NCAA Basketball: Top 25 impact true freshmen entering 2023-24 season

13. Wesley Yates – Washington Huskies

The 6’4 shooting guard from Texas is a top-50 prospect and a major recruiting win for Washington. Yates’ scoring ability will be important for the Huskies, who are likely starting both Sahvir Wheeler and Paul Mulcahy in the backcourt. Neither are great shooters themselves so just from a spacing standpoint, Yates will be very important for this Pac-12 program.

12. Stephon Castle – UConn Huskies

Castle is a five-star prospect that UConn was able to land before winning the national title last season. He’s a 6’5 versatile guard who can handle the ball and guard several positions on the court. While not likely to be the same kind of near triple-double threat that Andre Jackson was at the wing Castle will certainly be an offensive upgrade on the wing.

11. Elliott Cadeau – UNC Tar Heels

The Heels have RJ Davis back for another year but lost Caleb Love to the transfer portal this offseason. His replacement is Cadeau, a five-star prospect that reclassified from the 2024 class. He’s a 6’1 ball-handler who’s more of a true point than either of UNC’s starters from last season. That alone could unlock the offense overall, including getting the ball better to All-American star big, Armando Bacot. The question is whether or not he’s ready to play heavy minutes as a lead guard.