ESPN rankings take into consideration three main criteria -- productivity to date, projected college impact and long-term NBA upside.
Ideally, players atop the rankings project out in all three areas. Sometimes though you have a prospect such as Nassir Little, whose immediate college impact didn't measure up to his long-term NBA upside, or conversely, Gary Trent Jr., who was an immediate key for Duke but has struggled to gain the same traction in the NBA.
When it comes to the 2020 class, the contrast between college projection and NBA upside might not be as significant as the recent 2019 class, but there are still plenty of prospects who fall in only one of the two categories.
With that in mind, here's a look at 10 prospects who could be college basketball's best freshmen 18 months from now.
Evan Mobley, Rancho Christian (California) (No. 1 in ESPN 100): What's ironic about the top-ranked prospect in the class is that while he is still likely to be only just scratching the surface of his potential by the time he gets to college, he's so uniquely talented that he'll still be a game-changer at the highest levels of the NCAA. He might not be the type of guy who puts up 25 points and 11 rebounds per game like Kevin Durant at Texas, but an Anthony Davis-like statline of 14 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, 1 steal and 1 assist might not be unreasonable.
R.J. Hampton, Little Elm (Texas) (No. 4 in ESPN 100): A big lead guard with skills, instinctive feel for the game and evolving athleticism, Hampton absolutely has all the tools to be both an immediate impact college player and a terrific NBA prospect. The biggest question with him is whether he'll make it to 2020 as there is growing buzz behind the scenes that a number of top college programs would love to have him a year sooner than scheduled.
Jalen Green, San Joaquin Memorial (California) (No. 2 in ESPN 100): A 6-foot-5 guard with long limbs, a quick first step and a silky-smooth attack, Green is the most dangerous scoring guard in the 2020 class. Similar to Mobley and Hampton, he won't be in college for more than a single season as his long-term upside is off the charts. Nevertheless, he might be the most capable of shouldering a significant offensive burden from day one as a college freshman, especially as his shot-making continues to evolve.
Jalen Johnson, Nicolet (Wisconsin) (No. 3 in ESPN 100): For many truly elite freshmen, learning to play with other great players can be just as difficult as adjusting to unprecedented levels of competition as they have to have the ball in their hands less, learn to play in structure, and be able to pick their spots more efficiently. None of that will be a problem for Johnson, a 6-foot-8 forward with an elite feel for the game and passing acumen. He might not necessarily lead his team in scoring as a freshman, but he's an ideal secondary option for a blue-blood program looking to load up on one-and-done talent.
Cade Cunningham, Montverde Academy (Florida) (No. 9 in ESPN 100): Very similarly to Johnson, Cunningham has the floor vision and passing acumen of a point guard in the body of a forward. At Montverde, he literally plays the point guard position. Whether that happens at the next level remains to be seen. Regardless, Cunningham's IQ, ability to make others better and make play multiple positions will make him instantaneously valuable at the very highest levels of college basketball.
Josh Christopher, Mayfair (California) (No. 10 in ESPN 100): Christopher is closer to a finished product than many of the aforementioned prospects, and that maturity, both in terms of his body and his game, will help him make a quick transition to the college level. He's a big, power guard who understands the subtleties of creating space without having to blow by his defender, has evolving shot-making ability, and can impact the game both with his passing and perimeter rebounding.
Jalen Suggs, Minnehaha (Minnesota) (No. 12 in ESPN 100): Suggs is similarly mature physically to Christopher but also one of the most innate competitors in the class, doubling as a star quarterback on the gridiron. He is a bit of an early bloomer and might not have quite the same level of untapped upside as others, but his mentality and approach will create value in any situation. Put him in a deep blue-blood class and he'll probably emerge as the emotional leader of the group. If he goes in a different direction, he'll be capable of shouldering more of the offensive load himself and earning the respect of the upperclassmen.
Jeremy Roach, Paul VI (Virginia) (No. 15 in ESPN 100): Before tearing his ACL this winter, Roach was perhaps the most seasoned and polished point guard in the 2020 class. Assuming his recovery continues to go according to schedule, there's no reason to think he won't return to that form. He's a true point guard who not only understands how to run a team but has maturity beyond his years in terms of making reads out of pick-and-roll, which should vastly hasten his adjustment to most college offenses.
Johnny Juzang, Harvard-Westlake (California) (No. 19 in ESPN 100): Juzang is one of the best shooters in the class and very skilled with the ball across the board. That means that even if he isn't the primary offensive weapon from day one, his ability to space the floor and stretch opposing defenses is likely to get him heavy minutes right away. Now, he isn't likely to be the big guard that he thinks he is, especially on the defensive end of the floor, but if he doesn't get distracted by that, he's a prospect who can impact winning as a freshman.
Scottie Barnes, University School (Florida) (No. 6 in ESPN 100): Barnes might not be the immediate college star that his ranking indicates, but he too is the type of guy who can impact winning right away. He's maybe the most distinctive prospect in the class with his long arms, passing ability in the frontcourt and typically high motor. He also has some pretty clear liabilities in that he's a non-shooter who likes to operate with the ball but rarely goes right by a set defender. Where he goes and how he's utilized is likely to be very important, but if he buys into being a high-post facilitator and energy guy on the glass and the defensive end of the floor, he'll be of immediate value.