This season, the nation’s most-hyped freshmen won’t be playing basketball at Kentucky

Kentucky has three promising high school recruits — Daimion Collins, Bryce Hopkins and TyTy Washington — ready to make an impact on the 2021-22 season, but the bulk of the Wildcats’ production is expected to come from more veteran players this winter.

That won’t be the case within some other major programs around the nation, with another batch of blue-chip freshmen poised to become breakout stars this college basketball season.

Here’s a closer look at 10 intriguing players from the 2021 recruiting class.

Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga

The term “unicorn” is being thrown around much too often these days, especially at the high school level. But it’s the correct label for Holmgren, a 7-footer from Minneapolis who went viral a couple years back after crossing up Steph Curry at the NBA star’s own camp and flying in for a dunk. Since then, he’s established himself as the unanimous No. 1 recruit in the 2021 class and possible No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NBA Draft. Defensively, Holmgren can be a game-changing rim-protector. Offensively, his skills extend well beyond the perimeter, where he can create for himself and knock down shots from deep.

Early-season watch: Texas — Nov. 13 at 10:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

Paolo Banchero, Duke

He was Kentucky’s biggest recruiting target in the 2021 class, but Paolo Banchero joined Duke instead, and he’ll play against UK in his college opener Nov. 9. The 6-10, 250-pound power forward already has the look of a professional, and his versatile game should be a handful for college opponents right off the bat. Banchero is No. 2 on ESPN’s list of the Top 100 prospects for the 2022 NBA Draft, behind only Holmgren.

Early-season watch: Gonzaga — Nov. 26 at 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Jalen Duren, Memphis

Another college freshman that many Kentucky fans are already familiar with, Jalen Duren was long considered the best big man in the 2022 class before making a late decision to reclassify to 2021. Listed at 6-11 and 250 pounds, Duren is coming off a Peach Jam championship in July and will form half of a one-two punch that should make Memphis one of the most intriguing teams in the country. He took a late official visit to Kentucky before siding with Penny Hardaway’s program instead.

Early-season watch: Western Kentucky — Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Emoni Bates, Memphis

The other half of Memphis’ dynamic duo for the 2021-22 season, Emoni Bates is a uniquely skilled 6-9 forward who could play the point guard role for the Tigers this season. He made the Sports Illustrated cover as a 15-year-old and spent much of his prep career ranked as the No. 1 player in the 2022 class before moving to 2021 and picking Memphis over the summer. NBA age rules say Bates, who doesn’t turn 17 until January, won’t be eligible for the draft until 2023.

Early-season watch: Virginia Tech — Nov. 24 at 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

Jabari Smith, Auburn

The SEC’s top incoming freshman, Jabari Smith is a 6-10 forward who excels facing the basket and can stretch the floor with his three-point shooting ability. The son of the former LSU basketball player with the same name is the No. 6 overall prospect in the 2021 class, and ESPN has him ranked No. 7 on its 2022 NBA Draft board heading into the season.

Early-season watch: UConn — Nov. 24 at 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Patrick Baldwin Jr., Milwaukee

Kentucky and Duke were among the programs that extended early scholarship offers to Baldwin, who instead chose to play for his father, Coach Pat Baldwin, at Milwaukee, which competes in the Horizon League. The 6-9 freshman with perimeter skills — he’s listed as a guard — will be an interesting study in how an unorthodox college path could affect draft stock. For now, ESPN ranks him as the No. 10 NBA prospect for 2022.

Early-season watch: Robert Morris — Dec. 4 at noon (ESPNU)

JD Davison, Alabama

Rival fans won’t think so on game day, but JD Davison is a blast to watch on the basketball court. The dynamic Alabama point guard was the No. 12 recruit in the 2021 class and is likely to provide plenty of highlight-reel plays in the SEC this season with his shifty playmaking ability and explosive athleticism. He should thrive in Coach Nate Oats’ system, and ESPN ranks him as the No. 11 NBA prospect for next year’s draft.

Early-season watch: Iona — Nov. 25 at 5 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)

Kennedy Chandler

An early Kentucky point guard target in this class, Kennedy Chandler — a Memphis native — instead chose to stay in his home state and play for Tennessee, which is likely to hand over the keys to what could be an explosive offense to this incredibly smart 6-foot playmaker. Chandler is projected as a one-and-done lottery pick despite his relatively small (6-0, 170-pound) frame.

Early-season watch: Villanova — Nov. 20 at 1 p.m. (ESPNews)

Peyton Watson

Yet another one-time Kentucky target, Peyton Watson made the early decision to commit to hometown UCLA in July 2020, and the offensively savvy wing player should mesh well with Johnny Juzang in what’s expected to be a potent perimeter attack for the Bruins this season. ESPN has Watson at No. 9 in its preseason NBA Draft rankings.

Early-season watch: Villanova — Nov. 12 at 11:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

Nolan Hickman, Gonzaga

With all of the veteran talent at Gonzaga — not to mention fellow five-star guard and former Kentucky recruiting target Hunter Sallis — it’ll be interesting to see how big of a role Nolan Hickman plays as a freshman, but curious UK fans will surely keep an eye on him. The Seattle native is the first UK recruit ever to sign with John Calipari and then ask for a release, which he did earlier this year. ESPN ranks the 6-2 point guard as the No. 22 NBA prospect in the country going into the season.

Early-season watch: UCLA — Nov. 23 at 10 p.m. (ESPN)

This story was originally published November 4, 2021 at 1:45 PM.

Ben Roberts

Lexington Herald-Leader

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Ben Roberts is the University of Kentucky men’s basketball beat writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. He has previously specialized in UK basketball recruiting coverage and created and maintained the Next Cats blog. He is a Franklin County native and first joined the Herald-Leader in 2006. Support my work with a digital subscription