We are about four weeks into the college basketball season, and we have seen nothing but madness. There have been four teams ranked as the number one team in the country, and three of them have lost that spot within two weeks. If these upsets are any indication of how this season will go, we are in for a treat come March. As we saw this summer, the NBA went from super teams to dynamic duos. Well, what about in the college basketball space?
`Jahmi’us Ramsey/Terrence Shannon Jr (Texas Tech)
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are coming off its first national championship appearance in program history. Although they lost six key contributors to that team, Chris Beard did hit a home run in recruiting. He signed the Red Raiders first 5-star recruit in program history with Ramsey and another top-100 recruit with Shannon. These two freshmen don’t get the notoriety as much as Tyrese Maxey from Kentucky or Anthony Edwards from Georgia, but they are just as impactful for their respective team. Ramsey in his short stint as a Red Raider is already an elite on-ball defender and is the 2nd best rebounding guard in the country behind Cole Anthony of North Carolina. As for Shannon, he is an elite level athlete that attacks the glass on both ends of the floor and slashes to the rim very effectively in transition or in iso situations. Ramsey is a unique talent as he can score on all three levels on the floor and has the frame to overpower smaller defenders. He currently leads the Red Raiders in scoring with 17.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.5 SPG while shooting 46.4 percent from three. As for Shannon, he is putting up 9.9 ppg, 4 RPG while shooting 83.9 percent from the free-throw line. Keep your eyes on these two star-studded freshmen. Chris Beard and the Red Raiders are going through a rough patch right now, but these two freshmen will develop and grow into prime time players for this year’s Tech team and help claim a top-three spot in the Big 12.
Cole Anthony/Armando Bacot
If you are looking for a guard that can get the crowd off their feet on every single possession well look no further than to Cole Anthony. He has a unique skill set as he is a triple-double threat every time he steps on the floor. Anthony is best when he is in attack mode, he finishes so well around the rim and can create his shot anywhere on the floor. So far in this early season, Anthony has the college basketball world on fire as he is 30th in the country in scoring with 20.6 PPG and set the UNC record for most points in a collegiate debut with 34 points against Notre Dame. As for his teammate Armando Bacot he is a high-level rebounder with 4 of the 8 games he played in, he had over 10 boards. Bacot’s offensive game is still developing but he does have good hands coming off the pick and roll and finishes well in traffic. The 6’9 big man fits in well with the identity Roy Williams has put in place and will be a force to be reckoned with all season long. This North Carolina team is very young but will rely on these freshmen to propel them deep into the tournament. Be patient Tar Heel fans, they are starting to come together and have a chance to compete for an ACC title.
Jaden McDaniels/Isaiah Stewart (Washington)
When I first watched the Washington Huskies play two things stood out to me. First, damn are their two freshmen talented, and second, they are huge. The Huskies are the 3rd tallest team in the country with an average height of 6’7. As for their two 5-star freshmen, Mcdaniels is arguably the most talented freshmen in the country and will be a lottery pick in a few months. He is silky smooth with the ball in his hands and can get a good shot off anytime he wants. Mcdaniels is a legit 6’9 or 6’10 but he is a legitimate wingman that can score anywhere on the floor but does most of his damage in the mid-range or attacking the basket. According to ESPN’s top 100 rankings, Isaiah Stewart was the 3rd best player in the country and he sure does play like it. What impresses me the most about him is how poised he is in the low-post, something good happens every time he touches the ball. Whether it’s a layup opportunity or him making the right play out of a double-team. What I love the most about these two freshmen is their selflessness. It would be easy for these two top 7 recruits to be selfish and have an “I’m going to get mines” mentality, but they play hard for Head Coach Mike Hopkins, and for each other. Washington will be a tough out come tournament time I would not want to be the coach that tries to gameplan against these two.
Vernon Carey/Cassius Stanley (Duke)
Zion Williamson was the most dominant college basketball player the world has seen in some time but Vernon Carey has a similar impact this year for the Blue Devils. Carey is averaging 18.4 PPG, 9.5 RPG while shooting 61.8 percent from the field. The 6’10, 270 big man is a force down low and no team has had an answer for him yet. He also can stretch the floor and shoot the three-ball but he is most effective on the block where he overwhelms opposing big men for easy buckets. In the backcourt Duke has a tremendous athlete in Cassius Stanley, he actually has a higher vertical than Zion Williamson. Stanley has the potential to not only defend but to disrupt ball handlers. So far this season Stanley is averaging 12.9 ppg, but in key moments he has shown the ability to take over games when need be. Duke has gone back to its old ways of playing, with a high-low style of basketball with Carey down low and Matthew Hurt on the wing. If Stanley can make shots and let Tre Jones dictate the pace they want to play at, Duke has a real chance to be in Atlanta for the Final Four in April.
Nico Mannion/Josh Green (Arizona)
I know we talk plenty about Cole Anthony and other high profile freshmen, but pay attention out West to the Arizona Wildcats. Sean Miller has two of the best freshmen in the country and they need to be talked about in the same light. For starters, Nico Mannion is not just one of the best freshmen point guards in the country but is one of the best guards in the country regardless of class. Period. Mannion is 33rd in the country in APG with 5.8 and can score at will. The 6’3 point guard averages 15.3 PPG while shooting 43.2 percent from three and 52.2 percent from the field. As for the other half of the Wildcat backcourt is Josh Green. Green is a high-flying athlete that punishes any defender that gets in his way with powerful dunks. The Australian native brings defensive versatility and toughness to this Wildcat team. Not to mention he can score on all three levels as well. So far this season he is shooting 37.9 percent from three and 44 percent from the field. Green’s play will be pivotal for Arizona’s success, the Wildcats haven’t been to a Final Four since 2004. If these freshmen glue together and take it each game at a time we could see this team make a deep run in March.
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