On Monday morning, Percy Allen — the Washington beat writer for the Seattle Times — asked the question: Who replaces Terrence Ross?
The answer: CJ Wilcox.
A couple of months back, Eamonn Brennan put together a list of potential breakout players. I responded, and so did CBT friend Michael Rogner. And through it all, no one happened to mention CJ Wilcox, which, in hindsight, seems a bit foolish.
Washington is losing their two highest-usage players. Tony Wroten and 32.2% and 23.4% of Washington’s possessions, respectively, meaning that there are going to be a whole lot more shots available for Wilcox next season. And that is a good thing for Washington, as Wilcox was the Huskie’s most efficient player last season and one of the most efficient in the country.
Wilcox is a knock-down shooter — 40.3% from three — but he needs to develop the rest of his game, per Allen:
Still it’s on the offensive end where Wilcox shines and coach Lorenzo Romar believes he would benefit if he added versatility to his game. Wilcox led UW in three-point accuracy (40.3 percent) and his 83.9 percent free throw percentage was the best on the team. The areas where he struggles: playmaking, drawing fouls, dribble drives and finishing at the rim through contact.
Picture this: Wilcox develops the rest of his game while continuing to be an effective jump-shooter with an increased workload on the offensive end of the floor.
Sounds like a potential all-league player, doesn’t it?
Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.