmates, Montas arguably has the clearest path to immediate playing time, especially with Will Richardson blocked by Fordham’s leading scorer Darius Quisenberry.
George Mason: Justyn Fernandez, 6’5 200 redshirt freshman wing
Justyn Fernandez is the program’s third highest ranked recruit of all-time, according to 247’s composite rankings. The 6’5 200 wing is a physical freak with speed, athleticism and elite leaping ability that not only launches him to finish at the rim with force, but also rise over defenders with his smoove shooting form. Picking George Mason over nineteen high-major programs, Fernandez is looking to make a major impact in his freshman season, possibly to the tune of a starting role.
George Washington: Maximus Edwards, 6’5 220 redshirt freshman wing
Transferring to George Washington from Kansas State, Maximus Edwards earned eleven D1 offers out of high school thanks to his tenacious on-ball defense with the size and athleticism that projects him as a potential multi-positional defender in the A-10.
A physical driver who can finish through contact, the lefty will look to expand his offensive game to justify a key role on the wing rotation, vying for playing time against fifth-year Amir Harris. Finishing the season with the third lowest efficient defense in the A-10, according to KenPom, Edwards’ physicality on the defensive end could earn him a starting nod to help provide balance along with scorers James Bishop and Joe Bamisile.
La Salle: Rokas Jocius, 6’10 228 freshman big
Thanks to Miles Brookings, Ed Croswell, Jared Kimbrough and Clifton Moore, the Explorers have a four-year streak going with one big transferring each offseason. Entering next season, Mamadou Doucoure is a capable backup big and both of the Drame twins have experience playing the 5 at Saint Peter’s, but Lithuanian big Rokas Jocius has an opportunity to seize a starting role as a freshman.
Playing the last two seasons in the second-highest tier of the Lithuanian pro league, Jocius averaged 8.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.1 blocks per game and shooting a 54.0 2p% and 38.3 3p% converting about 0.5 threes per game.
Competing against professional talent for two years prior to turning nineteen, Jocius brings a unique skill set and experience to Fran Dunphy’s rebuild.
Loyola-Chicago: Saint Thomas, 6’7 215 sophomore forward
Playing sparingly in 27 games last season, Thomas’ freshman season started off with a bang, collecting 13 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in just 18 minutes of play against Coppin State.
Picking Loyola-Chicago over 22 other D1 offers led by TCU, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, VCU, Richmond and others, Thomas is looking to showcase the triple-double potential he showed in high school, averaging 21.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 45 3p%. Averaging just 1.4 turnovers per 40 minutes across his freshman season, Thomas will look to parlay his efficient offensive game into a starting role with Ramblers, a team in need of its youth to step up after recently graduating five fifth-year seniors.
Rhode Island: Alex Tchikou, 6’11 230 sophomore forward
Playing on one of the younger teams in the A-10, I picked Tchikou as my breakout candidate over Seton Hall transfer Brandon Weston due to the dire need for someone to step in at the 5 after the Mitchell twins (Arkansas) and Antwan Walker (Bryant) transferred.
Originally a four-star recruit by Alabama, Alex Tchikou oozes with potential but remains a bit of a mystery after missing the entire 2020-2021 season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon and playing just five total minutes last season.
Bulking up from 200 to 230 pounds, the 6’11 forward is an outstanding athlete with length and physical tools to become an elite defender. Flashing three-point range in high school, Tchikou’s athleticism is best suited in transition offense, giving him the complete package as a potential rim-running force and an opening day starter.
Richmond: Jason Nelson, 5’11 175 redshirt freshman guard
With fifth-year seniors Grant Golden, Nathan Cayo, Jacob Gilyard and Nick Sherod leaving their mark all over Richmond’s record book, by far the biggest hole will be left behind by the graduation of Gilyard, the program’s career leader in minutes played, steals and assists.
With Gilyard graduated and Isaiah Wilson transferring to Wintrhop, Jason Nelson remains as the only true point guard on the roster. A three-star commit who picked Richmond over Vanderbilt, VCU, Drake, Howard and others, the Richmond native would have a plethora of assist opportunities playing alongside senior stud Tyler Burton and transfers Neal Quinn and Jason Roche.
Representing the 804, Nelson keeps coach Chris Mooney’s eighteen season streak of having at least one Richmond native on the roster.
Saint Joseph’s: Kacper Klaczek, 6’8 230 sophomore forward
Point guards Lynn Greer III and Christian Winborne were both up for consideration as my breakout pick, but Jordan Hall’s early exit to the pros and Taylor Funk’s transfer to Utah State sets up Klaczek to possibly start next season at 4.
A fluid athlete for his size, Klaczek was a swingman back in Poland where he was able to handle the ball, run the floor, secure rebounds and finish strong towards the basket. Completing his high school career at Long Island Lutheran, Klaczek has grown 6’8 230 with the skill set and the size of a modern day two-way power forward.
Saint Louis: Sincere Parker, 6’3 180 junior guard
Looking at the Billikens’ roster, Travis Ford has a talented, veteran core making it difficult to pick a breakout player who hasn’t already made an impact in the NCAA.
In general, Ford does not like his players to shoot a lot of threes (the Billikens have ranked no better than 285th in 3pa% over the last five years), but the presence of Gibson Jimerson and Moberly Area CC transfer Sincere Parker will increase the sound of splashing at Chaifetz Arena.
Last season, Parker averaged 21.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.7 threes made per game, connecting at 38.7%. There’s confidence that Saint Louis’ projected starting lineup of Yuri Collins, Jimerson, Javonte Perkins, Javon Pickett and Francis Okoro can be written in pen, but Parker will be a valuable guard off the bench, capable of scoring in bunches.
St. Bonaventure: Yann Farrell, 6’6 190 freshman forward
Throughout the years, Schmidt has shown that he is not afraid to start freshmen and with 99.8% of last year’s scoring gone, this upcoming season is a perfect season to see what some of the Bonnies’ freshmen can do. Considered a three- and four-star recruit across various recruiting sources, Yann Farrell picked St. Bonaventure over ten high-major and four A-10 schools.
Combining Farrell’s pedigree with his athleticism, toughness, rebounding, motor and ability to defend multiple positions makes for a nice profile in the starting lineup to pair with scoring guards Kyrell Luc, Moses Flowers and Daryl Banks III, all newcomers via the transfer portal.
VCU: Zeb Jackson, 6’5 180 junior guard
Buried the last two seasons at Michigan behind Eli Brooks, as well as grad transfers DeVante Jones and Mike Smith, the former four-star and top-100 recruit Zeb Jackson will play his junior season at VCU hoping to earn a starting gig in the backcourt alongside Ace Baldwin and Jayden Nunn.
Playing just a total of 120 minutes across parts of two seasons in Ann Arbor, Jackson has stretched from 6’2 160 to 6’5 180 in just two seasons, enticing length that could play to VCU’s havoc defense while hopefully tapping into the shooting and attacking the basket he showed at Montverde Academy.
Mike Rhoades likes to use his bench, so his playing time is almost guaranteed for Jackson at least as a depth guard, but he’s got the talent and opportunity to lock down major minutes.
UMass: Gianni Thompson, 6’8 205 sophomore forward
With the exciting hiring of Frank Martin, the Minutemen retain a talented group of guards (Fernandes, Weeks and Garcia) but will have an almost entirely new frontcourt next season.
A three-star recruit who played his freshman season last year at Boston College, the Newton native is a candidate to start next season at the 4 where he will try to showcase the two-way ability he flashed at BC.
Lauded for his high character, leadership and work ethic he showed at high school, Thompson has the ability to score at all three levels, rebound his position, run the floor and defend multiple positions, a profile that resembles Frank Martin favorite and South Carolina all-time great Chris Silva (no pressure, Gianni).
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