Experience on the basketball court is essential to winning. The proliferation of the transfer portal has led many programs to put older players on the roster, especially considering freshmen are some of the greatest unknowns in the sport each season.
Yet, college coaches will never stop pursuing the nation’s top high school recruits. The best ones can, in the best case, energize a program, and sometimes make the difference in a championship season. This year’s incoming freshman class is no different. It features elite star power, great depth and some potential sleepers who could turn heads once the season begins.
We’ve studied and evaluated these prospects for years. Before the start of the 2024-25 season on Nov. 4, here’s an in-depth look at the top freshmen who could make a difference.
Most impactful
Cooper Flagg, Duke Blue Devils
2024 ESPN 100 rank: 1
Flagg’s approach to the game is different than that of most elite players. He’s wired to win, and he combines everyday work habits with elite talent and competitiveness. Flagg has the desire, talent and IQ to change the outcome of a game on either end of the floor. The 6-foot-9 forward can make the highlight play, the right play or the hustle play if needed, because he understands how to win. It’s why he’s the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
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Cooper Flagg hits a fadeaway and-1
Duke’s Cooper Flagg hits a fadeaway jumper while getting fouled.
Highest upside
Airious “Ace” Bailey, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
2024 ESPN 100 rank: 2
Every NBA team wants a player like Bailey. He has a long, wiry, super bouncy frame, combined with shotmaking talent and positional size. NBA teams also covet his defensive switchability. Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell called the 6-foot-10 guard an outstanding and willing passer, and a great teammate. A Brandon Miller type, he will challenge to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
Ace can knock them down from 3️⃣.🔥
📺 Watch on Big Ten Network pic.twitter.com/VBGQcVy7iM
— Rutgers Men’s Basketball 🏀 (@RutgersMBB) October 18, 2024
Most explosive
VJ Edgecombe, Baylor Bears
2024 ESPN 100 rank: 3
Edgecombe glides with long strides and speed. He’s an impactful finisher and shot blocker at the rim because of his vertical explosiveness. Expect to hear his name early in the draft next year. “The blessing with VJ is there is a chance of a “SportsCenter Top 10 play every day,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “Very seldom does he go without a highlight.”
Best combo guard
Dylan Harper, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
2024 ESPN 100 rank: 4
Harper will be dangerous because of his mature, dependable game and insatiable appetite to win. He has always taken care of the ball and scored big when needed, so expect him to have a high usage rate as he and Bailey elevate Rutgers into the national spotlight for what is expected to be their only college season.
Shiftiest player
Boogie Fland, Arkansas Razorbacks
2024 ESPN 100 rank: 16
Fland has had some great moments early in Fayetteville and has looked like the best player on the floor. He manipulates the defense and scores well in ball screens. Fland has a great change of pace and a low, quick crossover. “His ability to shoot the ball at a high level mixed in with his speed and vision makes him special,” said Pat Massaroni, his high school coach at Archbishop Stepinac. “He’s dynamic both on and off the ball.”
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Fland says No. 16 Arkansas ‘can do anything’
Freshman guard Boogie Fland credits the Razorbacks team for working hard as he scores 22 points in his first college basketball appearance, defeating No. 1 Kansas in an exhibition game.
Best shotmaker
Liam McNeeley, UConn Huskies
2024 ESPN 100 rank: 9
McNeeley was high school basketball’s most efficient and proficient shooter last season, shooting 40% from behind the arc; over 80% of his shot attempts were catch-and-shoot, his specialty. Most of his attempts were quality looks because he played alongside Flagg and Derik Queen at Montverde Academy and made it a habit to move without the ball. McNeeley’s average distance on makes was 22 feet and he took one-third of his 3-point attempts from NBA corner 3-point range of 23 feet, nine inches, per Synergy Sports.
Toughest shotmaker
Tre Johnson, Texas Longhorns
2024 ESPN 100 rank: 5
There are very few players in college basketball who can shoot incredibly well with a 6-10 wingspan. Johnson, the 6-5 guard, is one of them. He confidently finds open pockets of space on the court and delivers points. He made 37% of his pull-up 3s per Synergy Sports in high school, and has all the makings of a scoring guard with some flashes of playmaking.
Best three-level scorer
Jalil Bethea, Miami Hurricanes
2024 ESPN 100 rank: 10
Bethea has pure scoring prowess with effective movements. Regardless of the platform, he shines behind the arc, at the free throw line and from the field. Bethea shot 85% at the line, over 40% from 3 and 48% overall in the EYBL.
The next Reed Sheppard
Kon Knueppel, Duke Blue Devils
2024 ESPN 100 rank: 19
Both Knueppel and Sheppard were top-25 recruits. Both are elite shotmakers with high basketball IQs. Knueppel was the 2023-24 Gatorade Player of the Year in Wisconsin while shooting an eye-popping 59.4% from the field, 39.5% from 3-point range and 85% from the free throw line. He led Wisconsin Lutheran to a 30-0 record and a state championship, and he led the Nike EYBL in scoring with 22.5 points per game, while shooting 47% from beyond the arc.
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Kon Knueppel posterizes a Lincoln defender
Kon Knueppel gets up to put a Lincoln defender on a poster.
Best lob threat
Khaman Maluach, Duke Blue Devils
2024 ESPN 100 rank: N/A
Maluach rim runs, screens and gets to the front of the rim quickly. At 7-2, 250 pounds, with a 7-4 wingspan and 9-8 standing reach, he has massive size with the hands to catch and finish. He’s great in the dunker’s spot and puts pressure on the rim. While not ranked in ESPN’s recruiting class of 2024, Maluach is on the path to becoming a first-round pick.
Best low post player
Derik Queen, Maryland Terrapins
2024 ESPN 100 rank: 8
There’s very little debate on this one. Few can stop Queen one-on-one in the block when he decides to make and maintain contact with his defender. He operates with patience and has the footwork to score with angles or adapt to the defense. His passing is DJ Burns-like from the low post, and he’s constantly on the glass. The word from College Park is he’s in great shape and making the face-up jumper.
Most athletic big man
Flory Bidunga, Kansas Jayhawks
2024 ESPN 100 rank: 18
When you’re 6-10, 235 pounds and can both move in tight spaces and cover ground in the open floor, your talent stands out. Bidunga’s humility makes him special and he plays with a high motor, running with effort and long strides. A former high school soccer player, Bidunga is quick to the ball off the glass and to block shots, displaying a remarkable second jump, given his size.
Best in transition
Ian Jackson, North Carolina Tar Heels
2024 ESPN 100 rank: 7
A New York native, Jackson makes an impact up and down the floor without getting a whistle. He can finish, shoot and facilitate in transition. He led Overtime Elite in transition scoring at 8.7 points per game, according to Synergy Sports. North Carolina’s overall team size is smaller this year, so expect more points on the fast break — and for Jackson to be involved.
Best rebounder
Asa Newell, Georgia Bulldogs
2024 ESPN 100 rank: 13
On a loaded Montverde Academy team, Newell’s vertical jump, quick second jump with anticipation and length made him stand out — and that should continue in college. He brings energy to the game, and the glass is his calling card.
Best at creating fouls
Jaeden Mustaf, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
2024 ESPN 100 rank: 66
At 6-4 and 195 pounds, Mustaf has the strength to carry defenders to the basket as a downhill attacking driver who plays mostly as a lead guard. He thrives through contact to score points. Expect Mustaf to have the ball in his hands and be at the free throw line often.
Best motor
Annor Boateng, Missouri Tigers
2024 ESPN 100 rank: 33
Whether he’s scoring or defending, Boateng is all effort all game long and provides energy to his team. The 6-6, 215-pound forward is physically imposing with the strength to compete on both sides of the ball. He sets the tone by example, and his skill is developing.