Ben Bentil Named a Breakout Star for 2015-16 Season by NBC Sports

Rob Dauster continues to be one of the pro-Providence, pro-Big East and very much pro-Kris Dunn national media members. Dauster released a list of players he believes will be “Breakout Stars” in college basketball this season and he included Ben Bentil, along with other Big East players Josh Hart (Villanova), Jalen Reynolds (Xavier) and Isaac Copeland (Georgetown) on his list.

Dauster has been one of the biggest backers of Kris Dunn going back to last season when he put Dunn on NBCSports.com’s Second Team All-America. He — along with College Basketball Talk colleagues Raphielle Johnson and Terrence Payne — put Dunn on the NBCSports.com Preseason First Team All-America, named him Preseason National Player of the Year and  ranked him at the top of their list of 100 best players in college basketball this season. Bentil appears to be getting love from Dauster because of Dunn as evidenced by the description written beside Bentil’s name in the article:

Bentil was fantastic for the Friars for stretches late in the season. With LaDontae Henton and Carson Desrosiers graduating and Paschal Chukwu transferring to Syracuse, there will plenty of opportunities available for Bentil, who will be the major beneficiary of Kris Dunn’s play making ability.

Bentil figures to be asked to play heavy minutes in the frontcourt with his only real  big man backup being freshman Quadree Smith who got called for some quick fouls and got beat off the ground for a few rebounds against Stonehill in Providence’s only public exhibition ahead of the 2015-16 season on October 31st. Once the calendar turned to February last season Bentil averaged 9.4 points/game and 6.9 rebounds/game. That was a 47% increase in points/game and a 41% increase in rebounds/game over his total season averages. If he has another jump in production he very well could land on one of the postseason All-Big East teams.

Follow me on Twitter @pcbb1917

About Author

Mike Hopkins

See author's posts