I was recently sitting at Another Broken Egg, a restaurant in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, thinking ahead to next season.
A fan asked me about Maryland, and we discussed Melo Trimble's decision to return to school. That conversation led me to thinking about guys who will be super sophomores next season.
Any thought about super sophs for the 2015-16 season has to start with Trimble. Here are five guys to keep an eye on next season as they become super sophs.
Melo Trimble, Maryland
Now that D'Angelo Russell of Ohio State is off to the pros, Trimble will be a leading candidate for Big Ten Player of the Year. He is a potential All-Solid Gold performer too. There will be heavy expectations for the Terps, and some may even pick them as favorites to cut down the nets.
Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Florida State
Keep an eye on this Seminole from Canada. The 6-foot-4 Rathan-Mayes averaged a shade less than 15 points per game. I am still amazed by his performance in a loss to Miami last season; he scored 30 points in the final 4 minutes, 38 seconds (no, this is not a typo). He is already a special player who will get even more exposure next season.
Jakob Poeltl, Utah
His decision to return to school had to make coach Larry Krystkowiak ecstatic. He averaged 9.1 ppg as a diaper dandy but has the potential to be a double-double guy and one of the better big men in America.
Justin Jackson, North Carolina
The Tar Heels have a veteran nucleus returning, and Jackson will be a major factor. I look at what he did against Virginia in a win in the ACC tournament: 22 points, 8-of-10 field goals. He will improve on his average of 10.7 ppg.
Angel Delgado, Seton Hall
He was second in the Big East in rebounding at 9.8 rpg. This glass-eater will need to score more consistently, especially since Sterling Gibbs opted to transfer.
Keep an eye on these super sophs, baby! They will have a major impact in the immediate future.
