College Basketball: 5 Prospects Avoiding the Sophomore Slump

Take a look at five prospects at the Mid-Major/Low-Major ranks in college basketball who are flourishing in their sophomore seasons in the landscape.

Jordan Marsh - 5’10 Point Guard - UNC-Asheville

Jordan Marsh has found smooth footing since moving from Appalachian State in the Sun Belt Conference to the UNC-Asheville Bulldogs in the Big South. He’s emerged as quite the leader in the Bulldogs’ backcourt in the Big South, with 23.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.8 steals per contest in conference action. He leads the conference in scoring and ranks fifth in assists with UNC-Asheville at 7-1 atop the standings. He’s shown his poise scoring at volume in a variety of ways, shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3-point land. He went off for a career-high 32 points to go along with eight assists and seven rebounds back on Jan. 18 in a victory over Winthrop as it seems he’s finding his consistency by the game. He’s shown his game translates at the DI level and he’s certainly a burden to bear scoring the basketball in the Big South.

P.J. Haggerty - 6’3 Guard - Memphis

Sophomore guard P.J. Haggerty has the Memphis Tigers ranked 19th in the current AP Top 25 Rankings and second in the American Athletic Conference standings at 7-1. Last year’s AAC Rookie of the Year hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. He leads the way for the Tigers with 20.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game on 40.9 percent shooting from behind the arc and 53.8 percent shooting from the field in conference action. His scoring production ranks fifth in all of college basketball and second in the AAC while he also ranks second in steals (44) and 11th in total assists (74). He’s got Memphis playing well as they approach a pivotal stretch in the conference schedule. He’s already had himself quite the showing against P6 competition in non-conference play already with 27 points, five assists and five rebounds in a victory over UVA and 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a victory against Clemson in the ACC.

Terrence Brown - 6’3 Guard - Fairleigh Dickinson

Sophomore guard Terrence Brown has head coach Jack Castleberry’s Farleigh Dickinson Knights within the thick of the Northeastern Conference standings at 4-2. They’ve won four of their last five contest to leap to third in the current NEC standings. Brown leads the conference in scoring with 440 total points, 20.5 points per game, ranks second in field goal percentage (46.3 percent) and second in steals (41) as the thick of league play ramps up for the Knights. His production has been solid with 7.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals per contest. He’s a guard prospect to keep eyes on given his prowess on the floor in the NEC. As the leader in field goals made (155) in the conference heading into the final two months of the year, it’ll be interesting to see how things pan out for the sophomore from Minnesota.

Adam “Budd” Clark - 5’10 Point Guard - Merrimack

Clark has Merrimack College in a three-way tie atop the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings at 8-1 with Quinnipiac and Marist. Last year’s NEC Rookie of the Year hasn’t missed a step as they move into the MAAC. He’s producing 18.8 points, 6.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game on 40.5 percent shooting from the field in conference action through the halfway point. Clark went off for 22 points, six assists and four rebounds in a tough loss to Rutgers back in November but it could be a preview of March for him. He ranks first in the MAAC in assists (116), field goals made (151) and second in steals (42) as a leading name. He’s a big reason for the Warriors’ current 3-game winning streak as the final two months of conference play approach. Oh, by the way, their last two conference games are against Quinnipiac and then Marist on the road.

Gabe Dynes - 7’3 Center - Youngstown State

Gabe Dynes is a sizeable name to get to know at 7-foot-3 in the Horizon League. He remains a top defender in the painted area for the Youngstown State Penguins off the bench. He’s given them even more strength to work with in the paint with his presence at 7-foot-3. He’s putting up 6.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per contest off the bench in league action. He hasn’t missed a step as an anchor in the paint on both ends in the Horizon League as he remains first in blocks (71) and first in field goal percentage inside the paint at 70 percent shooting from 2-point range. His ability to alter shots in the paint and be a presence defensively has his stock rising in a hurry for the Penguins.