Busting Brackets
Fansided

NCAA Basketball: 10 under-the-radar freshmen to watch in 2019-20

By Arden Cravalho

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 05: NCAA basketballs sit on the court during practice prior to the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 5, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 05: NCAA basketballs sit on the court during practice prior to the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 5, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next

10. Matthew Van Komen, Utah C

The 7’4”, 220-pound freshman from Pleasant Grove, UT is already the tallest player found on the Utah roster. Larry Krystkowiak, the head coach of the Utes, desperately needs help on the defensive end of the floor and he found the right person for the job right in his home state. Van Komen obviously needs to pump some iron and put on some weight but he has already shown how special of a rim protector he can be. The skills are there for Krystkowiak to put into place. The only question is if he can handle the physicality found in the PAC-12. Utah has had some special big men in recent history with Andrew Bogut and Jakob Poeltl. Could Van Komen be up next?

9. Joseph Girard III, Syracuse SG

I’ll put it as simple as this…. Joe can score. In his senior season at Glen Falls High School in upstate New York, Girard averaged 48.6 PPG and became the state’s all-time leading scorer. That is not a typo. With Tyus Battle leaving the program, Coach Boeheim needs a guard to fill up the bucket. Girard can do that and do it in numerous different ways. He can stretch the floor, finish strong with contact, pull up on the perimeter. Probably worth a mention, Girard has worked out numerous times with Jimmer Fredette as they both attended the same high school in New York. Take that with a grain of salt.

8. Scotty Pippen Jr., Vanderbilt PG

The son of NBA great (Scottie Pippen), Scotty played at a high level of competition in high school at Sierra Canyon in LA alongside Cassius Stanley and Kenyon Martin Jr. He should be ready for the fast-paced style of play the SEC has to offer. He was a vocal leader in high school and he looks to be an immediate leader for Jerry Stackhouse and the Commodores. He isn’t as skilled as Darius Garland and doesn’t have the best height for the lead position at 6’0″ but he has the intangibles that you can’t teach. Pippen has a chance to be a special point guard.

Home/NCAA Basketball News