10 breakout sophomore candidates poised to make an impact in the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season

Which players will make the leap from “good” to “great” as sophomores? Here are 10 candidates to keep an eye on.

It’s long been said that the most important offseason for a college basketball player is the one that occurs between their freshman and sophomore seasons. For this reason, “breakout sophomore” has been a phrase attached to coverage of the sport for about as long as anyone can remember.

While some rising sophomores already had their “breakout” season as a freshman — you won’t see Robert Wright or Boogie Bland or Wesley Yates or a few others on this list — a handful of others appear poised to take their games from good to great this winter.

Here are 10 breakout sophomore stars you should have your eyes on when the season tips off in November.

Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn

Perhaps the most obvious choice on any sort of list like this, Pettiford flirted long and hard with the NBA Draft before ultimately pulling his name out in late May.

As a freshman in 2024-25, Pettiford played the role of instant offense off the bench for an Auburn team that earned the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament and eventually made the Final Four. As a sophomore, Pettiford expects to hold the keys as the driving force of Bruce Pearl’s offense. Few players in the country are more adept at putting the ball in the basket than Pettiford, and the style with which he does it will make him appointment viewing throughout the 2025-26 season.

Labaron Philon, Alabama

A likely top 20 pick had he stayed in the NBA Draft, Philon’s decision to return to college basketball for one more season — which he made just 28 minutes before the deadline — was the most surprising one of the spring. The move by the 6’4’’ guard, who averaged 10.4 ppg as a freshman last season, instantly vaulted Nate Oats’ team back among the top tier of contenders in the SEC.

Philon is a lottery pick level talent who checks all of the boxes of a player with the potential to go from “very good” college player to “elite” college player in one offseason. He’ll be the engine that makes the Tide go, a role that should result in some monster offensive numbers.

Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky

The youngest player in college basketball last season, Quaintance put up solid numbers (9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game) for a not-so-solid Arizona State team. Because he didn’t turn 18 before July (his birthday is Friday), Quaintance was ineligible for the 2025 NBA Draft, which is the reason he’ll be suiting up for Mark Pope’s Kentucky Wildcats as a sophomore.

Quaintance’s defensive game is already elite, and if his offensive game can catch up in year two, he has the ability to be the latest Big Blue All-American. The biggest question mark surrounding the projected lottery pick is how he’ll look after recovering from the torn ACL injury that cut his freshman season short by a month.

Isaiah Evans, Duke

Evans’ freshman role on a star-studded Duke team that had three top 10 picks in last month’s NBA Draft was relatively straightforward: Come off the bench and drill threes. He played the role extremely well, averaging 6.8 points on 41.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc while seeing the court for just 13.7 minutes per game.

A late bloomer in high school, the 6’6’’ Evans has the frame of a small forward with the game of a combo guard. His outside shot is the centerpiece of his game, but he’s more of a creator and tough shot-maker inside the arc than he had the chance to showcase last season. That won’t be an issue in his sophomore year, as he’s expected to be one of the frontmen of a team that should once again have Final Four aspirations.

Kanon Catchings, Georgia

Silas Demary transferring to UConn was a huge blow to Mike White’s squad for 2025-26, but even though he plays a different position, expect Catchings — who played his freshman season at BYU — to step into the starring role Demary left behind. A 6’9’’ forward, Catchings was in and out of the starting lineup for the Cougars last season, averaging 7.2 points per game and shooting 35.0 percent from three.

Catchings’ combination of size and skillset makes him an interesting NBA prospect. The next step on his road to the league is becoming an established and consistent standout in college.

Lathan Sommerville, Washington

The 6’10’’ Sommerville very quietly put together a great freshman season at Rutgers in 2024-25, averaging 8.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Of course it’s hard to “very loudly” put together a great freshman season when you’re playing on a team with two other freshmen who are months away from being top five picks in the NBA Draft.

Sommerville is headed to Washington for his second season of college ball, and he has a great chance to emerge as one of the better frontcourt players in the Big Ten. The former 4-star recruit really flashed his potential late in the season, scoring 17 points in a late-February loss at Michigan, and 16 points in Rutgers’ only Big Ten Tournament game.

Jacob Cofie, USC

One of the few bright spots of a Virginia season that was doomed from the start thanks to head coach Tony Bennett’s abrupt retirement in October was the play of the 6’10’’ Cofie, who showcased flashes of star potential while averaging 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as a freshman. Cofie unquestionably has next-level potential, a fact which figures to be far more visible playing for an established head coach (Eric Musselman) with an established system.

USC lost nearly all of its frontcourt production from last season, which means Cofie has the opportunity to instantly walk into a featured role with the Trojans. Don’t be surprised if he flourishes.

Matas Vokietaitis, Texas

The 7-foot center from Lithuania averaged 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 68.0 percent from the floor last season at Florida Atlantic. Despite playing just 17.6 minutes per game, he earned AAC Freshman of the Year honors.

Vokietaitis’ minutes and production skyrocketed towards the end of last season, leaving more than a few people believing he’ll thrive on a bigger stage in Austin. There will be much more frontcourt competition with the Longhorns than there was with the Owls, but even if he doesn’t start, expect Vokietaitis to make a huge impact on Sean Miller’s first squad at UT.

Moustapha Thiam, Cincinnati

A former top 30 recruit, Thiam averaged 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game last season at Central Florida. Inconsistency plagued a campaign where, at times, Thiam looked like he should have been one of the better freshmen in college basketball. Unlocking Thiam’s full potential might be the biggest key to success for Wes Miller in his fifth season with the Bearcats.

Morez Johnson, Michigan

A 6’9’’ power forward, Johnson played a solid role on a very good Illinois team last season, averaging 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds with three double-doubles as a freshman. The powerfully built 19-year-old was a standout at the recent FIBA U19 World Cup, where he helped Team USA earn the gold medal. He should be a double-double threat just about every time he steps foot on the floor for Dusty May this winter.