NCAA Basketball: Five most exciting freshmen to watch for 2018-19

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ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 28: Zion Williamson #12 of Spartanburg Day School attacks the basket against Jordan Brown #21 of Prolific Prep during the 2018 McDonald’s All American Game at Philips Arena on March 28, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Trae Young and Deandre Ayton took NCAA Basketball by storm last season; can any freshmen attract similar attention this season?

In the one-and-done era, freshmen are the player’s taking over college basketball. This year will be no different.

The 2018 recruiting class was the most athletic class in recent memory. A stunning in-game dunk by a high school senior went viral seemingly every week last winter. High school basketball was followed more than ever with Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett, now both at Duke, breaking the internet routinely.

And it wasn’t just the 5-star prospects attracting the fans. Jordan McCabe, a freshman at West Virginia and the No. 115 player in the 2018 class, produced some of the most entertaining highlight films that featured his inconceivable ball-handling skills. Ronaldo Segu, who is now at Buffalo, also found himself on popular Instagram and YouTube pages despite being the No. 233 ranked prospect.

However, no one shattered the internet in the fashion Mac McClung did. The No. 245 prospect hailed from the tiny town of Gate City, Virginia and still managed to become a social media sensation. Standing at just 6’2″, McClung threw down some of the most impressive dunks basketball fans have ever seen. He may not have a large role at Georgetown for his freshman campaign, but he will most certainly take over college basketball as an upperclassman.

The 2018 class features more than just ankle-breaking crossovers and sensational dunks. Jahvon Quinerly, a former five-star prospect now at Villanova, led the now-nationwide “JellyFam” movement. The “Jelly” layup is simply a finger roll layup with additional finesse, but when done in-game, the atmosphere immediately becomes electric. Although he wasn’t the originator of the layup, Quinerly was the highest-ranked prospect to be apart of the exclusive JellyFam club, giving him a platform to expose the country to a new way to finish at the rim.

In all of the years of the one-and-done rule, this freshman class isn’t necessarily the most talented, but it’s difficult to say that it’s not the most exciting. Who is the must-see freshman this season? I break down five new faces to college basketball that you can’t miss this season:

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