Must-see freshmen: Ten intriguing newcomers for the 2020-21 college basketball season
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2020-21 College Basketball Preview
The Lexington Herald-Leader’s 2020-21 College Basketball Preview special section was published in the print edition on Sunday, Nov. 15. Click below to view all the stories from that section that have been published on Kentucky.com.
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The nation’s No. 1-ranked class of freshmen will be playing in Lexington this season, but there are plenty of other potential stars among college basketball’s newcomers outside of Kentucky’s incoming group.
Even with several highly touted players from the 2020 recruiting class choosing the G League over college, this group of freshmen is an intriguing one that’s deep in talent with instant-impact players in all corners of the country.
With apologies to some possible future stars — like Stanford’s Ziaire Williams and Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs — here’s a list of the 10 most intriguing freshmen to keep an eye on this season.
Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State
This list of top college freshmen begins with Cunningham, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound point guard with a unique and exciting skill set. Ranked No. 1 by both 247Sports and Rivals.com, Cunningham nearly committed to Kentucky but ultimately chose to attend Oklahoma State, where his brother is an assistant coach. Fans won’t be able to watch him during March Madness, however. The Cowboys are banned from the postseason due to infractions that predate the current coaching staff. Be sure to catch Cunningham play during the regular season, before he heads off to the NBA next year.
Evan Mobley, Southern Cal
Mobley — a versatile 7-footer — was the No. 3-ranked player in the 2020 class, according to all of the major national recruiting services. Only Cunningham and G League-bound combo guard Jalen Green were ranked higher. Mobley is the son of a USC assistant coach — which made the Trojans the clear frontrunner in his recruitment — and those who stay up late to catch some West Coast games will want to tune in. He’s already projected as a top-three pick in next year’s NBA Draft.
Scottie Barnes, Florida State
Barnes — a 6-9, 227-pound freshman — was actually the first player from the 2020 recruiting class to land a UK scholarship offer, but he chose to stay in his home state and play for the Seminoles. He’s the highest-rated recruit that Leonard Hamilton has ever had in Tallahassee, and he was one of the most exciting, versatile players in grassroots basketball over the past couple of years. Barnes is built like a power forward, but FSU is listing him as a guard, and you’re likely to see him playing quite a bit on the perimeter this season, perhaps even running the point at times.
Greg Brown, Texas
One of the last major 2020 recruits to announce his college decision, Brown decided to stay in his hometown of Austin for college. Kentucky was one of the finalists for Brown, a tremendously athletic 6-9 forward who has honed his perimeter skills over the past year or so. The Cats will get an up-close look at what they missed out on later in the season. UK hosts Texas at Rupp Arena on Jan. 30, and you can bet Brown will be looking to make at least a couple of highlight-reel plays.
Moussa Cisse, Memphis
Another top-tier prospect who took his recruitment to the wire and listed Kentucky among his final choices, Cisse is a 6-10 center from West Africa who wrapped up his high school career in Memphis and decided to stay in the city to play college ball. If you’re into blocked shots, this is your guy. It would surprise no one who’s watched him play over the past couple of years if Cisse turns out to be the best rim-protector in all of college basketball this season. He averaged an eye-popping 9.2 blocked shots per game last season.
Josh Christopher, Arizona State
Christopher — a 6-5 guard — was once on UK’s recruiting radar, but that attention died down after the Cats landed Brandon Boston and Terrence Clarke. That’s no indictment of Christopher’s skill or upside. He’s the No. 12 player in the 2020 rankings and sports one of the flashiest games in the country with a personality to match. Christopher joined his older brother with the Sun Devils, and if you can’t stay up late enough to catch that Pac-12 action, you’re likely to wake up to some of his highlights on ESPN throughout the season.
Jalen Johnson, Duke
Duke, shockingly, has zero freshmen who were ranked as top-10 recruits in the 2020 class. They have four incoming players who were in the top 30, however, with Johnson — a 6-9, 220-pound forward — leading the way at No. 13. A couple of high school transfers limited Johnson’s senior year to just nine games. Before that, he was widely seen as a top-five player in the class. How his highly versatile game translates into immediate results will be a major factor in whether the Blue Devils are a legit Final Four threat or in for a down season.
Day’Ron Sharpe, North Carolina
UNC’s class also includes point guard Caleb Love (No. 14 in the composite rankings) and center Walker Kessler (No. 22), but homegrown big man Day’Ron Sharpe projects as a monster in the paint. Sharpe — at 6-11 and 265 pounds — is an athletic, powerful, energetic post player that opponents won’t enjoy battling for rebounds. His game isn’t always pretty, but he plays an effective style of ball that will have UNC backers and neutral fans applauding his effort.
Makur Maker, Howard
There weren’t many in the recruiting world who actually believed that Maker would go to college, given all of the professional talk surrounding his recruitment. Well, Maker is indeed in school, but he’s still taking an unorthodox route for a five-star recruit. The 6-11 center will play for Howard, a historically Black university. Maker’s unique college choice and high-upside game (he’s the No. 18 recruit in the class) will surely draw a lot of eyeballs this season, and some younger five-star recruits are already giving a longer look to HBCUs.
Sharife Cooper, Auburn
Cooper ended up as the No. 24 player in the 2020 composite rankings — far below many who were omitted from this list — but he’s here because he’s about as entertaining as it gets for incoming college freshmen. His size — 6-0, 160 pounds — limits his NBA potential, but Cooper is definitely an instant-impact college player and a freshman that general basketball fans will love to watch. The diminutive playmaker is a wizard with the basketball.
This story was originally published November 18, 2020 at 7:40 AM.
