In the 2020-21 college basketball season, the Pac-12 boasted three five-star freshman. These three 2020-21 freshmen included Evan Mobley, Ziaire Williams and Josh Christopher. Similar to the 2020-21 season, the Pac-12 will have three five-star freshmen in the upcoming 2021-22 college basketball season. Pac-12 teams like UCLA, Stanford, Oregon and Arizona State have four or fiver-star commits from the 2021 class. Who are the top-five incoming college basketball recruits for the Pac-12?
First off, Will McClendon is an incoming four-star recruit rated 45th nationally. According to 247 Sports, the 6-foot-3 McClendon also ranks as the 10th shooting guard in the 2021 class. The four-star shooting guard will play for the UCLA Bruins in the the 2021-22 season.
McClendon is a raw prospect with a high ceiling. He could project as a point guard at the division one level due to his passing. Consistently, McClendon was a great passer while playing at Bishop Gorman. Perhaps McClendon’s greatest knock is his jump shot. The base of his jump shot is a little awkward and could need some work. Still, McClendon is a talented player and could eventually be Tyger Campbell’s replacement at UCLA.
In 247 Sports’ composite rankings, Enoch Boakye is a four-star prospect ranked 38th nationally. In addition, Boakye is the fifth-best center in the 2021 recruiting class. Boakye will play at Arizona State in his freshman campaign.
Boakye is an athletic 6-foot-10 big man with an impressive wingspan. Thanks to his wingspan, Boakye is a good shot blocker. In addition, the talented four-star is a very good ball handler when considering his size. He has the ability to push in transition as the primary ball handler and he can drive well. Boayke’s skillset gives him NBA potential. Arizona State should be very excited to have Boakye.
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In the 2021 recruiting class, Nathan Bittle is a five-star 6-foot-11 center. Bittle is ranked 15th nationally and is the second-best center from the 2021 class. Bittle is Oregon’s highest-rated commit. This will be Oregon’s second five-star center in the last three classes, N’Faly Dante was a five-star center in the 2019 Oregon recruiting class.
Bittle should fit nicely into Dana Altman’s program. To elaborate, he can run the floor well this allows him to play at a fast pace like Oregon likes to do. Further, Bittle is good off pick and roll actions and is a big target for lob passes. He has a good jump shot as well. Bittle will need to put on some weight since he has a slender frame. Ultimately, the five-star center has immense talent and could develop into a star.
Harrison Ingram is a Texas native ranked 13th nationally. Further, the five-star Ingram is ranked as the fourth-best small forward in the class. Ingram will play for Stanford in the 2021-22 college basketball season. Jerod Haase, Stanford’s head coach, is developing a knack for landing five-star small forwards after signing the five-star Ziaire Williams in last year’s class.
For Stanford, Ingram will be a nightmare off dribble for opposing teams. He is a fantastic ball handler and a good passer. Furthermore, Ingram has a great finishing ability. Consistently, he finishes with either hand and can make very difficult layups. Between Ingram’s finishing ability, ball handling and passing, he is an elite slasher. Ingram is a pretty good shooter, but his release may need some work. He has a slight hitch in his jump shot and a slightly low release. Surely, Ingram should have a prominent role at Stanford and could replace the NBA prospect Williams nicely.
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Ranked eighth nationally, Peyton Watson will be the highest-rated freshmen in the Pac-12 next season. Watson is a five-star small forward standing at 6-foot-8. In addition, 247 Sports’ composite rankings has Watson as the second-best small forward in the 2021 class. Watson is signed to play at UCLA next season. After a Final Four run, UCLA has new, exciting talent for next year’s college basketball season.
If Johnny Juzang decides to stay in the NBA draft, Watson could be a great replacement. Watson does bring a different skillset than Juzang, but he still could be a consistent scorer. Standing at 6-foot-8 and with a good wingspan, Watson has a typical NBA forward frame. If he continues to develop his jump shot, Watson will be nearly impossible to stop on the offensive end. He is already a good driver as well as a good ball handler. Watson has the potential to be an great wing forward at the division one college level and the NBA level.
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Clearly, there will be exciting freshmen playing in the Pac-12 during the 2021-22 season. These incoming recruits could require more developing compared to last year’s Pac-12 freshmen. However, players like Watson, Boakye and Ingram should still be instant impacts and could possibly be NBA prospects for the 2022 NBA Draft.
All stats courtesy of 247 Sports.
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