Shabazz Napier, 6-1 junior point guard, Connecticut: Napier is the unquestioned leader of a Huskies team currently in NCAA purgatory in rookie coach Kevin Ollie’s first season.
Napier shot 8-for-16, scored 25 points, had 2 assists, 2 rebounds and no turnovers in a 66-62 win over a highly regarded Michigan State team in Germany. If Napier can shoot a higher percentage (39% FG last season) and commit fewer turnovers (2.8 per game last season), he will be in place to have a solid junior season for the Huskies even if they can’t make the NCAA Tournament.
Kyle Anderson, 6-9 freshman point forward, UCLA: Anderson, who was undergoing investigation by the NCAA for impermissible benefits, was cleared to play and didn’t disappoint.
True to form as a player who can fill up the stat sheet, Anderson put up a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds to go with 4 assists in an 86-59 win over Indiana State.
Jordan Adams, 6-4 freshman shooting guard, UCLA: There’s no questioning what Adams brings to the table; he can light the scoreboard up in a hurry in a variety of ways, as he proved by dropping 21 points on 7-12 shooting in 22 minutes for the Bruins in their first game of the season.
Kenny Boynton, 6-2 senior guard, Florida: A volume scorer during his first three seasons as a Gator, Boynton had one of the most efficient games of his college career on Sunday in an 84-35 rout of Alabama State.
He posted a stat line of 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting (4-for-4 from distance), 6 rebounds, 5 assists and no turnovers. Hopefully, Boynton plays efficiently all season for the Gators, who could use consistent senior leadership (i.e. good decision-making) and scoring abilities on the offensive end.
For his efficiency to pick up, Boynton will have to improve his shot selection.
Russ Smith, 6-1 junior guard, Louisville: Smith did what he does best in Louisville’s 79-51 victory over Manhattan: He dropped buckets (23 points on 8-18 shooting) and made plays on the defensive end (5 steals).
Smith’s scoring could end up being the go-to weapon for Rick Pitino’s attack this season, as he is an extremely aggressive, versatile and fearless scorer.
Brandon Ashley, 6-8 freshman forward, Arizona: In his first game as a Wildcat, Ashley got to the line 12 times in 24 minutes off the bench. Ashley will continue to get to the line while being an efficient scorer for coach Sean Miller; he has low post skills and knows how to draw contact after making a move.
Ashley should crack the starting lineup and eventually be looked upon to produce more as the season progresses.
Jared Berggren, 6-10 senior center, Wisconsin: One of the most underrated big men on the defensive side of the ball, Berggren will continue to be under-appreciated at Wisconsin as a result of its slow pace and methodical play.
He put up a solid 19 points and 8 rebounds in Wisconsin’s cruise-control 87-47 win over Southeast Louisiana.
Phil Pressey, 6-1 junior point guard, Missouri: Pressey is poised for a big season. Playing for a team that graduated a lot of its talent, he will be relied upon to carry the load offensively, which he is more than capable of doing.
Coming off a season in which he averaged a 10.3 points , 6.4 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 turnovers for the Tigers, Pressey should see an increase in his scoring this season. He had an efficient first contest, scoring 19 points, dishing out 9 dimes, grabbing 5 boards and turning the ball over just twice in 35 minutes.
Rodney Purvis, 6-3 freshman guard, North Carolina State: If the Wolfpack are going to make as much noise in the ACC as predicted this season, this scoring guard will be a major reason why.
Purvis has an attack-at-all-costs mentality and can score in a variety of ways. He scored 16 points (3-5 from distance) to help NC State bury Miami (OH) 97-59.
Jeremy Bauman is a 2011 Indiana University alum who is an aspiring scout and shooting coach. After covering last June’s NBA finals for this site, he’ll be blogging for SheridanHoops.com weekday mornings and contributing NCAA reports during the 2012-13 basketball season. Follow him on Twitter.