Tyran Stokes isn't a sleeper.
Neither is Caleb Holt.
When you're already being discussed as a potential NBA lottery pick before playing a college game, it's difficult to outperform expectations.
This list is different.
We're looking for freshmen whose impact could exceed the amount of national attention they're receiving entering the season. Some have obvious paths to playing time. Others are joining deep teams where they'll have to force coaches to play them.
Here are 10 freshmen who could become much bigger stories than expected.
10. Gavin Placide, Wake Forest
Placide doesn't need 20 points per game to become valuable.
His size, rebounding and physicality give Wake Forest something it can use immediately. Those are also skills that translate without requiring an offense to be designed around him.
9. Austin Goosby, Texas
Goosby is joining a Texas team with considerable talent.
That's a good thing.
The 6-foot-5 guard can play with or without the basketball, allowing him to contribute without carrying an enormous offensive burden. His versatility could make it difficult to keep him off the floor.
8. Carlos Medlock Jr., Michigan State
Tom Izzo doesn't give away minutes.
Medlock has the talent to earn them.
The freshman guard brings another ballhandler and shot-maker to the Michigan State backcourt. If Medlock proves trustworthy defensively, his role could expand quickly.
7. Miles Sadler, West Virginia
Opportunity matters enormously for freshmen, and Sadler should get one.
West Virginia needs playmaking, and Sadler has the speed and scoring ability to provide it. There will be mistakes, but the Mountaineers can afford to let him play through some of them.
He could become one of the Big 12's most productive freshmen.
6. Anthony Thompson, Ohio State
Thompson has too much talent to remain under the radar for long.
At 6-foot-8, he possesses the size to shoot over smaller defenders and the skill to attack bigger ones.
Ohio State doesn't need him to become its best player immediately. By February, he could be one of its most important.
5. Colben Landrew, UConn
Landrew enters UConn with significant expectations, but he still sits behind several bigger freshman names nationally.
UConn's depth allows Dan Hurley to bring him along without forcing anything.
His combination of strength and perimeter versatility could eventually make him difficult to keep out of the lineup.
4. Cameron Williams, Duke
Williams will share attention with Duke's other talented newcomers, which could obscure just how valuable he becomes.
His size and versatility should allow him to contribute without needing a massive number of shots.
On a championship contender, that's often exactly how a freshman becomes indispensable.
3. Abdou Toure, Arkansas
Toure may become the freshman John Calipari simply can't take off the floor.
He's physically ready, athletic and capable of impacting the game defensively.
Arkansas doesn't need him to become a featured scorer. If Toure defends, runs the floor and attacks the rim, he'll find minutes.
If his jumper arrives sooner than expected, his ceiling changes completely.
2. Bruce Branch III, BYU
Following AJ Dybantsa at BYU isn't particularly fair.
Branch doesn't need to be Dybantsa.
He brings his own appealing combination of size, shooting and two-way ability. BYU should have enough talent around him to let Branch develop without forcing him to carry the entire offense.
That could make him especially dangerous by March.
1. Nikola Kusturica, UCLA
Kusturica is our favorite candidate to go from unfamiliar name to national story.
The Serbian freshman brings international experience, size and an unusually polished skill set for a newcomer.
At 6-foot-9, he gives UCLA the ability to create mismatches without sacrificing size defensively.
There will be an adjustment period. That's true for almost every international freshman.
But if Kusturica adjusts quickly, UCLA may have landed one of the most impactful freshmen in the country.
By January, he might not be under the radar anymore.
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