Since the dawn of the one-and-done era, talented college freshmen have drawn the bulk of public hype — and scrutiny — of the draft community and basketball fans at large. Young five-star prospects are the new shiny toys in a landscape that deeply prioritizes, and sometimes overvalues youth.

This season is no different as the draft class is frequently labeled one of the best ever. While that might be a bit of preseason hyperbole, this class is packed with international and domestic talent at all levels. Lesser heralded prospects of all ages are often overlooked, which is the reason for surprise breakouts that happen every year.

The group of potential breakout players below includes only freshmen. None of these prospects are five-stars, but they all have the potential to make immediate impacts for their respective teams. At their best, some of these players could evolve into one-and-done talents, while others will need a few years of college development before making the big league jump if at all. In a glass-half-full world, these eight players have what it takes to meaningfully contribute on the college stage right away.

1. Alier Maluk

• Height: 6’10”

• Position: Wing Forward

• School: Florida State

• African Tie: South Sudan

• Pre-college: Long Island Lutheran/NY Rens

One could make the case that Alier Maluk was born to be a prototypical wing — his name is just one letter off of the French spelling for that position (ailier) and he has all the tools that pro teams covet in such players.

At Long Island Lutheran, Alier Maluk honed his role player skills, consistently giving good energy, setting on- and off-ball screens, and generally reading the defense to find open spaces to make a good cut or spot up. Mobile and versatile, he has good range and solid mechanics on his jump shot. When the shot isn’t there, he attacks closeouts aggressively, getting in the paint or scoring before he gets there. Suiting up alongside projected top-five pick VJ Edgecombe and other great players, Maluk found a way to be effective without being ball dominant; his feet are always moving and the ball never sticks in his hands. Defensively, his length and mobility make it tough for forwards to get past him and he is often in good position early, reflecting the same motor on both sides of the ball. Stronger than he seems, Maluk is also very active when guarding screeners. His versatility should allow him to play no less than three positions depending on lineups.

2. Oswin Erhunmwunse

• Height: 6’10”

• Position: Center

• School: Providence

• African Tie: Nigeria

• Pre-college: Putnam Science Academy/BABC

One of few non-American born players on this list, Oswin Erhunmwunse has the physical tools to succeed at the next level and beyond. He reclassified down to get to college sooner as he’s shown he’s ready to produce.

Erhunmwunse has enticing measurables standing at 6’10” with a 7’3” wingspan and his hip mobility and quick feet make that stature even more devastating for opposing offenses. He is defensively alert, giving good effort on perimeter and paint contests, and has an impressive second jump. Constantly talking on defense, he moves his feet well in drop coverage and holds his own when forced to switch. Offensively, Erhunmwunse doesn’t offer much beyond rim-running at this point, but he is a great target to have in that play finishing role.

3. Amier Ali

• Height: 6’8”

• Position: Small Forward/Shooting Guard

• School: Arizona State

• African Tie: Somalia

• Pre-college: Canyon International Academy/Skill Factory

Arizona State has brought in a star-studded recruiting class led by a few highly-touted players. Because of this, Amier Ali has slipped out of the public’s eye a bit, which can actually help his production. As potentially a third option on a loaded team, his efficient brand of basketball can potentially pop in a bigger way in Tempe.

A natural scorer, Amier Ali boasts a smooth jumper with a high release point and relatively quick trigger from mid and long range. He is creative in his attack, offering a mature shot diet and an advanced ability to get himself open. Despite shooting being his calling card, he has also shown nice finishing flashes as well, making good use of his length and finishing variety. Another flashy area has been Ali’s passing, though he hasn’t shown a willingness to consistently distribute. As eager as he is on offense, the defense has a tendency to look a bit uninspired to this point, as he will at times be a step slow to recover to his man in rotations.

4. Sammie Yeanay

• Height: 6’9”

• Position: Forward

• School: Grand Canyon

• African Tie: Liberia

• Pre-college: AZ Compass Prep/Night Rydas

As the highest-ranked Grand Canyon University signee ever, Sammie Yeanay could have chosen a number of Power 5 schools to attend, but his belief in what’s being built at Grand Canyon and how he can add to it as an 18-year-old were too alluring to pass up.

Yeanay is a powerful, high motor forward who loves to get downhill. His transition from a back to the basket center to a wing attacker seems to be on track as he scores efficiently driving from the perimeter or facing up. When actually in the post, he has great awareness of how to leverage his defender’s body against themselves and tends to favor reverse spins. If he’s anywhere near the basket, Yeanay gets off his feet quickly and enjoys finishing with authority. Defensively, he has the strength to bang with bigger opponents and uses his length to play the passing lanes. His biggest area of improvement is shooting ability, but he is beginning to flash the ability to make three pointers, and his form isn’t broken.

5. Doryan Onwuchekwa

• Height: 6’11”

• Position: Center

• School: Georgia Tech

• African Tie: Nigeria

• Pre-college: Faith Family Academy/Team Trae Young

Doryan Onwuchekwa always showed skilled flashes, but losing a significant amount of weight in a relatively short time has helped take his game to new heights. (the video below was pre-weight loss)

Onwuchekwa was a big body who was capable of playing a more traditional role down low, but a lighter body has him running the floor very well and making more defensive plays. He has soft hands and good touch that comes to light with his hookshots and long jumpers. Onwuchekwa’s transformation has turned him into a relatively versatile big man and his dramatic weight loss has played very nicely with his processing improvement, turning some of the shooting, passing and other flashes into solidified skills. His defense has gone from unremarkable to a true threat. Better attention on screens and a more acute understanding of angles could see his stock take off.

6. Abdou Kébé

• Height: 6’7”

• Position: Guard

• School: Mount St. Mary’s

• African Tie: Senegal

• Pre-college: SEED Academy/NBA Academy Latin America/NBA Academy Africa

Originally hailing from the storied SEED Academy, Abdou Kébé seems primed for an eye-opening experience at Mount St. Mary’s. Kébé is long and wiry but has consistently shown the mindset needed to excel in this game.

A fearless attacking guard with optimal length and great ball skills, Abdou Kébé could end up looking like a steal. Despite his slight frame, Kebe gets downhill seemingly at will and shows off good counters to beat the man in front of him as well as rotating help before making the right decision. Capable of playing on or off the ball, he finishes and passes well with either hand and is a spot-up threat from deep. Not afraid to pick up full court, he often picks up back court steals due to his hands and wingspan to feed his transition attack.

7. Karim Elgizawy

• Height: 6’3”

• Position: Point Guard

• School: Tarleton State

• African Tie: Egypt

• Pre-college: American University Cairo/Al Ahly SC

Karim Elgizawy has long been considered Egypt’s point guard of the future after having exploded onto the youth scene years ago. He integrated the senior national team and became the youngest player on their 2023 FIBA World Cup team.

Elgizawy also already has significant professional experience, having suited up for Al Ahly’s senior team in the Basketball Africa League. Elgizawy is a cerebral playmaker who is decently advanced as a processor. He shows creative passing and doesn’t shy away from difficult reads. He has also proven to be a very good shooter, efficiently connecting on three pointers in different scenarios. With his efficiency being proven, he should look to confirm his shooting with higher volume going forward. Elgizawy shows an attitude and willingness to defend, which is a good sign as his physical ability to do so at a high level needs to continue to develop. The most glaring area of improvement for him though is his finishing. Despite his long arms, he isn’t a vertical athlete and often got caught in the air among trees. More control and creativity in the paint would serve him well.

8. Ismaila Diagne

• Height: 7’0”

• Position: Center

• School: Gonzaga

• African Tie: Senegal

• Pre-college: Real Madrid

Despite a discouraging performance in Gonzaga’s season-opening scrimmage, Ismaila Diagne has plenty of time to show he’s worth playing this season.

As Real Madrid’s starting center on the U18 team, he showed a good amount of patience and polish as a big man who can rebound and finish, but also make plays for others out of the post and short roll. Diagne is positional sound and just knows where to be. His court awareness and solid play on the defensive side of the ball could earn him playing time, but Diagne’s biggest threat to game minutes is simply the fact that he’s a freshman on a loaded championship-aspiring team.