CBS Sports releases Top 10 impact freshmen entering 2022-23 college basketball season

On3 imageby:Alex Weber•10/21/22

With the college basketball season set to tip off in the next month, CBS Sports took a look at the top new faces across the country who will make a significant impact in their first seasons. Sure, several Kentucky and Duke players made the list. But it’s actually a pretty spread-out group of top freshman overall.

Anyway, check out who CBS Sports ranked as the top-10 true freshmen in college basketball this coming season:

CBS Sports’ Top-10 Newcomers

1. Keyonte George | Baylor

The athletic and trigger-happy George heads to a Baylor system that will allow his explosiveness and three-point shooting ability thrive. A perfect fit between program and player. He’s only No. 9 on the On3 Consensus for 2022, but George could be the top freshman scorer in the country if Scott Drew gives him complete freedom.

2. Nick Smith | Arkansas

Another candidate to lead the freshman class in scoring, Smith is perhaps the most skilled scorer entering college this season. Expect him to share the wealth with a loaded Arkansas roster, but he’ll be the No. 1 option in the end.

3. Cason Wallace | Kentucky

The gritty combo guard won’t flash for his scoring primarily, but rather his defense and and playmaking ability. Expect him to spend time at the 1-3 filling in whichever role John Calipari needs. Can defend, distribute and shoot the ball.

4. Cam Whitmore | Villanova

Whitmore is the explosive freshman addition to a sound and veteran Villanova front line. That group up front could be one of the tops in the nation if Whitmore achieves the vast hype surrounding him as a rookie.

5. Amari Bailey | UCLA

The slithery five-star guard is going to have to learn to share. With senior true point guard Tyger Campbell and star senior wing Jaime Jaquez back in the fold, Bailey is far down on the hierarchy of players to handle the ball on offense. But if he can strike a balance with the other two, the Bruins can create a three-headed attack few could match.

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6. Dariq Whitehead | Duke

The No. 2 overall player in the On3 Consensus may not have the spotlight. With several other top recruits and a returning veteran at point guard flanking Whitehead, he may not have the opportunity to shine on his own. However, CBS picked the bulging wing to be the best rookie Dookie.

7. Dereck Lively II | Duke

Lively, the No. 1 overall player in the 2022 On3 Consensus, falls all the way to No. 7. Perhaps because CBS expects Whitehead to be more of the flashy scorer, while Lively’s pterodactyl wing-span and presence dominate the painted area.

8. Anthony Black | Arkansas

Black is listed as a point guard coming out of high school. But at a lanky 6-foot-7 with bouncy athleticism, expect Eric Musselman to deploy him at any position point guard thru power forward. Seriously, Black is going to be a queen on the chess table for Muss. A multi-faceted guard the size of most college fours.

9. Skyy Clark | Illinois

Clark was once a much higher-ranked recruit, before he tore his ACL and switched commitments from Kentucky to Illinois. If fully recovered, Clark will have a chance to prove the rankings drop was a mistake. On an Illini team full of versatile wings, Clark enters as the only true point guard. They’ll need him to be good right away.

10. GG Jackson | South Carolina

The former No. 1 player in the 2023 classed ditched both that recruiting class and his commitment to North Carolina this summer, when he reclassified and switched allegiances to the Gamecocks instead of the Tar Heels. South Carolina has a new head coach and little to nothing of substance returning. Jackson joins a decent transfer haul, but make no mistake, this is not a good basketball team. Will be interesting to see if Jackson has what it takes to make something of their season.

Just Missed the Cut: Kel’el Ware (Oregon), Dillon Mitchell (Texas), Jarace Walker (Houston), Brandon Miller (Alabama), Adam Bona (UCLA)