Top Ten Impact Freshmen in the Big 12 for the 2023-24 Season

It is Big 12 week here at On3, and we keep the content rolling with the 2023-24 basketball season previews. Freshmen can be an interesting thing to predict. There are a lot of variables that take place when transitioning from high school to college basketball. Everything from the speed and physicality to the processing takes time to adjust.

In this piece, I take a look at the freshmen in the Big 12 Conference this upcoming season. The conference, as a whole, seems to have put a lot more emphasis on the transfer portal than it did in the 2023 high school class. The Big 12 conference added 55 players via the transfer route while only bringing in 36 true freshmen.

This list is not of the best player 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.

Big 12 Basketball Preseason Power Rankings
The Top Ten Impact Transfers in the Big 12

Let’s take a look at the ten impact freshmen in the Big 12 for the upcoming season.

1. G Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor

Height/Weight: 6-5/180
2023 On3 150: No. 9

The Buzz: Baylor loses all three starters on the perimeter. Enter McDonald’s All-American and five-star recruit Ja’Kobe Walter. Walter was the leading scorer on last year’s Geico National Champion. He has a smooth feel to score at each level with a smooth, repeatable shooting stroke and an efficient approach. Walter is also a good defender, able to guard on or off the ball along the perimeter. For Baylor to have the type of successful season they are hoping for, Walter will need to step in and quickly produce. 

2. F Omaha Biliew, Iowa State

Height/Weight: 6-8/225
2023 On3 150: No. 10

The Buzz: Omaha Biliew is the highest-rated high school recruit to come to Iowa State in the modern era. The five-star McDonald’s All-American fits the defensive scheme that TJ Otzelberger has. He is a versatile defender, able to slide his feet with perimeter players and wall up on the block. He has a strong frame and is a twitchy athlete. The offensive game continues to come around; his range is extending, as is his confidence in putting the ball on the floor. There is a positional and system fit, and Biliew’s frame is ready for the physicality.

3. F Eric Dailey, Oklahoma State

Height/Weight: 6-8/230
2023 On3 150: No. 55

The Buzz: Eric Dailey comes to Stillwater with a reputation as a scorer. He has international experience playing each of the last two summers with USA Basketball, where Dialey has averaged 9.6 points and 5.4 rebounds. Dailey has a solid mid-post game, and he should have a pathway to playing time for Dailey, especially given his ability to create offense and score. Along with Brandon Garrison, the Cowboys could have two true freshmen in the starting lineup. 

4. PG Elmarko Jackson, Kansas

Height/Weight: 6-3/195
2023 On3 150: No. 19

The Buzz: Elmarko Jackson was one of the fastest players on the ball in the 2023 class. The son of a D1 running back and former lacrosse player has excellent burst from the guard position. During his senior season, he learned pace, and his reads started to come around. Jackson, a McDonald’s All-American, should be in the three-man guard rotation for the Jayhawks. His size and speed allow him to play either guard position; the jump shot is his swing skill. Even if he does not start, the playing time should be available.

5. F Joseph Tugler, Houston

Height/Weight: 6-7/215
2023 On3 150: No. 74

The Buzz: Simply put, Joseph Tugler is a Kelvin Sampson guy. He is someone who brings toughness every night; he rebounds, defends, and does everything that is asked of him. With that said, Tugler also has some talent. The Cougars look to start two veteran players, a junior and a senior, at the four and five. Tugler will start the year coming off the bench. However, as he gets acclimated to the speed of the game, do not be surprised to see his minutes continue to rise, along with his production.

6. C Brandon Garrison, Oklahoma State

Height/Weight: 6-11/245
2023 On3 150: No. 63

The Buzz: The center is a position of need for Oklahoma State, and the McDonald’s All-American comes to Stillwater with a physical frame. While Brandon Garrison’s game is not flashy, he does what you want a big to do. He is a good screener, he is a good area rebounder, he has good hands with some touch, and he plays within himself. He will not be asked to do anything he cannot, but that is also how he naturally plays within himself. Garrison is a solid defender. This is opportunity-based, and Garrison will have a lot of opportunity this season with the Cowboys.

7. G Jizzle James, Cincinnati

Height/Weight: 6-1/195
2023 On3 150: No. 92

The Buzz: Jizzle James, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Edgerrin James, is a quick-twitch, tough-minded point guard. Cincinnati brings in seven new players after losing four starters, including both players from its starting backcourt. James should be competing for the starting position. Day Day Thomas, a newcomer from the JUCO ranks, should be James’ main competition. 

8. C Yves Missi, Baylor

Height/Weight: 7-0/235
2023 On3 150: No. 30

The Buzz: While Baylor returns depth in the front court, Yves Missi might be in a situation where he is simply too good to keep off the floor. Missi is a lengthy and fluid athlete. He moves well laterally and vertically, as well as gliding up the floor. Missi also shows touch, which has the potential to extend beyond the arc. Jalen Bridges, Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchwa, Caleb Lohner, and Joshua Ojianwuna all return from last season’s rotation. It may take some time, or he could be ready immediately. 

9. F Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State

Height/Weight: 6-8/220
2023 On3 150: No. 43

The Buzz: The fit is intriguing with Milan Momcilovic and Iowa State. TJ Otzelberger is known as a defensive-minded coach. In his first two seasons at Iowa State, each team has finished inside the top ten in KenPom on defense and outside of the top 100 on offense. Momcilovic is the exact opposite of those numbers. He is a skilled offensive player with footwork, range, and multi-level potential. An offensive injection was needed for a team that scored 67.9 points and shot 44.3 percent from the field last season. It will be interesting to see how the minutes stagger with Momcilovic and Omaha Biliew alongside seniors Hasan Ward and Tre King.

10. F Kaden Cooper, Oklahoma

Height/Weight: 6-5/190
2023 On3 150: No. 81

The Buzz: Oklahoma welcomes seven new players to the roster, only returning 33 starts from last season. It just so happens that those two players who started the combined 33 games were freshmen guards Milos Uzan and Otega Oweh. The Sooners also bring in junior guard Javian McCollum, who averaged almost 16 and 4 at Siena last year. Kaden Cooper enters the season as one of – if not the – most explosive players on the roster. He has good length with defensive upside, and there is promise with the jump shot. How quickly he can get caught up to the speed of the game will determine his playing time this season. 

Other Big 12 Freshmen to Watch

G Dai Dai Ames (Kansas State), F Johnny Furphy (Kansas), G Chris Johnson (Texas), F Rayvon Griffith (Cincinnati), F Macaleab Rich (Kansas State), C Isaiah Miranda (Oklahoma State), F Eemeli Yalaho (Texas Tech)