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

2 of 6

HONOLULU, HI – DECEMBER 25: Bennie Boatwright #25 (c) of the USC Trojans poses with his teammates after winning the championship game of the Diamond Head Classic against the New Mexico State Aggies at the Stan Sheriff Center on December 25, 2017 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

5. Kevin Porter Jr. (Guard – USC)

The No. 28 prospect in the 2018 class looks to hold a starting role for a USC team that will be taking a step back this season. Unless Porter takes over.

Porter, unrelated to Michael and Jontay, is deadly in transition with unmatched abilities to finish at the rim. He even flashed impressive ball-handling skills in this unreal play:

https://twitter.com/AthleticDesires/status/1000078584285876230

Although Bol Bol, the No. 4 senior in the country out of high school, will play for Oregon this season, I sincerely believe that Porter could be the best freshman in the Pac-12 this year. The Seattle native is one of the most explosive in his class and has the ability to score beyond the arc as well as he can from inside. With the perfect size and strength for a shooting guard, Porter already has an NBA-ready frame that will allow him to thrive at the collegiate level.

USC’s backcourt is rather weak, allowing Porter to carry a large role this season for a team that received six votes in the preseason AP Top 25. He will certainly compete for All-Conference honors and looks to be a fringe lottery pick in the 2019 NBA Draft in the event Porter declares as a one-and-done.

Home/NCAA Basketball News