| | Mike Bibby busted out to the League after two years. Baron Davis was
gone after year two as well. Quentin Richardson could be the next super soph to
depart.
But before he does, the pressure is on Richardson to produce. Not
individually -- he's already posted the stats to get him to the next level. Richardson's task is to show he can elevate DePaul into an NCAA Tournament team.
He's not the only sophomore facing a crossroads season. For the most part, these players haven't had to be the go-to player like Richardson was last season, but each will be expected to break through and produce big numbers. Here's a rundown of three players in each major conference whose careers could take major turns this season.
|  | | A healthy Jason Capel will be a big part of North Carolina this season. |
Atlantic 10
Tavorris Bell, 6-6 guard, Rhode Island: Jerry DeGregorio is expecting
Bell to pick up Lamar Odom's scoring load and be the creator on the wing.
He's got to be Mr. Excitement to perk up a team hit hard by the early-entry
rule. The Rams have a first-year point guard in Zach Marbury and serviceable forwards
in Luther Clay and Leroy Womack but Bell must be the go-to player late in games.
Averaging 9.3 points a game again won't cut it.
Kevin Lyde, 6-10, center, Temple: The one-time McDonald's All-American
must become a dominant low-post player. He's at the center of the vaunted
matchup zone but his offense needs to pick up beyond 7.4 points a game to
ensure Temple's superiority in the A-10. He must be a focal point by the time
March arrives for the Owls to make a Final Four run.
Lloyd Price, 6-5, guard, Xavier: Darnell Williams' return to the lineup --
after a knee injury took him out of '98-99 -- gives Price a player to feed off
of on the perimeter. But Price's game has to mature. He can't just be the
slasher and dunker. His free-throw percentage could use a boost and he needs to be
a bit more automatic on 3s and mid-range jumpers if the Musketeers want to
get to the NCAA Tournament.
Atlantic Coast
Jason Capel, 6-8, forward, North Carolina: Capel should be headed for a breakthrough sophomore season. Last season, he missed a month with mononucleosis and seems to be quicker after surgery for two herniated disks in the offseason. If Capel and Kris Lang can be productive next to Brendan Haywood in the middle, the Tar Heels will have the most formidable frontline.
But Lang and Capel can't play soft.
Juan Dixon, 6-3, guard, Maryland: It's Dixon, not frosh Steve Blake,
who will replace Steve Francis' slashing scoring from the wing. Dixon has to
keep a defender away from doubling down on Terence Morris by making himself a
threat and averaging in double figures.
Anthony Grundy, 6-2, guard, N.C. State: He didn't have time to mesh
after joining the Wolfpack at mid-semester. Now with Adam Harrington gone,
Grundy has to assert himself and become a double-digit scorer (which means
popping plenty of 3s, too).
Big East
Kevin Braswell, 6-2, guard, Georgetown: Braswell combined with Anthony
Perry to form one of the better backcourts in the Big East. Braswell's
scoring (13.5 ppg) will likely stay the same. Injuries and ineligibility up
front puts more pressure on him to produce.
Dahntay Jones, 6-5, guard, Rutgers: Jones was one of the sleeper frosh
a year ago averaging 10.7 points and helping the Knights get to within a
sniff of the NCAAs. Geoff Billet's departure puts the heat on Jones to raise
his average up by five. That could come from the line where he's a bankable
81.4 percent.
John Salmons, 6-7, guard, Miami: Salmons wasn't needed as much to score
with Tim James. He must this season and get his average to 10 points and
shoot better than 24.4 percent on 3s.
Big Ten
Cory Bradford, 6-2, guard, Illinois: Last year's Big Ten freshman of the year needs to adapt to an influx of impact newcomers -- Brian Cook, Frank Williams and Marcus Griffin. Bradford (15.4 ppg) should lead this team deep in the NCAAs by being its go-to scorer. But he's got to share the ball with
even more talent.
Kirk Haston, 6-10, center, Indiana: The Hoosiers can't rely on A.J.
Guyton to get to the NCAAs. Haston has to push his averages up a tad to 12 points
and eight rebounds. He can spread the defense with his 3s (36.4 percent) but he has to be more physical.
Joel Pryzbilla, 7-1, center, Minnesota: He blocked 10 shots against
Fresno State and was a defensive pest all year but his offense (6.7 ppg) has
to be equally as good for the Gophers to avoid the cellar.
Big 12
Jeff Boschee, 6-1, guard, Kansas: The Jayhawks' point guard has the
position to himself this season. He should bring a steady presence. He's no
Jacque Vaughn, but he can get the Jayhawks into an offense. He also has to be
a better defender.
Keyon Dooling, 6-3, guard Missouri: Dooling got plenty of prep time
this summer with the 19-and-under U.S. team but he has to shoot better than
28 percent on 3s and needs to share the wealth a bit more.
Fredrik Jonzen, 6-10, forward, Oklahoma State: Jonzen had limited experience last year but played this summer wth the Swedish National Team. He must push starter Alex Webber to help the Cowboys get ready for inside wars against the likes of Kansas' Eric Chenowith and Texas' Chris Mihm.
Conference USA
Altron Jackson, 6-6, forward, South Florida: The third piece of the
Bulls' frontcourt, Jackson must make teams defend him more often. That means
becoming an offensive threat and scoring more than eight points a game. He has to watch his 3s, too (28.3 percent).
Bobby Simmons, 6-7, forward, DePaul: One-third of the terrific trio of
freshmen, Simmons is versatile enough to hit the 3-pointer, post up and
defend a player on the perimeter. With Lance Williams hurt, he needs to pick
up more of the slack rebounding.
Lance Williams, 6-9, center, DePaul: Williams broke a bone in his foot
and is out for a month. When he returns, he'll get a reprieve with frosh
center Steve Hunter able to take some defensive pressure away from him.
Williams should be able to develop a stronger offensive game with the
freedom.
Mountain West
Chris McMillian, 5-10, guard, Wyoming: He surprised many by averaging 9.5 points and 4.6 asssits as a freshman. But he must shoot better than 27.4 percent on his 3-pointers if the Cowboys want to make it to the NCAA Tournament.. He'll also have to share time with redshirt Andy Young and returnee Anthony Blakes.
Chris Richardson, 6-6, forward, UNLV: He shot his mouth off last
season, questioning the coaching. The highly touted Texas prep recruit nearly
transferred back home. He stayed and now he's got to make it worth his while.
He's not going to start so he better produce more than 1.7 points a game off
the bench.
John Robinson II, 6-1, guard, New Mexico: He had the guts to take over
games as a freshman and steer clear of an erratic Kenny Thomas. Now his job
is in jeopardy because new coach Fran Fraschilla might want to make a change. Robinson has to prove to
Fraschilla that his poor shooting in three games against Utah, and Connecticut
in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, was a fluke. He averaged 10.2 points and 7.7 assists but
frosh Marlon Parmer could take his place if he doesn't settle down.
Pac-10
Senque Carey, 6-3, guard, Washington: Carey was a steal for the
Huskies. He took over the point after sophomore Dan Dickau was injured and won the job outright, averaging 8.7 points and 3.2 assists. Dickau has since transferred to Gonzaga. The Huskies will play more up-tempo with Todd MacCulloch gone, which should suit Carey's game.
Brandon Granville, 5-9, guard, USC: A sleeper frosh, Granville's play
at the point held up against the Pac-10's best. The onus is on him to lead
this team to the NCAAs.
Richard Jefferson, 6-7, forward, Arizona: He's more versatile than Michael Wright and isn't afraid to take the last shot. He could develop into a go-to player and increase his 11.3 scoring average.
Southeastern
Desmond Allison, 6-5, guard, Kentucky: Suddenly, Allison will be asked
to score and accept more responsibility after averaging only 4.7 points a
year ago.
Stromile Swift, 6-9, forward, LSU: Eligibility kept him from starting
last season on time but he's coming off a fabulous summer. Swift should be a name to
remember by season's end and raise not only his average (7.6 ppg) but also
the Tigers in the SEC.
Vincent Yarbrough, 6-7, forward, Tennessee: If Richardson at UNLV was
last year's most disappointing freshman, Yarbrough wasn't far behind. Jerry Green
admitted that Yarbrough was given too much, too soon. His shot was off (27.4
percent) but he still managed 7.6 points a game. He needs to build his
confidence early in the year to reach his potential.
Western Athletic
DeWayne Floyd, 6-8, forward, SMU: The Mustangs will be guard-heavy but
need someone to emerge as a frontcourt scorer. Floyd (3.5 ppg) might be the
best hope with Nigel Smith status in doubt after major sinus surgery.
Damon Hancock, 6-4, guard, SMU: With Chad Elsey transferring to Baylor, Hancock's role will increase off the bench. He'll have to fight off Renaldo Bratton and freshman Quinton Ross for time. To see meaningful minutes, he has to shoot better than 29 percent from the floor if he wants to contribute.
Greg Harrington, 6-2, guard, Tulsa: He was the one of the Mountain
Division's top frosh while sharing the point. It's all his this season. But
he's got to average more than 2.0 assists to get Tulsa back in the NCAA.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. | |
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