Underclassmen Standouts to Watch Next Season
There’s nearly five months until the 2018–19 college hoops season tips off, but that doesn’t mean that it’s too early to start talking about who we’ll be following next season. As summer workouts are starting on the court, we are taking a look at some underclassmen that lit up the stats sheet during the 2017–18 season, and how they might impact their teams come November.
Championship Star Power: Jackie Young (Notre Dame)
Jackie Young had an impressive Sophomore season for the Fighting Irish, finishing in the 90th percentile or above in a variety of stats, including Points per Game, Points per Scoring Attempt and Offensive Rebounds per Game. However, she really showed her star power in big moments for Notre Dame. Behind Arike Ogunbowale’s buzzer beater to stun UConn in the National Semifinals, was an incredible performance from Young. The sophomore put up a game high 32 points, on 10 for 15 shooting and going 10 for 11 from the line. That’s 1.60 points per scoring attempt, the equivalent of hitting 80% on two-point shots. Young was also a force on the glass with 11 rebounds, five of which were offensive. Jackie Young will be a key player as the Irish look to defend as the champions next season.
Assist Queen: Tiana Mangakahia (Syracuse)
Tiana Mangakahia joined the Orange this season as a junior college transfer with three years of eligibility. Poised to be one of the best point guards in the nation, Mangakahia certainly lived up to the expectation. In her debut season with Syracuse, she finished first in the nation out of over 3,000 Division I players in both Assists per Game (9.8) and Assist Rate (60.4%). That assist rate means she assisted on a whopping 60.4% of her teammates’ field goals while on the court, which is an impressive 15.5% above the assist rate of the second ranked player. It seems like her first NCAA season will be hard to top, but it will be exciting to watch how far Mangakahia can take the Orange next season.
Duck’s Dynamic Duo: Sabrina Ionescu & Ruthy Hebard (Oregon)
It’s no secret that Ionescu and Hebard have headlined much of Oregon’s success over the last two seasons. The sophomore duo led the Ducks to their first Pac-12 championship and their second straight Elite Eight appearance. Sabrina Ionescu finished the season as the Pac-12 player of the year and a first team All-American. Ionescu stuffed the stats sheet in the 17–18 season, finishing in the 99th percentile for both Points per Game and Assist Rate. Her shooting efficiency was also impressive, as she ranked in the 96th percentile for points per scoring attempt.
Hebard also shined on the offensive end, and was a force on the glass all season long. She finished in the 94th percentile for Defensive Rebounding Rate and the 93rd percentile for Offensive Rebounding Rate. These two may very well carry the Ducks to their first Final Four in 2019.
Freshman Force Beyond the Arc: Alexis Morris (Baylor)
When thinking about the Baylor Bears’ success, we quickly jump to Kalani Brown and the 20.1 points per game she delivered from within the arc during the 2017–18 season. However, on the other side of the three-point line was freshman guard Alexis Morris. Morris drained 46.2% of her three point attempts last season, which ranks 14th among all NCAA Division I players. She also dished out 116 assists this season, tying the Baylor’s record for a freshman and placing her in the 92nd percentile for assists per game nationally. Expect Morris to continue being a force on the offensive end this season, especially from beyond the arc.
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