6’4 Derin Saran – Stanford
Saran is a very familiar name with Phenom Hoops and one of the few sophomores on the roster, Saran is certainly one that I will have my eyes on. As a freshman at UC Irvine, he played in all 32 games and really flourished with his IQ and feel, his ability to score and facilitate, and he has really good size at 6’4 as a guard. Saran was able to flourish as a creator with a smooth feel and crafty handles, but he is able to flourish and run the show offensively. Very eager to see what he can to at the next level in the ACC.
6’11 Blake Buchanan – Virginia
Virginia is one that is always looking for production from bigs and Buchanan is one that I would like to see what more he can provide. The 6’11 big man played in 34 games and started in six, ultimately finishing the season with 3.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, along with 30 total blocks. He gave you those flashes of being a really good physical presence, including an 18-point showing against Florida. With a year under his belt and a better understanding of the system, I feel like Buchanan could certainly be that breakout-type prospect for the Cavaliers.
6’6 Rodney Brown Jr. – Virginia Tech
There are plenty of names to look at with Virginia Tech, as we will be looking at a different roster. There are several names that you could look at with several sophomores to look at, but the guy that I will have my eye on and may make his mark with Brown. He played in all 32 games at California, adjusting to the college level, and with his 6’6 frame and ability to knock down shots from outside, he could make his impact felt. Not to mention his versatility in switching on multiple positions defensively.
6’8 Omaha Biliew – Wake Forest
Biliew gets the nod here; after coming in as a five-star prospect, he was able to play in 20 games last year at Iowa State and averaged 2.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. Now at Wake Forest, could he really carve out and show more of his talent as a 6’8 big man' He will have talent ahead of him to learn from but he also is one that was coming out of high school highly ranked, and he should have the opportunity to show more of what he has to offer.