Arizona Basketball Class of 2019 ranks among the best in the last decade
By David Rosen
The Class of 2019 for Arizona basketball now has five signed commits and ranks among the best the program has scene in the last decade.
Over the last decade, Arizona basketball has had many top ranked freshman classes, the Class of 2019 is no exception. It currently ranks No.2 overall according to 24/7 Sports. Other top classes have included some highly recruit players, including No.1 NBA Draft pick Deandre Ayton. What separate this upcoming class from all others is that all five are highly talented in their current positions.
To be one of the best, the stats have to be there to back it up. On paper, this class looks elite, but of course they have not yet played a single game at Arizona so we’ll have to wait and see what happens. It’s one thing to play with and against elite high school talent, but then making the transition to college basketball is a lot different. It’s more physical and not just about making the big offensive plays. It’s about playing as a team, on both ends of the floor.
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If how these five have played these last couple of months is any indication of what to expect this next season, they have a legit chance of being one of the best classes in the last decade. That is saying a lot considering the amount of talented freshman players that have played at Arizona during this time frame:
- Class of 2009 – Derrick Williams, Solomon Hill, Momo Jones, Kevin Parrom and Kryl Natyazhko
- Class of 2010 Jordan Mayes
- Class of 2011 – Nick Johnson, Josiah Turner and Angelo Chol
- Class of 2012 – Brandon Ashley, Kaleb Tarczewski, Grant Jerrett and Gabe York
- Class of 2013 – Aaron Gordon, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Elliot Pitts
- Class of 2014 – Stanley Johnson, Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Dusan Ristic
- Class of 2015 – Allonzo Trier, Chance Comanche and Justin Simon
- Class of 2016 – Rawle Alkins, Lauri Markkanen and Kobi Simmons
- Class of 2017 – Deandre Ayton, Brandon Randolph, Ira Lee, Emmanuel Akot and Alex Barcello
- Class of 2018 – Brandon Williams and Devonaire Doutrive
- Class of 2019 – Nico Mannion, Josh Green, Terry Armstrong, Zeke Nnaji and Christian Koloko
Now looking at these classes, their are many that had more then just one talented incoming players and many that went on to play the NBA. This incoming class is different and ranks among the best in the last decade because of these three factors: their immediate impact, athleticism and versatility.
The Class of 2019 has two players in Mannion and Green that are NBA ready. These two are likely to be starters next season, that’s how good they are. With the new NCAA rules, they will certainly being testing the NBA water after the season is done. Both of these players have been performing quite well of late, at the McDonalds All-American game and the Nike Hoop Summit event.
Armstrong has been impressive at 6 foot 6 with his powerful style of play during several AAU events and will be playing in the upcoming Iverson Classic. Nnaji is considered to be one of the most versatile player at 6 foot 11 players recruited under Coach Sean Miller. Koloko, who is listed at 7 feet and 195 pounds, may not see a lot of playing time this year because of the depth at the center position, but his presence will cause difficult for many opponents when he does get a chance to play.
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At Zona Zealots, we can’t wait to see these five highly talented freshman in action. Their will surely be many exciting moments from beginning to end this next season. Bear Down, Arizona!