10 Breakout Player Candidates to Watch This Men’s College Basketball Season

Despite the sport’s increasing reliance on the transfer portal, there are a number of returning players who should step into their team’s star role in 2023–24.

While the constant access to talent by way of the transfer portal has changed the way men’s college basketball teams build rosters, most of the sport’s biggest stars are still players who spend multiple years developing at the same program. Every year, a few breakout stars explode from rotation player to superstar, changing the fortunes of their teams and often launching themselves into the NBA draft conversation. Here’s a look at who the next wave of stars in college basketball could be.

Note: For the purposes of this article, a breakout player is defined as a player who averaged fewer than 10 points per game and is returning to the same team they played for last season.

Donovan Clingan, UConn

Clingan was part of a UConn team that dominated March Madness last season :: Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports

Clingan would have been a starter on almost any other team in college basketball last season. Instead, he was stuck behind the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player, Adama Sanogo, but Clingan still showed off major potential and helped the Huskies to a national championship. Now, this is his team, and the 7'2" big man is poised to explode. He averaged more than 21 points and 17 rebounds per 40 minutes last season and comes into 2023–24 in better shape and more confident as a jump shooter. He’s a near-impossible cover on the block due to his overwhelming size; he blocked shots at an astounding rate last season in his limited minutes; and he moves well defensively for his size. Expect to see Clingan in the All-American conversation and on NBA draft boards for ’24.

Kylan Boswell, Arizona

A former five-star recruit, Boswell is set to be handed the keys to one of college basketball’s most dynamic offenses at Arizona this season after contributing off the bench as a freshman. The physical point guard is an elite point-of-attack defender and has earned rave reviews for his toughness, but it’s the growth in his offensive game that might determine whether this Wildcats team is a national title contender. Boswell looked sharp playing for Team USA’s U-19 team at the FIBA World Cup this summer, and he’s the style of guard that should thrive in Tommy Lloyd’s up-tempo offense. Expect a big year. 

Wooga Poplar, Miami

A complementary piece to the likes of Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller on last year’s Final Four team, Poplar figures to step into a more prominent role for a Miami team still loaded with talent. Poplar was held scoreless against UConn in the Final Four but scored in double figures in three of the Hurricanes’ other four NCAA tournament games, including an efficient 16 points, six rebounds and four assists against Texas in the Elite Eight. His combination of size, slashing ability and growth from beyond the arc makes him a legitimate three-level scoring threat.

Milos Uzan, Oklahoma

Uzan played in 32 games for the Sooners last season :: Scott Sewell/USA TODAY Sports

Porter Moser’s hopes of getting Oklahoma to the NCAA tournament in his third year on the job rely heavily on Uzan, a Las Vegas native who earned Big 12 All-Freshman honors a season ago, in an otherwise-difficult year for the Sooners. Uzan showed off impressive poise and decision-making despite being thrown into the fire as a freshman, and pairing him with another dynamic playmaker in the backcourt like Javian McCollum (Siena) should bring out the best in the guard. Don’t be surprised to hear Uzan’s name as an under-the-radar NBA prospect this winter.

Riley Kugel, Florida

Kugel first caught my eye early in the 2022–23 season, but he really came on strong down the stretch once starting center Colin Castleton went down with a season-ending injury. Wins didn’t follow, but Kugel looked confident carrying a heavy offensive load, and Todd Golden seems likely to rely on the sophomore once again for major production. In the season’s final 10 games, Kugel averaged more than 17 points per game on 49% shooting. If he replicates those numbers over a full season, he’ll be in the conversation for SEC Player of the Year. 

Tyrese Proctor, Duke

Proctor was one of just four Blue Devils to play in all 36 games last season :: Russell Lansford/USA TODAY Sports

After being mired in a miserable shooting slump early in the season, Proctor started to look like the player who received such high acclaim in practice late last season. If that momentum continues into his sophomore year, the Blue Devils guard could quickly blossom into one of the nation’s best at the position. He scored in double figures in seven of his final nine games to close last season and, at his best, is the type of shotmaking combo guard that can take over games. 

Dylan Andrews, UCLA

Andrews was blocked for big minutes last season by veteran Tyger Campbell, but he now has the inside track to start at point guard for the Bruins this season with a new-look roster around him. His numbers didn’t jump off the page in 2022–23, but he showed off his shiftiness as a ballhandler and looked confident as a shooter both off the bounce and the catch. Andrews is the type of pick-and-roll playmaker every staff is looking for on the recruiting trail, and could be in for a big year as a sophomore. 

Rylan Griffen, Alabama

Griffen found a way to crack the loaded Crimson Tide rotation last season, a very positive sign of things to come for the Dallas native. The 6'5" wing has the potential to be a big-time shooter, and he’s also a savvy defender who will earn NBA looks as a potential 3-and-D contributor. Notably, the Tide were more than 10 points better per 100 possessions against top-100 teams with Griffen on the floor last season, per Hoop-Explorer.

Derek Simpson, Rutgers

Simpson had 11 double-figure scoring games in his freshman year :: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/USA TODAY Network

Simpson is part of a rising youth movement at Rutgers that also features talented freshman Gavin Griffiths and a loaded 2024 high school class. Simpson had some bright moments as a freshman, including 18 points against Purdue in the Big Ten tournament in March. His statistical profile from his freshman season is remarkably similar to former Rutgers star Geo Baker’s freshman campaign, when both are normalized over 40 minutes. Simpson likely won’t leave the same lasting impact Baker did, but matching his production seems within reach. 

Desmond Claude, Xavier

After a year spent as eventual NBA draft pick Colby Jones’s understudy, Claude is ready to step into a major role for the Musketeers as a sophomore. He has great size and the ability to play multiple positions, and Claude should handle the ball better than he did a season ago. His presence on this Xavier team has only become more important given the team’s two best returning players in Jerome Hunter and Zach Freemantle are likely out for the season. For the Musketeers to ensure a second straight trip to the NCAA tournament, Claude needs to take the next step. 

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10 More Names to Know

• Jayden Pierre, Providence
• Brooks Barnhizer, Northwestern
• Roddy Gayle Jr., Ohio State
• Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
• Isaac McKneely, Virginia
• Ryan Dunn, Virginia
• Ty Rodgers, Illinois
• Tarris Reed Jr., Michigan
• Mason Miller, Creighton
• Dillon Mitchell, Texas

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