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Take 5: New Year’s edition

By Blake DuDonis

DICK CLARKS NEW YEARS ROCKIN EVE WITH RYAN SEACREST 2018 Live performances from Times Square in the heart of New York City, are featured on Americas biggest celebration of the year, DICK CLARKS NEW YEARS ROCKIN EVE WITH RYAN SEACREST 2018, airing on the ABC Television Network. (Photo by Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty Images)TIMES SQUARE BALL DROP
DICK CLARKS NEW YEARS ROCKIN EVE WITH RYAN SEACREST 2018 Live performances from Times Square in the heart of New York City, are featured on Americas biggest celebration of the year, DICK CLARKS NEW YEARS ROCKIN EVE WITH RYAN SEACREST 2018, airing on the ABC Television Network. (Photo by Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty Images)TIMES SQUARE BALL DROP /
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IOWA CITY, Iowa- Megan Gustafson has emerged as one of the best players in the Big 10.
IOWA CITY, Iowa- Megan Gustafson has emerged as one of the best players in the Big 10. /

Question 2: “New year, new me”: what player who isn’t yet a household name nationwide most poised to breakout as a star?

Potkey- Teaira McCowan. The Mississippi State junior center showed flashes of her potential last season, but she has been consistently dominating this season. McCowan is the most improved player in the SEC. She is averaging 20.3 points and 12.5 rebounds while shooting 66.8 percent from the field. She’s had four games of scoring 30 points or more, including 41 against Mississippi Valley State. Victoria Vivians and Morgan William received a lot of pub last season during MSU’s NCAA title game run and rightfully so. But if the Bulldogs get back, McCowan will be grabbing the headlines.

Megdal- Is Chennedy Carter a household name yet? I mean, really? She needs to be. Absolutely dominant scorer, assist percentage among the leaders, low turnover rate even if she weren’t a freshman, so much attitude to her… Texas A&M is a must-watch, always. But if Carter is too mainstream for this question, I’m going to point out the year Tyler Scaife is having after missing last year for open-heart surgery. She’s scored 20-plus in severn straight and has a Rutgers team that won six games all of last season in Big Ten contention.

Dull- Kayla McBride. She got to the free throw line more than ever last year, even as Vickie Johnson’s offense asked her to stand in the corners far too often as a tertiary option. San Antonio’s rough start to the season was largely impacted by injury. 

Even if Bill Laimbeer more or less runs this roster back, they’ll compete for a playoff spot with good health. Few pros out there have a quicker release than her. Expect her to do even more damage from downtown with both of her point guards healthy. 

McBride came back strong from injury in 2017. She’s a strong bet to make another All-Star team and get back to the playoffs in 2018. 

DuDonis- Are you familiar with the name Megan Gustafson? If the answer is no, you really should be and I encourage you to fix that immediately. The Iowa big was rightfully selected as a pre-season First Team All-Big Ten and she has somehow been even better than expected. How does 35 point and 17 rebounds against Western Kentucky sound? Not a big enough opponent for you? Fine. What about 34 and 9 v. Florida State? Is 27 and 11 against Michigan good? Oh, by the way, she is shooting 68.9% from the field, the second highest percentage in the country. Gustafson has quietly gotten Iowa into the Top 25, she is one Big Ten Player of the Week award of tying the all-time record for most of those in a season (6, held currently by Jantel Lavender) and she does it all without much fanfare. All aboard the Megan Gustafson hype-train.

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