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The Top 25 Players on Opposing Teams To Watch Out For in Non-Conference Play

25 Players To Watch Out For on Opposing Rosters in Non-Conference Play

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Guys who may cause your team headaches on the court this non-conference season.

With the 2019-2020 season just around the corner and the release of our predictions of which players are going to lead each Mountain West teams in scoring this season officially out as of last Tuesday. We wanted to take a look at some players who might occupy the top of opposing teams scoring columns on box scores in non-conference play.

Now thinking about how to start this list was as tough of a challenge as choosing just twenty five players once things were narrowed down. 

Here’s a quick run down of the methodology on how the selection process worked. To start off and think about there being eleven teams in the conference with their own non-conference slate. Each team has a minimum of around ten to thirteen games during that time depending on how preseason tournaments shape out for them, if they are participating in one. And in those ten to thirteen games there are around 120 opposing teams played around the conference. Now there is some overlap so that number may be closer to 100 teams. That still leaves 100 teams with around 13 players each involved, bringing our player selection pool to 1,300 guys.

Now narrowing that down to just 25 guys would be fairly easy as each team has one or two stars that are easily remembered and prepped for by coaching staffs. But to say a player like Duke’s Tre Jones will have a similar impact on the Mountain West as a whole the way a player like Brigham Young’s TJ Haws will, who fans around the conference will see a total of five times in non-conference play compare to Jones’ lone appearance against Colorado State didn’t make sense. 

So the new eligibility requirement for opposing players to make the list became having their team play at least three Mountain West opponents. That was a cool idea in theory but only gave us five teams to choose from. So that requirement was loosened to just two Mountain West teams played and opened us up to fifteen teams in total to choose from and helped produce the list below. 

Guys who just missed the list:

Jr. F D’Shawn Schwartz Colorado

So. G Matt Bradley California

Sr. F Martins Igbanu Tulsa 

Fr. F Shareef O’Neal UCLA

So. G Jules Benard UCLA

Jr. F Jeriah Horne Tulsa

Jr. G Brandon Rachal Tulsa 

So. G Dameane Douglas Loyola Marymount

Jr. G Isaiah White Utah Valley 

Sr. G TJ Washington Utah Valley 

Sr. G Tyrik Armstrong Texas Southern 

Jr. F Johnny McCants New Mexico State

Jr. G Brandon Averette Utah Valley 

Guys who missed due to other reasons:

Sr. G AJ Harris New Mexico State (Injured, out until mid December)

Fr. C N’faly Dante Oregon (Ruled ineligible until semester break)

Jr. G Jaylen Fisher Grand Canyon (Still awaiting word back from the NCAA on waiver.)

Let’s get to the list.