Taking a little break from the NBA draft and looking at some incoming freshman outside of the super elites that will be very important to their teams this upcoming season. The big recruits this year, Nerlens Noel, Shabazz Muhammad, Isaiah Austin etc will obviously have a huge impact this season, but there are some other recruits that who may be as or more important to their teams.
Archie Goodwin, SG Kentucky
On most teams, Archie Goodwin would be the prize incoming free agent, but Kentucky is a different breed and Goodwin is living in the shadows of top overall recruit, center Nerlens Noel as well as forward Alex Poythress. Of the freshman, Noel will take Anthony Davis' spot as defensive anchor and Poythress will be slashing to the rim and providing energy and defense while Sophomore Kyle Wiltjer will be a shooter at the power forward spot and N.C. State transfer Ryan Harrow will be running the point. Goodwin will be key however, because none of those players, with the exception of maybe Harrow, is a player that can consistently get his own shot. Much in the way that last year's Kentucky team used Doron Lamb. Like Lamb, Goodwin can get to the rim and shoot it from deep. The 2012-2013 Kentucky Wildcats will likely be suffocating defensive team and if Goodwin can step in as a 1/2 scorer, they have a chance to be a special team yet again.
DaJuan Coleman, C Syracuse
Last season, Syracuse was entirely perimeter based and guard dominated last season, and though the team was successful, it also led to a streaky offense. This season, with center DaJuan Coleman they'll have a true low post threat. At 6-10, 280 Coleman is a load in the middle and has a polished post game, which will allow the Orange to play more inside-out. Syracuse is in a great position to play that way too because they'll have a lot of shooters on the floor, Michael Carter-Williams, Brandon Triche, James Southerland, and C.J. Fair can all hit 3s and redshirt Freshman Trevor Cooney is an outstanding shooter. A more well rounded offense will help offset the loses of Dion Waiters, Kris Joseph, Scoop Jardine, and Fab Melo, who were 4 of the Orange's top 6 scorers last season. A more consistent offense paired with Syracuse's always tough 2-3 zone could make Syracuse a more dangerous team than last season, maybe not a more successful one (they won 34 games last season) but one with more staying power in March.
Rodney Purvis, SG North Carolina State
North Carolina State returns all but one of the main pieces from a team that reached the Sweet 16 last season, but will they be able to take the next step to the elite level? It depends on how their top rated recruiting class performs, specifically Rodney Purvis. Purvis is a strong, athletic guard who can get to the rim at will and is always in attack mode. This slashing ability will give an added dimension to the Wolfpack offense has two strong frontcourt players in C.J. Leslie and Richard Howell, a solid point guard (Lorenzo Brown) and a lethal three point shooter in Scott Wood. Purvis' ability to get to the rim, finish and draw fouls will make North Carolina State's offense that much more dangerous and had to defended, as they can play inside out, space the floor, and beat you off the dribble. North Carolina State is also bringing in several other very good recruits and should have a good shot to come out on top in a very winnable ACC next season, as both Duke and North Carolina are inexperienced and losing a lot of talent.
Ricardo Gathers, PF Baylor
Baylor is losing 4 of it's 5 tallest players, including their top four rebounders, so the Bears recruiting class will need to provide a lot on the inside. Center (and top 5 recruit) Isaiah Austin is getting most of the publicity of Baylor's recruiting class, and for good reason: Austin is long, athletic and as skilled as they come. However, though Austin is a very good rebounder and a monster shot-blocker, he's also fairly thin at around 215 pounds, so he won't be able to bang in the paint in the physical Big 12. Enter Ricardo Gathers: built like an linebacker, Gathers is one of the biggest and strongest players in this class and a explosive athlete to boot. Defensively, Gathers can take on the bigger bodies Baylor faces, allowing Austin to protect the rim as a shot blocker and on offense Gathers is overpowering in the post and has a devastating drop-step, giving Austin the option to play in the high post where he is very comfortable. Baylor had a lot of success with fan favorite Quincy Acy and Gathers is a similar type of strong forward who wants to dunk everything.
Katin Reinhardt, SG UNLV
UNLV is loaded next season, there's no doubt about that, by mid-season when Khem Birch becomes eligible to play, UNLV will have 3 NBA level big men between Birch, Junior Mike Moser, and top 10 recruit Anthony Bennett. The Rebels should be a dominant inside team, however to prevent teams to collapse on them they'll need some shooting to balance the floor. Unfortunately, UNLV is losing their top 3 shooters (Chace Stanback, Kendall Wallace, and Oscar Bellfield) so they've got to hope that one of their incoming freshman class can provide that shooting. The top candidate to be that shooter is Katin Reinhardt. Reinhardt is more than just a shooter, but he's got a very good stroke and should start right away on the wing and play a lot minutes, as well as being the primary source of scoring on the perimeter next season for what looks like a Final Four caliber team.
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