2017-18 SEC Player Preview: Yante Maten

Despite averaging 18.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game last season, it still feels like Georgia forward Yante Maten is flying under the radar nationally.

Maten officially returns to Athens for his senior year after withdrawing his name from the NBA draft this offseason.

And thanks to the departure of do-it-all point guard J.J. Frazier, Maten will find himself receiving even more attention from the opposition this season.

Inside the Numbers

Few SEC players can stuff the stat sheet as well as Maten.

Here are just a few of his accomplishments from last year:

  • 51.9 percent shooting (2nd in SEC)
  • 18.2 points per game (4th in SEC)
  • 6.8 rebounds per game (9th in SEC)
  • 1.5 blocked shots per game (9th in SEC)

There were also two 30-point games – with one coming in an early-season loss to No. 5 Kansas – and 10 20-point outings.

He hit double-digits in scoring in all but three of the 29 games that he played in last season.

What They’re Saying

“This summer we’ve worked very hard on his game. He’s worked very hard to improve his 3-point shooting, which a few years ago, he wasn’t ever thinking about taking a three. Now, we feel like he has the ability to take them all the way around the arc.”

“He’s also worked hard on putting the ball on the ground to try and become a more versatile scorer, while still protecting his ability to score in the paint.” – Georgia head coach Mark Fox on the Marching to Madness podcast

Lovell’s Outlook

As I’ve said many times this offseason, Maten is once again a clear SEC Player of the Year candidate.

And although he’ll attract more attention given Frazier’s exit, he’s expanded his game to the point to where defensive players will still find it impossible to contain him.

The late-season injury derailed his ability to build momentum heading into the offseason, but that shouldn’t matter now that he’s back at full strength and focused on improving his skill set for the next level.

He should yet again be a consensus All-SEC player, and he’ll undoubtedly be the driving force for this Georgia team. Maten won’t be able to do it all by himself, but there are several potential breakout players elsewhere on the roster.

If Maten’s 3-point shooting continues to improve, he’ll likely have no trouble finding himself a home in the NBA next summer.

To share your thoughts on Maten this upcoming season, reply to the story thread on Twitter.