Three Breakout Players From the First Two Weeks of College Basketball

by Jack Coolahan

Two weeks ago, college basketball teams around the nation tipped off the 2014-15 season. Each game in the two weeks since then has set the stage for the next five months of NCAA hoops. Several teams and players have impressed and disappointed in the early part of the season. These three players in particular have shown great improvement since the last time they played a college game.

1. Angel Rodriguez, Junior, PG, Miami (FL)
Rodriguez, a junior transfer from Kansas State, is a classic floor general. He rarely plays out of control and always seems to make the right play. Rodriguez has led Jim Larranaga's unheralded Hurricanes to a 7-0 record, which includes a win over 8th-ranked Florida in which he drained a game winning three pointer. He's currently averaging 14 points and 4 assists per game. Look for Rodriguez to be in the hunt for First Team All-ACC and ACC Player of the Year.

2. Amida Brimah, Sophomore, C, UConn
A seven-foot center from Ghana, Brimah has displayed a more advanced offensive game in his second year with the Huskies. He has always been able to use his athleticism to score at the rim, but this year Brimah has occasionally scored with a turnaround jump hook. The big man is still a force on the defensive end, where he is averaging 3.3 blocks per game. Sadly for UConn fans, This season could be Brimah's last in Storrs, as he is a projected first-round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

3. Travis Trice, Senior, G, Michigan State
For most of his career, Travis Trice has been a three-point specialist for the Spartans. However, Trice has taken on a larger role this year for coach Tom Izzo, who lost senior stars Keith Appling and Adreian Payne from last year's Elite Eight team. Trice has shouldered a much larger part of scoring load this season than he has in years past. Trice averaged 7.3 points per game as a junior in 2013-14, and he has increased that to 16.8 points per game so far as a senior. Trice has also filled the void left by Appling and assumed the role of primary ball handler and distributor. Impressively, the senior is averaging 6.5 assists per game while only turning the ball over 1.3 times per contest. Along with his improved scoring and passing, Trice still makes 43 percent of his three point shots. Michigan State appears shorthanded after the departures of Appling and Payne, but with the help of Trice, Izzo will surely transform Sparty into a Big Ten contender.