ACC Preview: The top 10 impact freshmen for 2024-25

It’s ACC week here at On3, and we keep rolling to the content ahead of the 2024-25 college basketball season. ACC teams are rostering 59 freshmen this season. Even with the quantity of freshmen the 18 teams have, the opportunity can be tough to gauge at times. So many variables take place when a player, no matter the talent level, transitions from high school to college.

In this piece, I take a look at the freshmen in the ACC this upcoming season. Every team in the ACC is bringing in at least two freshmen, with Stanford and Duke leading the way with six each.

This list is not one of the best players or the highest upside player; it is based on the potential impact of the player. Opportunity is a big factor here, but so is talent.

ACC Preseason Power Ranking | Breaking Down the ACC’s Top 20 Impact Transfers | Player of the Year and First and Second-Team Preseason Predictions

Let’s take a look at the top ten impact freshmen in the ACC for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

1. SF Cooper Flagg (Duke)

The Buzz: There is a lot of talk surrounding Cooper Flagg’s freshman season at Duke. With that talk, there will be a lot of opportunities for him as well. Flagg should be among the team’s leaders in minutes played, along with that he could vie for top-ten honors in rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. The unique nature of his freelancing defense will immediately raise the floor of this season’s team defense. While the 6-foot-7/6-foot-8 forward might not light scoreboards on fire, he will play efficiently and his overall impact should be noticeable.

2. SG Jalil Bethea (Miami)

The Buzz: It will be interesting how Miami sorts through its minutes this season. While returning Matthew Cleveland and Nijel Pack, they also bring in the backcourt experience of AJ Staton-McCray and Jalen Blackmon who have combined to start 115 career games. Jalil Bethea is being talked about as a potential one-and-done first-round NBA Draft pick. The positive aspect of this roster construction is that Bethea will not be thrust directly into a need-production-now role. He will be able to come along at his own pace. . At the end of the day, however, talent could overtake experience.

3. SG Ian Jackson (UNC)

The Buzz: Ian Jackson becomes the next five-star/McDonald’s All-American to play at UNC. What he brings to the table is another offensive weapon, able to create offense and score buckets from multiple areas on the floor. As he settles into the college game, his scoring should help take some pressure off RJ Davis. He is a 6-foot-4, 190-pound guard who has a physical frame and gives effort on defense. Jackson’s presence allows head coach Hubert Davis to toggle between bigger two-guard and smaller three-guard lineups. With the depth of UNC’s backcourt, the Tar Heels will not need heavy usage out of Jackson to start, and much like Bethea and Miami, he can come long at his own pace.

4. C Khaman Maluach (Duke)

The Buzz: The preseason returns for Khaman Maluach have been a mixed bag, but even with that, the Blue Devils are going to need for their 7-foot-2 freshman to be good. When he is able to play around the rim, he can be a presence. With a 7-foot-6 wing span and a 9-foot-8 standing reach Maluach is a natural rim protector. In the past issues have come with his stiff athleticism when he gets into space or has a lot of moving to do. Until fellow freshman Pat Ngongba gets cleared to play, Maluach is the only player projected to be in the rotation over 6-foot-10. There is a lot there, and he will have some impressive flashes, but it could also take some patience to get there consistently.

5. SF Drake Powell (UNC)

The Buzz: Like Jackson, Drake Powell comes to UNC as a five-star prospect and a McDonald’s All-American. What Powell brings to the table is a unique defensive presence. He should comfortably be able to guard the one through three in the half court and be able to switch down a lineup to guard the four in exotic situations. What the Tar Heels get out of his offensively will be icing on the cake. While being an explosive athlete, he is not bursty off the bounce and he is an inconsistent shooter from three. He should be able to get in transition to make some plays, he does have a smooth pull-up jump shot off one or two dribbles, and he can initiate some with solid passing chops. Powell, with his size and plus length should be able to give the Tar Heels multiple different line up looks, enabling them to play smaller and faster in the front or give team’s bigger looks from the backcourt.

6. PF Donnie Freeman (Syracuse)

The Buzz: The 6-foot-9 forward brings a unique blend of size, athletic fluidity, and skill to Syracuse this season. Donnie Freeman is a late-bloomer who finished his recruitment as a five-star and McDonald’s All-American. He brings defensive versatility, able to slide his feet, play in passing lanes, and wall up around the rim. He also has shooting touch that extends beyond the three-point arc to help space the floor. Freeman is still growing his strength and may take a little time to get used to the speed of the game, but once he finds his footing he can help provide the Orange with multiple looks on both ends of the floor.

7. SG Kon Knueppel (Duke)

The Buzz: There is no denying the skill base that Kon Knueppel possesses. The 6-foot-5/6-foot-6 shooting guard let Nike’s EYBL Circuit in scoring two years ago. He plays with excellent balance and his shooting for does not change no matter the level he is at. The interesting aspect will be how quickly he gets up to the speed of the game. He is a solid athlete and his IQ and court sense is very high, so it is only a matter of how quickly he will be able to make his adjustments and get into the flow of his own game. Duke will have plenty of opportunity for him, and with its depth of players, he will be able to come along at his own pace. There has been a lot of preseason talk surrounding Knueppel as he enters the season with elevated NBA Draft stock.

8. PG Jeremiah Wilkinson (Cal)

The Buzz: Jeremiah Wilkinson brings an aggressive, downhill demeanor to campus with him at Berkley. The 6-foot-1 guard committed to Cal the August after his senior year of high school. He went on to play a prep season to get ready for Cal where he averaged over 33 points per game. The lefty is able to self-create in the half court, using a quick first step and good balance, able to pull up at multiple levels. With a Cal roster featuring 10 new players, there will be opportunity for Wilkinson to take ahold of.

9. PG Daquan Davis (Florida State)

The Buzz: Daquan Davis decommitted from Providence so he could commit to the Seminoles. Florida State loses five of its top six scorers, including starting point guard Jalen Warley. Davis, a native of the DMV, played his senior season with the Atlanta (GA) Overtime Elite program. He brings quick hands and mental toughness to the court. How quickly he adapts to the speed of the game will go a long way to how effective his production is this season. There are some expectations are high for Davis coming into the season.

10. SF Juke Harris (Wake Forest)

The Buzz: What Juke Harris brings to the table is positional size and shooting. Word out of Winston-Salem is that Harris’ shooting might be so good Steve Forbes could have a hard time keeping him off the floor as a freshman. He averaged 30.6 points as a senior in high school and his 2,000-plus points set a county record. While the freshman-year expectations are not super high for Harris, he is one who could find his way onto the floor throughout the season.

Other ACC Freshmen to Watch

A list of players to watch for the future of the league. While some of these players might not see the opportunity this season, their upside remains high.

SF Dallas Thomas (Clemson), SF Paul McNeil (NC State), SF Khani Rooths (Louisville), SF Darrion Sutton (Georgia Tech), SF Isaiah Evans (Duke), SG Darren Harris (Duke), SG Austin Swartz (Miami), SG Cole Certa (Notre Dame), PF Mitchell Holmes (SMU), SF Evan Stinson (Stanford), C Jacob Cofie (Virginia), PG Ben Hammond (Virginia Tech)