Neglecting Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and more, NCAAB analysts pick best college basketball hoopers for first month of 2024-25 season
Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, and other top recruits entertained fans in their first month of college basketball. However, they are nowhere near NCAAB analysts Rob Dauster, Randolph Childress, and Chris Childers' picks. Talking on "The Field Of 68: After Dark" podcast, Childress picked Marquette's Kam Jones. Dauster and Childers chose Auburn Tigers' Johni Broome.
Randolph Childress argued that Jones, because of Auburn's talented unit, shoulders more responsibility than Broome, making him a better fit for the first-month picks. He also claimed that Auburn can withstand a game where Broome struggles, whereas the Golden Eagles might not.
While Rob Dauster agreed with the promise Kam Jones displayed in his first eight games, the analyst relegated the guard to the "breakout player of the year" category.
Moreover, Randolph Childress and Chris Childers named Walter Clayton Jr. and Chaz Lanier as their picks for the breakout player, citing that their impact can define the nature of their team's seasons.
How well did Kam Jones and Johni Broome perform in the first month of the 2024-25 season?
Senior Kam Jones is averaging 19.6 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.6 rebounds this season while shooting 65.3% from the field and 45.5% from the 3-point line. Opening the season behind a 32-point performance (87.5% shooting), he averaged 24 points across his first four games.
Jones is the 28th most efficient player after the first month in the Division I circuit. His 65.3% shooting is third among all guards and second-best among players taking at least 10 attempts per game.
Johni Broome is averaging 20.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 3.1 blocks across seven games. The 6-foot-10 senior forward has yet to finish a contest while shooting under 45% from the field, leading the Tigers to a 7-0 start.
Broome is currently the 21st-best scorer in the college circuit, 4th on the blocks leaderboards, and first in rebounds per game. He also leads his team in all major statistical categories except steals (0.9).
The biggest upcoming contest for Johni Broome will be the Dec. 4 game against Cooper Flagg and Duke Blue Devils, Ohio Buckeyes (Dec. 13) and the previous season's NCAA finalist Purdue Boilermakers (Dec. 21).
Kam Jones can further solidify his name as one of the best players in the 2024-25 season with outings against Xavier (Dec. 21), Iowa State (Dec. 4) and Wisconsin (Dec. 7).