After years of high school players playing overseas or for the G League or Overtime Elite as they developed their skills for the NBA, college basketball has again emerged with a monopoly on these first-year talents.

The numbers prove it: Eighteen freshmen were selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA draft, and 17 are projected to go in the first round of ESPN's latest 2026 mock draft .

The 2025-26 group features an abundance of decorated freshmen with the traits of future stars at the next level. While Cooper Flagg looked the part of a No. 1 pick early in the 2024-25 campaign, this season's race for the top spot could be one of the most competitive battles in recent history.

With one of the strongest freshmen classes we can recall, we're here to help you make sense of it all wit

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