NCAA Basketball: Top 25 impact freshmen classes for 2022-23 season

Montverde Academy's Dariq Whitehead (0) reacts after forcing a turnover during the second half of the GEICO Nationals quarterfinal between AZ Compass Prep (Ariz.) and Montverde Academy (Fla.), Thursday, March 31, 2022, at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.Montverde Academy defeated AZ Compass Prep 72-63.GEICO Nationals 2022: AZ Compass Prep (Ariz.) vs. Montverde Academy (Fla.), March 31, 2022 /

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NCAA Basketball Cam Whitmore (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /

10. Villanova Wildcats

New head coach Kyle Neptune was able to keep his incoming freshmen class intact after Jay Wright retired this offseason, which is important because all three could be really impactful for next season. That includes Cam Whitmore, a five-star wing and consensus future NBA Draft lottery pick.

Whitmore is a 6’7 combo forward who is perfectly capable of playing on the wings but also can do some undersized power forward if needed. He’s a quality two-way player, strong defender and rebounder, and outstanding scorer on all three levels. There’s little weakness to his game and Whitmore easily could leave the Wildcats in scoring next season and be a Big East Player of the Year contender.

After losing national champion starter Collin Gillespie, Villanova needs a new lead guard. That could be Mark Armstrong, a top-50 combo guard that’s more of a scorer than a pure facilitator but with Justin Moore potentially out to start the season, could use his scoring potential in the rotation.

And Brendan Hausen is a quality shooting guard prospect and four-star freshman that can stretch defenses from deep. If he can avoid being a net-minus on defense, he’ll be an impact player at Villanova for the next four years.

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