They came in with a lot of hype and the hopes of millions of fans riding on their shoulders and so far this freshman class has lived up to and exceeded the expectations.
Starting at the top, James Wiseman has dominated in his first two games against weak competition. He definitely passes the eyeball test and if the damn NCAA will just let him play he’ll have a monster year for Memphis.
Anthony Edwards has started strong as well and looks the part of a no.1 overall type of prospect. He might not land in the top spot on draft day but he’s that type of talent.
Arizona has three freshman who have come out of the gates quickly. Nico Mannion is a passing and
scoring savant who really controls the pace of play. He’s looking like a lottery pick. Josh Green is showing the all around game that might not make him the biggest star on the court but gives him a lot of value on draft day. His ability to defend on the ball and make plays in the passing lanes, to go along with his offensive game, make him a likely first rounder in June. 6-11 Zeke Nnaji has really flashed, going for 20pts in his first game and 19 in his second and showing the ability to run the floor, operate in the pick and roll and score the ball from mid range. He might not be a one and done but he’s looking like an NBA guy.
Washington had a huge win against a very good Baylor Bears team, helped by the play of Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels. Both are studs and both could be top 10 or even top 5 picks in June. They should both put up big numbers and it’ll be interesting to see how far they can carry this Huskies squad.
Kentucky has gotten a big early contribution from Tyrese Maxey who looks like the best pro prospect on the team. His ability to score the rock from three levels and handle against pressure are just what you want in an NBA guard. His draft floor looks like mid first round and he could rise into the top half of the lottery with a big season.
Cole Anthony is doing just what everyone expected him to do; dominate on the offensive end and put up big numbers. He started the season off wearing goggles but ditched them after an off shooting half, and things have been rolling ever since.
We’ve been high on Nova’s Jeremiah Robinson-Earl for a while and he’s lived up the hype. JRE doesn’t knock your socks off with athleticism but he’s ultra talented at scoring the ball, has great lateral agility and just knows how to get his shot and get buckets. Watch for him to continue to put up numbers and start making a move up the draft boards.
Duke’s Cassius Stanley has stood out as potentially the best pro prospect on the team. He’s a high energy guy and world class athlete who has the upside that NBA teams look for. He’s not a polished offensive player but he’s got many years of improvement ahead of him. He’s another guy who should be featured in the first round of mock drafts.
Here’s the latest 2020 Mock Draft