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NCAA Basketball: Top 25 impact freshmen classes for 2023-24 season

By Tristan Freeman

Mar 28, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; McDonald's All American West guard Bronny James (6) stands on the court during the first half against the McDonald's All American East at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 28, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; McDonald's All American West guard Bronny James (6) stands on the court during the first half against the McDonald's All American East at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports /
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NCAA Basketball East guard Elmarko Jackson (8), forward Justin Edwards (3), center Aaron Bradshaw (2), guard Matas Buzelis (13) and guard DJ Wagner Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
NCAA Basketball East guard Elmarko Jackson (8), forward Justin Edwards (3), center Aaron Bradshaw (2), guard Matas Buzelis (13) and guard DJ Wagner Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

We’re in an interesting period in NCAA Basketball when it comes to true freshmen and how much impact they’re having. With the extra year of eligibility, the NCAA gave out due to a covid a few years ago, the transfer portal is more active than ever. And coaches everywhere are preferring those veterans to newcomers out of high school that aren’t proven at the D-I level.

Still, there will always be freshmen that have major impacts on their respective teams. There was no bigger example of that than Brandon Miller, the former five-star prospect that won SEC Player of the Year at Alabama and was the second pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Which teams will benefit most from their incoming recruiting class next season and beyond? Here’s a power ranking of the top 25 groups of true freshmen, as well as a few honorable mentions.

*Team and individual rankings based on 247sportsComposite

Honorable Mention: Memphis Tigers

The Tigers may not have that individual elite star in this class but they do have Mikey Williams, a top-30 point guard prospect. The issue is that his status to play next season is in jeopardy due to current felony charges in California. Four-star guards Carl Cherenfant and Javonte Taylor are long-term guys to watch for but after the Tigers landed a bunch of transfers, their playing time is likely to be limited.

HM: Georgia Bulldogs

Coach Mike White heavily benefitted from de-commitments this offseason, landing a pair of top-100 guars in Blue Cain and Silas Demary. They’re paired with forwards Mari Jordan and Dylan James, with James ranked in the top 100 as well. The team added a ton of transfers as well but these are some quality building blocks for the future.

HM: Kansas Jayhawks

The loss of top-60 combo guard Chris Johnson dropped the Jayhawks a bit but just having Elmarko Jackson, a top-40 playmaking guard, keeps their class in contention. He’s one of the top true point guards in the group and while it’ll be hard to get minutes over Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Dajuan Harris, Jackson could still end up as the future PG of Kansas Basketball.

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