The first official practices tip off this week, and so begins the marathon to Indianapolis, where the 2026 Final Four will be held. Even after three extremely old teams (Houston, Florida and Auburn) made the Final Four last year, the 2024-25 season was a good reminder that the right freshmen in the right situation can impact winning in a gigantic way.
Florida was the deserving champion, and Houston beat ’em fair and square with a jaw-dropping, late-game comeback, but Duke may very well have been the best team in college basketball last year with five-stars like Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel leading the charge. Maryland had its best season in over a decade thanks to five-star Derik Queen and The Crab Five. UConn (Liam McNeeley), Illinois (Kasparas Jakucionis), Texas (Tre Johnson) and Baylor (VJ Edgecombe) all made the Big Dance with talented freshmen operating as the drink-stirrers.
Even though Rutgers’ bet on Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey fizzled, freshmen still undoubtedly matter and some fantastic ones are sauntering into the scene, itching to make big waves.
There are 17 prospects — 15 who played high school basketball in the states and two international products — who earned those illustrious five-star grades from the 247Sports scouting team. Let’s dive into the key burning questions for each five-star prospect.
Editor’s note: USC five-star freshman Alijah Arenas was not included in this exercise after suffering a knee injury in July. He is expected to miss six to eight months and could be out the entire 2025-26 season.
Expected role: Starting guard
Burning college question: Can Kansas find a second scorer to ease the burden?
Peterson is a special talent, primed to post ludicrous numbers as the primary option of this Kansas team. Peterson could get buckets in an NBA game tomorrow. He’s just wired to score from anywhere, and his array of fluid, swervy drives, disrespectful rim finishes and deep range make him a total problem. Leading the Big 12 in scoring is firmly in the realm of potential outcomes for 2025-26.
But Kansas doesn’t have that second proven dude on the perimeter. Last year’s freshmen who dominated for top-15 teams had that sterling supporting cast. Cooper Flagg had Kon Knueppel. Derik Queen had Ja’Kobi Gillespie. Who is that guard for Kansas? Big man Flory Bidunga is a major breakout candidate, but it’s more for his play-finishing and ridiculous defensive upside. Kansas can’t get back to a second weekend without one of these secondary guards becoming a nightly double-figures contributor who can make Peterson’s life a little easier.
Bill Self has options. Jayden Dawson is a floor-spacer who demands attention from opposing defenses. A healthy Elmarko Jackson can be a useful piece, but patience will be required after a season-ending patellar injury. Freshman Kohl Rosario’s 3-and-D game has impressed this summer, but he’s a role player, not a top-two option. Tre White’s cutting should be maximized next to Peterson. The Illinois transfer can give you 20 some nights, but it’s not a ton of self-created offense. Ultimately, St. Bonaventure transfer Melvin Council is the best bet to earn that role. The 6-foot-4 senior has been around the block and is a terrific athlete with junkyard dawg intangibles. He’s not much of a shooter, but he can score, create and initiate pick-and-rolls.
Peterson might be enough of a cheat code to make it work with a band of willing role players, but the calculus changes considerably if another guard emerges from the fray.
No. 2 AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Expected role: Starting wing
Burning college question: Will the defensive effort be consistent?
BYU is going to score. It has way too much firepower, and Kevin Young has such a sound offensive process. But this defense was gauged by top-100 teams to the tune of 118.0 points per 100 possessions last season. Dybantsa can be a big part of the solution for a defense that needs to be competent for BYU to accomplish its sky-high goals.
A locked-in Dybantsa can be a menace defensively, forcing tough contested jumpers, getting into the passing lanes and chipping in with some secondary rim protection. He’s so big, moves way too well and has a real nasty streak. Dybantsa can make himself a ton of money if he’s bringing the clamps every single night.
Kennard Davis is slated to be one of BYU’s key perimeter stoppers, but if Dybantsa’s up to speed, the complexion of BYU’s defense totally changes. A big, strong guard like Davis paired with a big, strong wing like Dybantsa is a great combination for much-improved defensive bite. Dybantsa is just a different caliber of athlete than anyone BYU was trotting out last season.
Expected role: Starting forward
Burning college question: How much does Duke weaponize his ball-handling?
Boozer is going to be productive. That’s a stone-cold lock, but Boozer’s role is going to evolve a bit. After primarily playing the 5 in high school, Boozer will shift to that prototypical power forward slot at Duke. A smart, skilled, tough big like Boozer should have no issues figuring it out next to fellow smart, skilled, tough bigs like Maliq Brown or Patrick Ngongba.
But the evolution of Duke’s point guard room could have a major impact on Boozer’s responsibilities on game day. If the platoon of Cayden Boozer and Caleb Foster can handle the creation load, Cam Boozer could be the best version of himself as that primary scoring forward who doubles as a high-feel connector and terrifying playmaker in the short roll.
If Cayden Boozer can’t punish drop coverage effectively or Foster continues to struggle to create separation consistently, does that force Jon Scheyer to ask Cam Boozer to become a bigger engineer of this attack? Asking Cam Boozer to be the same driver of an offense like Cooper Flagg might be a bit unfair, but he can absolutely handle some on-ball responsibilities. However, it may be best suited as a piece, not the centerpiece.
Expected role: Starting forward
Burning college question: Can Ament be an off-movement shooter?
Rick Barnes’ way of building an offense hasn’t changed too dramatically over the years. Barnes-coached teams have used a heavy motion halfcourt offense that features a ton of floppy actions. In Barnes’ entire Tennessee tenure, the Vols have rated in the 90th percentile or higher in the percentage of shots that come off screens. That floppy action was right up both Dalton Knecht and Chaz Lanier’s alley and helped them have enormous years. Both were big snipers who could fight around screens and had the strength to hit those off-movement jumpers from downtown or the midrange.
How does Ament adjust to this offense? At 6-9, Ament is way taller than both Lanier and Knecht, and he doesn’t have the lower-body strength that those two veterans did. Ament has the tools to be a ridiculous spot-up shooter, but the barrage of off-movement jumpers is going to be a serious adjustment.
Expected role: Starting guard
Burning college question: How will Acuff adjust to more off-ball work?
Acuff earned a massive usage rate as the lead ball-handler for an IMG Academy roster that had three top-70 recruits. For good reason. Acuff is a tremendous pick-and-roll scorer who can put serious pressure on the rim and has a knack for rising to the occasion in the clutch. Acuff is expected to be the next uber-productive lead guard that litter John Calipari’s Hall of Fame resume.
While Acuff will very likely be the best player on Arkansas’ team, this is still a deep roster. The Razorbacks will need to find touches for Karter Knox, DJ Wagner, Meleek Thomas and Malique Ewin, just to name a few. Acuff may be asked to play off the ball way more at Arkansas than he was at IMG Academy.
How does he handle that adjustment? It should be fine. Acuff is a talented spot-up sniper, and he can scare defenses even when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands. But Johnell Davis’ up-and-down year at Arkansas can be a warning sign for what can happen when a premier on-ball player is forced to play off the ball more than he’s used to.
Expected role: Starting guard
Burning college question: Jump-shot roulette?
Brown’s got some magic and flair in his game with his exquisite passing and flamethrower jumper. But in the lead-up to college ball, Brown hasn’t been much of a rim-pressure option, largely due to his lack of strength.
That’s starting to change. Brown’s work in the weight room has been well-documented this offseason. Brown is sprouting taller (Louisville now lists him at 6-5), and his frame is starting to fill out.
Will that help tweak his game, too?
Brown is poised to be one of college basketball’s best freshmen because of that intersection of playmaking and shooting, but there could be some rocky nights if he’s solely reliant on 3-pointers or pull-up jumpers. If the bigger, stronger frame leads to an even better knack at lacerating defenses with more slick drives, Brown will cement himself as a no-doubt lottery pick.
Expected role: Starting forward
Burning college question: Can he earn trust as a face-up option?
J’Wan Roberts’ drives were an essential aspect of Houston’s offense. Kelvin Sampson loved to empty one side of the floor for Roberts to go one-on-one and let his fifth-year senior get to the middle of the paint for floaters or runners. Those possessions usually ended with Roberts getting to his strong left hand or drawing a foul. They rarely ended in a turnover. In a team-high 105 drives, Roberts coughed it up just nine times.
For the first time in five years, Roberts won’t be here. It’s odd and a huge hole.
Spamming pick-and-rolls with Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp can’t be the only aspect of this Houston offense. That’s where Cenac comes into play. Can he become a trustworthy face-up option that Houston can use in isolation? He has the game. The 6-11, 240-pound big man has a soft jumper with range out to the 3-point stripe. He moves well and can put it on the deck. But in 18 charted games at Link Academy, Cenac notched a 25% turnover rate on 50 drives. His handle needs to get stronger. He can bulldoze his way into stuffed gaps. He is a willing playmaker, but there will be some obvious growing pains as a decision-maker.
Roberts is one of Sampson’s favorite dudes to ever wear a Houston jersey and turned himself into one heck of a player, but Cenac can do things that Roberts couldn’t. Can he harness those undeniable tools?
Expected role: Starting forward
Burning college question: How many pick-and-rolls is Wilson allowed to run?
Hubert Davis has not gone out of his way to use big wings or forwards as handlers in ball screens over the past few seasons.
- Drake Powell in 2024-25: 14 possessions in pick-and-rolls
- Harrison Ingram in 2023-24: 23 possessions in pick-and-rolls
- Leaky Black in 2022-23: 28 possessions in pick-and-rolls
I’m curious if that could change with Wilson in the fold. The 6-10, 215-pound forward has some intriguing ball skills, and his feel as a playmaker can put defenses in awkward binds. If Wilson can prove he can make the right reads more often than not, UNC’s playbook could be a bit more versatile and new age. Big-on-big ball screens with Henri Veesaar and Wilson? Inverted screens with a small guard (like Kyan Evans) setting screens for Wilson to try and create switches or advantages? It could be on the table.
Will UNC tweak its playbook a bit? Or will Wilson’s playmaking chops be neutered a tad?
Expected role: Starting guard
Burning college question: Can the isolation scoring translate?
Burries will be one of the oldest freshmen in the country. He turns 20 on Sept. 18, which makes him two months older than Carter Bryant, who played for Arizona last year and became a lottery pick.
Expectations — both internally and externally — are high, and they should be. The 6-4, 205-pound guard has a college-ready frame and will be more than ready for the physicality on tap. He’s also got a big role waiting.
Arizona needs a primary scorer to emerge, and Burries has the game to earn that role. He has proven to be able to score at all three levels, using his broad shoulders and deceleration to shed defenders left and right. When Burries is rolling, he’s living at the charity stripe. Arizona’s cavalry of big men should help them dominate the rim and the offensive glass. You know Jaden Bradley can help turn defense into offense with his point-of-attack pressure. But Arizona’s upside case as a top-10 team very well could come down to whether Burries becomes that consistent halfcourt bucket.
No. 11 Koa Peat, Arizona
Expected role: Starting forward
Burning college question: Can he make any 3-pointers to keep defenders honest?
Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka will man the 5-spot for Arizona this year, and they’ve combined to shoot five treys in their respective careers. That’s who Peat is going to play with early and often next year.
Like Krivas and Awaka, Peat is also at his best in the paint. I’ve dubbed him a “hammerhead shark” on the basketball floor, and I want to stick with that. He’s a total handful as a physical driver, who impacts the game tremendously as an interior scorer, rebounder and physical monster. He’s going to be productive for Tommy Lloyd because he’s smart, strong and a torrid worker.
But it’d make Arizona (and Peat) way tougher to guard if he could find some semblance of an outside shooting stroke. He didn’t take a single 3-pointer in seven games with Team USA’s U19 team this summer. He only made nine triples in 15 games on the 3SSB circuit last year. He has to be a threat from downtown or smart defenders will be able to load up and build a wall for his drives.
If Arizona has to trot out lots of lineups with Bradley (45 3-pointers in 110 career games), Peat and a non-shooting center, it could get a tad cramped in the halfcourt. Lloyd wants to win games with brute force athleticism, and this roster can do that. But Arizona becomes insanely dangerous if it can mix a little spacing with a lot of bullyball.
Expected role: Starting guard
Burning college question: How does he hammer long closeouts?
Mullins is one of the premier shot-makers in the Class of 2025 who chose an offense that has a four-year sample size of generating a million unguarded catch-and-shoot 3-pointers.
UConn open catch-and-shoot 3-pointer frequency, per Synergy:
- 2024-25: 84th percentile
- 2023-24: 98th percentile
- 2022-23: 92nd percentile
- 2021-22: 94th percentile
This marriage is going to work, but it could be elevated by how Mullins can attack long closeouts. Opposing defenders will know the scouting report. Can Mullins make them pay consistently when they aggressively try to take away 3-pointers? Mullins can hit floaters and runners. He can finish above the rim. He’s shown he can make reads as a playmaker. He’s going to make open shots, but Mullins can be one of the best freshmen in the country if he’s just as dangerous at punishing over-aggressive defenders.
No. 13 Meleek Thomas, Arkansas
Expected role: Guard rotation
Burning college question: Can Thomas slide up and guard wings?
I really like the idea of Thomas coming off the bench as Arkansas change-of-pace scorer. Don’t think. Just score. But it’ll be an uphill challenge for Thomas to become a mainstay in Arkansas’ closing lineup. Calipari is going to have Darius Acuff and DJ Wagner out there. Karter Knox deserves a spot. If Arkansas rides with two bigs (like Trevon Brazile, Nick Pringle or Malique Ewin), Thomas is out of luck.
The math changes if Thomas can become a trustworthy wing defender. While he’s a big-time bucket, Thomas still does care about defense, but he’s still only 6-3 with a 6-6 wingspan. That lack of great size could be a slight inhibitor for an Arkansas team that found its footing down the stretch, leaning on a double-big lineup. Oh, and Arkansas has to find minutes for Billy Richmond III, who is one of the best defenders on the team.
Thomas will help Arkansas this year, but defense may determine if he’s on the floor in winning time.
Expected role: Starting wing
Burning college question: How much can Yessoufou beef up this Baylor defense?
Yessoufou’s game has evolved a ton over the past year from a burly forward to a powerful wing. He just doesn’t have an off switch. He’s all go and will be a menacing transition scorer who seeks out contact. Baylor’s new-look roster doesn’t need Yessoufou to be the go-to option for this offense — get ready to learn Obi Agbim — but he’s slated to be one of the top-three offensive options at minimum.
But he can make major moves as Baylor’s defensive stopper. Yessoufou’s athletic tools are different. The 6-5, 215-pound freshman can be one of the better defenders on this team right away. Baylor entered the offseason trying to get more options defensively, and Yessoufou is the poster child of that pivot to adding more perimeter size and defensive versatility.
There were times last year when Baylor had five guards in the rotation, a slow-footed wing in Jalen Celestine and Norchad Omier (who is not a rim protector).
Baylor was small everywhere: at the point of attack, on the wing and in the paint.
It’s going to be a little different in 2025-26 with some combination of Yessoufou, Cam Carr (6-5) and Dan Skillings (6-6) handling the wing defense with interior defenders like Michael Rataj (6-9), Caden Powell (6-9) and Justin Bodo Bodo (6-11) in the fold. Baylor has dropped off a cliff defensively in the last three years, but the personnel is better on that end than it has been in a while. Yessoufou can be a huge part of the solution.
No. 15 Nik Khamenia, Duke
Expected role: Frontcourt rotation
Burning college question: How much Alex Karaban tape has Khamenia watched?
OK, maybe it’s not the perfect comp, but Khamenia tape gives off a ton of Karaban vibes. The 6-8, 215-pound forward can pass, dribble, shoot and defend. He’s smart, doesn’t need the ball to be an asset and his teams tend to just win ballgames.
That’s no coincidence.
The size, skill, and winning intangibles will help him get on the floor, even for a Duke coaching staff that has to find minutes in the front line for Cam Boozer, Pat Ngongba and Maliq Brown. I think Khamenia can comfortably shift to the 3, if Dame Sarr (more on him in a minute) isn’t up to snuff on that particular night.
Khamenia’s minutes may fluctuate from game to game, based on the matchup and who is healthy, but he checks off the boxes as a connect-the-dots role player who will pick up this scheme quickly. Jon Scheyer should have plenty of fun using Khamenia’s shooting, passing and cutting to bend defenses. I’d be stunned if he doesn’t play plenty.
Dame Sarr, Duke
Expected role: Starting wing
Burning college question: Will Sarr go all-in on cutting?
Sarr is the highest-rated international product who will play college basketball next season. The 6-8, 190-pound wing has a NBA future, and Duke can help him become a no-doubt first-round pick.
This Duke roster has playmakers everywhere. Point guard Cayden Boozer walks onto the floor trying to make others better. Duke’s best three bigs (Cam Boozer, Pat Ngongba and Maliq Brown) can all really pass. With defenses already understanding that sophomore wing Isaiah Evans can’t be left open from downtown, it should open the door for Sarr to eat as a cutter.
Duke’s offense weaponized cutting last year expertly. Jon Scheyer’s offense averaged 1.47 points per possession on cuts, which rated in the 100th percentile nationally, per Synergy. Sarr could step right into the Sion James role, who thrived as a hybrid connector who punished defenses with a galore of timely cuts. Oh, and NBA teams are eager to find good cutters.
There’s a real path here for Sarr to make hay.
Expected role: Starting wing
Burning college question: Can he drive this offense efficiently?
Avdalas eschewed the NBA and other lucrative college offers to pick Virginia Tech because of the opportunity that awaits. The Greek product will get every opportunity to be the dude at Virginia Tech. The Hokies’ roster is sneaky interesting now that Avdalas is in the fold. Mike Young has multiple big men who can score inside and out in Toibu Lawal and Amani Hansberry. He has a rim-pressure guard in Izaiah Pasha paired with snipers like Jaden Schutt and UNLV transfer Jailen Bedford.
But Virginia Tech needs a star to emerge from the ACC basement, and Avdalas can be that guy.
He’s probably at his absolute best playing off the ball, which weaponizes his shooting and slashing, but Avdalas will get a real shot at running a team as a primary creator. His playmaking, vision and touch as a passer packed into a 6-8 frame is intriguing. If Avdalas is the real deal, Virginia Tech could be a major sleeper in the ACC.
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