A year ago, Pitt was embarking upon a breakout season as a team which brought them a third-place finish in the ACC and two wins in the NCAA Tournament. Forward Nate Santos was a reserve on that squad, stuck behind Blake Hinson during own star-making campaign. Santos knew that, given an opportunity, he could make a winning impact. Turns out, he was right, and the young forward has found a great fit in Dayton as the sharpshooting 4-man next to star big man DaRon Holmes II.
Santos is one of many young players in the A-10 who are enjoying more of the spotlight than ever before due to their excellent play to start this new season. Now that we’re a month into the festivities, it’s time to take a look at the players who have spent the past few weeks breaking out. Whether they’re new to their teams, new to a significant role, or newly-come to true stardom, these are some names you really ought to know!
Nate Santos – Dayton
13.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.1 apg, 0.8 spg – 62.7% FG
With forward Toumani Camara – last year’s second-leading scorer – having departed for the pro’s, Dayton is particularly pleased to have Santos. An inside-out scorer, Santos has good hands near the rim and a smooth jumper from further away. Though he played just under 10 minutes across his 54 games (with six starts) at Pitt, Santos has been on the floor for more than 32 minutes per game this year and is shooting a stupendous 67% on three-point tries so far at Dayton. A scion of one of Puerto Rico’s foremost basketball families, both of Santos’ parents as well as each of his siblings has played for Team Puerto Rico internationally. Now that he’s established himself as a tremendous floor-spacer next to Holmes, Santos is showing that he’s also a solid defender and high-volume rebounder; Santos has actually grabbed 15 more boards than Holmes so far, and has accounted for twice as many offensive rebounds as his all-conference teammate. Dayton may have suffered a blow when point guard Mali Smith was lost for the season due to injury, but the Flyers have gained a new star up front in Santos. Now, they’ve got a versatile duo who will give head coach Anthony Grant mismatch options in March.
Keyshawn Hall & Amari Kelly – George Mason
Hall: 14.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 1.7 apg, 0.8 spg – 43.3% FG / Kelly: 12.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.4 bpg – 58.6% FG
Turns out it’s not possible to list just one breakout guy for George Mason. With the Patriots having lost both their coach and best player – all-conference big man Josh Oduro – to the Big East this spring, few were certain what George Mason would have in the paint this year. Turns out, new head coach and former George Mason star Tony Skinn pulled off something of a two-for-one. Oduro may be gone, but Skinn signed Keyshawn Hall (formerly of UNLV) and Amari Kelly (from UNC Wilmington) out of the portal hoping to shore up the frontcourt – and they have played like stars.
Coming out of the prep ranks, Hall had attracted the interest of and offers from programs like Missouri, Saint Mary’s and Arizona State, but attended UNLV to start. There, he played very well offensively. Hall scored in double figures four times in 18 games despite averaging just over 10 minutes per contest, but often saw inconsistent playing time. Made aware by his time in the desert that he needed to commit to getting into great physical shape and playing a well-rounded game, Hall transferred east and set about remaking himself. The results so far have been outstanding. This year, Hall has much more the physique of a wing player to pair with his perimeter skills, and he’s stepped into a starring role for the Patriots. A good outside shooter, Hall is also a mismatch against lots of bigger players due to his handle and quickness around the lane. He’s been highly efficient scoring near the paint, and Hall’s ability to create space for good looks with both his strength and enhanced agility are proving to be a problem for defenders. With the offensive repertoire of a go-to scorer, the sophomore Hall should continue building upon his fast start as conference play begins.
After transferring in from a strong program at Wilmington, Kelly was a known quantity upon arrival at George Mason. He had proven himself an energetic rebounder and skilled defender with the Seahawks, with some ability to knock down a jumper if left alone or to finish a good look inside. Skinn & Co believed that the fifth-year veteran had untapped offensive upside, though: and so Kelly has proven. Prior to joining the Patriots, Kelly had attempted 25 career triples – with 12 of them coming last year – and made just six of them. This year, given the green light to score the ball when he sees an opportunity, Kelly has come out firing. He’s hit 8 of 16 from the land of trey so far, is attempting and making more mid-range shots, and Kelly – a 60.7% career foul shooter coming into this year – is now taking defenders off the bounce, getting fouled, and sinking his freebies at an 82.8% clip. Still as effective a rim protector and defender as ever, Kelly’s confidence and range of skills offensively have transformed him into a very good two-way player, and he’s now looking like a pillar of the Patriots. He ranks second among all A-10 players in offensive boards so far, and has converted a putback per game, per Hoop-Math. Along with another breakout scorer in veteran guard Darius Maddox, Kelly and Hall are keeping George Mason on the same contending path as ever under their new management.
Khalil Brantley & Jahmir ‘Jig’ Brickus – LA Salle
Brantley: 17.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.7 spg – 40.2% FG / Brickus: 15.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 5.0 apg, 1.4 spg – 46.2% 3FG
This season isn’t their first go-round, but La Salle’s outstanding backcourt tandem duo has never been better. Khalil Brantley and Jhamir Brickus – known to some folks around Philadelphia as the Explorers’ ‘fire and ice’ are veteran guards enjoying the best year of their careers. Brantley, the A-10’s reigning Player of the Week, introduced himself to the nation with a buzzer-beating banked-in three ball from nearly halfcourt to knock off Penn in a hard-fought win over Penn in the Big 5 Classic. He’s an electric scorer who gets buckets all over the court, though Brantley can be streaky from deep. He’s the ‘fire’ in legendary coach Fran Dunphy’s backcourt-focused offense, an attacking, hard-charging scorer who loves to drive off the bounce and create opportunities with the other team on their heels. Though a true scorer, Brantley is also an adept ballhandler who will get the rock to his buddies after drawing the defense. Though Brantley wasn’t able to seal a win in the Explorers’ game prior to facing Penn – a triple-overtime defeat against Temple – at the charity stripe, Brantley played every one of the 55 minutes of game action. After he sank the winner against the Quakers, Brantley felt great about coming through for his team.
“I gotta figure something out, get the ball in the basket and win it for our team because we’ve worked so hard through the summer. We were resilient through the whole game,” Brantley told City of Basketball Love after his game-winner. “For the most part, that’s all that was going through my head. I gotta do it for them.” He’s skilled, unselfish, and clearly heroic enough that his teammates carried Brantley off the floor after his heave to beat Penn, and they have come to rely upon his blazing desire to make big plays and give his all. The junior ranks top five in the A-10 in scoring so far, and will continue to play a starring role in one of the nation’s most exciting backcourts.
Brickus is considered a bit more selective with his words and shots, but La Salle’s ‘ice’ also knows when to step up and make his presence known. A senior leader on this Explorers team, Brickus has worn a few different hats over his four years in Philly. During La Salle’s marathon contest against Temple, Brickus went off for a career-high 41 points (Brantley had 29 and 14 boards) and also played every minute of the game. Brickus is the team’s top playmaker, and has posted the best assist numbers of his career over the past month. He’s long been considered a terrific and highly bothersome defender, and Brickus sets the tone and table for his teammates at both ends of the floor. Though he may be La Salle’s best deep threat, Brickus has always used the threat of his drive game to set up the rest of his offense. He may be small, but Brickus is fearless and shifty, with a strong first step and explosive quickness arriving at the cup or poaching a pass on the perimeter. With a proven pair of ‘killer B’s’ to lead the way, La Salle is proving that they will be heard from among the A-10’s top squads all winter long.
Zek Montgomery – Rhode Island
14.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.1 apg, 0.4 bpg – 46.2% 3FG
Though he started 25 games for a Bradley team which won the Missouri Valley Conference last year, new Rhode Island wing Zek Montgomery was hoping for a bigger role and a change of scenery this spring. The Louisville native has found both on the far east coast of the nation, and the Rams couldn’t be more pleased with Montgomery’s arrival. The sharpshooting wing arrived at Rhody as the owner of an excellent 40.7% career mark from distance, and has set about improving that number. Montgomery is shooting 46.2% on triple tries so far this year, and has made 52.9% of his shots overall. In fact, Montgomery has been such a smooth scorer for head coach Archie Miller that the junior has hit double figures in each of the Rams’ first eight games. He’s combining with high-scoring former High Point transfer Jaden House to give Rhode Island a whole new look offensively – and Montgomery is not only a sniper. The 6’6″ wing has also quickly posted a double-double as a Ram, and Montgomery is a solid ball-mover who has had games with four and six assists already even as the Rams look to him for points. With a pair of strong new veterans in Montgomery and House, Miller has Rhody trending upward, and as he keeps knocking down shots, Montgomery is starting to look a lot like the all-league scorer he believed he could become.
Rasheer Fleming & Xzayvier Brown – St. Joseph’s
Fleming: 11.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 0.8 spg – 53.1% FG / Brown: 12.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.7 spg – 50.0% 3FG
There are a few players having big years for the Hawks, but folks around college basketball by and large knew who Erik Reynolds II and Lynn Greer were by the end of last season. Two of this year’s biggest contributors, though, are fresher faces; one of them was still in high school a year ago. While head coach Billy Lange knew he had a couple of very versatile and solid young defenders coming back in Rasheer Fleming and Polish forward Kacper Klaczek, Fleming has leveled up quickly over the first month of this season. After starting 18 games as a freshman, Fleming has stepped up as a consistent scoring threat as a sophomore. A prime threat to finish a lob – or anything he gets his hands on near the bucket, really – Fleming has 11 flushes through eight games and is shooting a terrific 76.9% on attempts near the rim, per Bart Torvik. What makes Fleming so much more exciting than the most thunderous of throwdowns, though, is that he can shoot it, too. A truly modern forward, Fleming has knocked down 30 triples already in his 39 career games played. While his percentage is still a tick below 30% on those attempts, Fleming clearly has perimeter skills, and may explode at any moment once he finds more consistency. The young forward also leads the Hawks in rebounding and has blocked 1.4 shots per game to start the new year. His quickness and mobility in getting good looks outside translate into a real threat defensively in the halfcourt, as Fleming can get a hand into the shooter’s face or send an attempt back while covering a tremendous amount of ground.
Though we’re largely talking about established college players who are having career seasons, we’d be highly remiss if we failed to mention Xzayvier Brown. The freshman has stepped seamlessly into a major role for the Hawks, averaging starters minutes as the team’s 6th man. A lithe combo guard and Philly local, Brown has done a good bit of everything through eight games for Lange. He’s just about shooting the leather off the ball so far, making 50% of his first 36 attempts from the land of trey, and is proving a very steady distributor of the ball. Even on a team with veteran playmakers like Greer and Reynolds, Brown has stood out: for evidence, check out his fantastic 27:10 assist to turnover ratio. Brown is exceedingly savvy with the ball in his hands, and has already shown that he’ll get just where he wants to for a good look moving without the ball, as well. The talented Hawks have already taken Kentucky to overtime at Rupp Arena and win this year’s Big 5 Classic title, and with key youngsters like Brown and Fleming on the rise, St. Joe’s looks to have high-end potential this season.
Jordan King & Neal Quinn – Richmond
King: 20.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.1 apg – 45.5% 3FG / Quinn: 13.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.6 bpg – 60.0% FG
Richmond had a classic letdown last winter after the inconsistent Spiders got hot late and made a run to the A-10 Tournament crown and a win in the NCAA Tournament two years ago. While neither event was a shock to fans who have kept careful track of head coach Chris Mooney’s long tenure in RVA, he’s now got the Spiders back on track with a different pair of stars leading the way. Lead guard Jordan King has played well enough to currently reign as the A-10’s leading scorer. King’s scoring chops are not breaking news: he averaged 14.5 points on 36.8% shooting from downtown over the past three seasons at Siena and East Tennessee State. His extraordinary efficiency and rate of buckets gotten, though, have been pretty special to tip off King’s final collegiate season. He’s making beautiful music so far with the slick-passing Quinn, and King has made 25 of his first 50 triple tries – legit, dangerous volume which is making King a top target on every opponent’s scouting report. A capable playmaker in his own right, King has always kept his teammates involved, and he’s averaging a career-low 1.7 turnovers so far in the bargain. With 20+ points in six of the Spiders’ first nine games, King is going to continue having one of the greenest lights around.
With Quinn combining with King to do it all from the lane, Richmond’s offense is in particularly good hands inside or out. Quinn may be huge, but he’s also a very skilled dude. The former Lafayette transfer was named to the All-Patriot League team a couple years back by posting similar numbers to those he’s put up this season, and is as versatile a big as anyone in the A-10. After getting comfortable in Mooney’s system – which loves to feature a talented passer up front – last year, Quinn is commanding just as much attention as King. A supremely savvy player, Quinn seems to always know where his most open teammates are, and is highly adept scoring with his soft hands and patient, precise footwork under the rim and creating offense from the elbow. The seven-footer has scored 18 or more points four times to start the year, handed out 3 or more assists in all but one of the Spiders’ contests, and already has a pair of 4-block days. And, like King, Quinn has been valuing possessions just the way Mooney prefers; each star has committed just 15 turnovers through nine games despite doing yeoman’s work as Richmond’s primary ballhandlers. With a post/perimeter pairing who can steal the show each night, the Spiders are trending back upwards, and are sure to remain a very difficult out all season.
Players to keep on keeping an eye on
Garrett Johnson – George Washington – 13.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.0 spg, 0.7 bpg – 42.6% 3FG
David Skogman – Davidson – 14.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.4 spg – 41.2% 3FG
Jimmy ‘Tre’ Clark III – 17.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.1 spg – 46.4% FG
Desmond Watson – Loyola Chicago – 13.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.6 apg, 0.7 spg – 43.9% 3FG
Sincere Parker – Saint Louis (currently injured) – 17.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.8 spg – 37.5% 3FG
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