FABULOUS FRESHMAN
In addition to North Carolina’s Cole Anthony, here are five other elite-level freshmen to follow:
G Anthony Edwards, Georgia: Edwards had his choice of schools, from Duke to Kentucky to North Carolina, but the physically-mature 6-foot-5 guard opted to stay home and help rebuild a program that has reached the NCAA Tournament just once in the past eight seasons. He may follow the path of Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz, one-and-done stars who never experienced March Madness.
G Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky: The Wildcats lost their top four scorers from a year ago, giving the 6-foot-3 Maxey plenty of opportunities. His strength is scoring in a variety of ways, but the McDonald’s All-American from Texas has a high basketball IQ, too. John Calipari has said he always makes the right play.
G Nico Mannion, Arizona: Arizona’s return to contender status rests on the redhead’s shoulders. Now that sophomore Brandon Williams is out for the season with a knee injury, there is even more pressure on Mannion to produce immediately as the Wildcats’ lead guard. There is plenty of talent around him — from transfers Max Hazzard (UC Irvine) and Stone Gettings (Cornell) to five-star freshman wing Josh Green and returning senior forward Chase Jeter — but his development will be the biggest storyline in the desert.
F Isaiah Stewart, Washington: Big, strong and skilled, the 6-foot-9 Stewart might be the freshman forward most ready to make an immediate impact on both ends of the floor. The 250-pound Rochester, N.Y., native has a 7-foot-5 wingspan and advanced post moves. Don’t be surprised to see him in the mix for the No. 1-overall pick in June’s NBA draft as the season moves along.
F James Wiseman, Memphis: Last November, the 7-foot-1 big man committed to Memphis over Kentucky, the first domino to fall in coach Penny Hardaway’s topranked recruiting class. Now, the nation’s top-rated freshman and potential No. 1 pick in June’s draft from Memphis is expected to key the young Tigers’ resurgence on the national scene. No pressure, kid, just an entire city counting on you.