We're not even two full weeks into this season and it's already clear that the freshman class is historically great. Kansas ' Darryn Peterson , BYU's AJ Dybantsa and Duke's Cameron Boozer are headlining things -- in part because they were the consensus top three prospects in the Class of 2025, in part because they are projected by most to go first, second and third (in some order) in the 2026 NBA Draft .
They're all great, undeniably.
But, as I've previously noted, the list of elite freshmen does not stop there. Tennessee's Nate Ament also belongs on it. Arizona's Koa Peat also belongs on it. North Carolina's Caleb Wilson also belongs on it. Virginia Tech's Neoklis Aydalas also belongs on it. And, after what he did Friday night, it appears that Illinois ' D

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