Typically, a breakout player isn’t a freshman.
Usually it’s an upperclassman who is finally getting their shot to break into the starting lineup and have a career year. It’s because they have their past experience that they can break out into a star from.
Sometimes, however, that opportunity comes earlier.
“There are coaches that don’t like playing a lot of freshman, and I can see why,’ head men’s basketball coach Dave Leitao said. “You can see the lack of experience and how that can cost you. That’s where my patience comes in with (Levi Cook) and just having him know that I know he’s learning and that he’ll have to play through some mistakes instead of watching someone else play and learning that way.