Steve Ishmael, Syracuse – Ishmael has all of the tools to succeed in the ACC and most likely on Sundays in the NFL. He just joined elite company when he tied a school record for catches by a sophomore receiver, joining Marvin Harrison, Art Monk, and Quinton Spotwood. Unfortunately for Ishmael, national exposure has been hard to come by due to being on a perennial loser that has shuffled through 8 different quarterbacks in the past 2 seasons.
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma – This electric quarterback has been wowing fans all year with his arm and his legs. An unfortunate head injury against TCU may keep him out as Oklahoma makes a push for the college football playoffs, meaning fans who don’t usually watch the BIG 12 may miss out on seeing what he can do. If he returns healthy, a few more clutch performances by Mayfield will propel him into the Heisman race and may let him take home the trophy. His health is the only thing keeping him from being a household name.
Malik Pope, San Diego State – He may have only averaged 5 points as a freshman, but Malik Pope already has NBA draft scouts thinking about his potential. His 6’ 10” frame, along with his surprisingly good ball handling is exactly what is needed to succeed at the next level. On a tournament ready team at SDSU, look for Pope to make some noise heading into March as he receives a significant increase in playing time this year.
Bronson Koenig, Wisconsin – Playing for a legend like Bo Ryan certainly can’t hurt his chances at being a breakout star in college basketball. What will increase the odds of that happening more is simply the fact that Koenig will take over a team that is now missing 5 of its 7 leading scorers from last year. Koenig will have his opportunities on the national stage, it will be up to him to capitalize on additional scoring chances and be a breakout player for Wisconsin this year.
Do you think we missed anyone? Let us know your thoughts on these names and their careers. One thing’s for sure, this list is a run down of the best of the stars who could be better. Hopefully they’ll all find their path to success soon!
–Mark Rubino
