College basketball season is nearly here.
The NBA has returned, with preseason games beginning in early October and the regular season kicking off later in the month. NCAA hoops fans will have to wait a little while longer to see any action, but starting on Nov. 3, observers will get a glimpse at the next crop of NBA talent.
Players like AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson headline the upcoming class, but as with every season, there will be players who rise up draft boards with impressive breakout campaigns.
Recently, college basketball expert Jon Rothstein revealed his “20 under-the-radar breakout players” for the upcoming college basketball season, with a few potential NBA prospects making the cut.
While none of the players on Rothstein’s list are currently surefire draft targets, there are two players specifically who could play their way into the upcoming class.
Listed at 6-foot-5, McNeil is coming off a freshman season that saw the former top-60 recruit play less than nine minutes per game with the Wolfpack.
In 24 appearances and three starts during the 2024-25 campaign, McNeil tallied 4.2 points and 1.3 rebounds per game while shooting 44% from the field and 35.6% from beyond the arc. While McNeil’s averages aren’t eye-popping, the young wing player showed flashes of potential late in the season.
In a win against Wake Forest, McNeil logged 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and just one turnover. That was part of a stretch that saw the in-state product score 12 or more points in four times in eight contests.
With Will Wade now at the helm for NC State, a consistent season from McNeil could earn the 19-year-old a spot in the 2026 draft class. Bleacher Report’s preseason mock draft slotted the Wolfpack wing at No. 32 overall to the Washington Wizards.
Williams is a bit more under-the-radar than even McNeil after redshirting the 2024-25 campaign.
As a true freshman in 2023-24, though, Williams made 14 starts and played in 32 games, averaging 17.4 minutes per contest. The Christ the King (NY) product tallied 3.1 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, but like McNeil, had a few standout performances.
In a win against Arizona State, Williams racked up 13 points, 5 rebounds and just one turnover in 20 minutes on the floor, shooting 5-of-6 from the field. Listed at 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds, the redshirt sophomore has the size to play in the NBA if he can step into a bigger role for the Bruins this year.
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