Ranking the freshman seasons of former number one high school recruits

SYRACUSE, NY - FEBRUARY 23: Former Syracuse Orange player Carmelo Anthony (C) receives his jersey from athletic director Daryl Gross (L) as his number is retired during a ceremony at half time during the game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Carrier Dome on February 23, 2013 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Nate Shron/Getty Images) /

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Cade Cunningham (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Ranking the freshman seasons of former number one high school recruits: 15. Cade Cunningham

Freshman stats: 20.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.5 apg

He won’t wow you with a quick first step or explosive leaping ability. But what Cade Cunningham lacked in athleticism, he made up for in overall great play.

His high school numbers will make you second guess why Cunningham was considered the best player in high school but you have to hear the full story. At Montverde, Cunningham averaged 13.9 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.2 rebounds. Pedestrian numbers for sure but not exactly when we dive deeper.

Montverde ended the year with a spotless record of 25-0. Also, Cunningham only played 22 minutes a game because their margin of victory was 39 points. Once Cunningham landed with Oklahoma State, he proved his worth. The future NBA number one overall pick went on to average 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists to go along with 1.6 steals.

Cunningham ran away with the Big 12 Player of the Year as well the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. But as a whole, Oklahoma State struggled to find its footing. They finished the year with a 21-9 record and were bounced from the NCAA Tournament in the second round.

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