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College basketball: 5 best one-and-done players to watch in 2019-2020

By Brandon Jefferson

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 27: Precious Achiuwa #15 and Isaiah Stewart #33 of La Lumiere High School in Indiana smile for the camera after the 2019 McDonald's High School Boys All-American Game on March 27, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 27: Precious Achiuwa #15 and Isaiah Stewart #33 of La Lumiere High School in Indiana smile for the camera after the 2019 McDonald's High School Boys All-American Game on March 27, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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MARIETTA, GA – MARCH 25: Tyrese Maxey reacts during the 2019 Powerade Jam Fest on March 25, 2019 in Marietta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images for Powerade)
MARIETTA, GA – MARCH 25: Tyrese Maxey reacts during the 2019 Powerade Jam Fest on March 25, 2019 in Marietta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images for Powerade) /

Tyrese Maxey (Kentucky)

In recent years, there has been some pushback against John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats. Once thought of as the master of the “One-and-Done” recruiting, other teams (namely Duke) have seen their forrays into the phenomenon produce more on-court success or better pro prospects.

The hope is that this incoming recruiting class, which ranked second according to 247Sports Composite Team Rankings, will be able to dispel that notion. The leader of this latest crop is combo guard, Tyrese Maxey, from Garland, Texas. He was rated as the 10th best player in the 2019 class according to 247Sports Composite Recruit Rankings.

Over the years, when Calipari has a dominant guard his teams have been equally as dominant. Derrick Rose led Memphis to the national championship game as a freshman. John Wall won the SEC regular-season and conference tournament before bowing out in the Elite Eight in his one year in Lexington. Jamal Murray’s group were co-champions of the SEC and outright winners of the conference tournament. De’Aaron Fox took home both SEC championships as well and was a Luke Maye buzzer-beater away from the Final Four. The following year saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kentucky win the SEC Conference Tournament and advance to the Sweet 16.

Maxey looks to be the next member of that exclusive club. However, he doesn’t want to be just another name, the potential is there for him to be the best player at this stage that Calipari has ever had. He’s athletic like Rose, fast with the ball like Wall, a good perimeter shooter like Murray, a leader like Fox, and can play on or off the ball like Gilgeous-Alexander.

He won’t be asked to shoulder the entire load — fellow freshman Dontaie Allen, Keion Brooks, Johnny Juzang, and Kahlil Whitney and returning players Ashton Haggans, E.J. Montgomery, Immanuel Quickley, Nick Richards make up one of the deepest Wildcats rosters in years — but if he can be as good or better as former Calipari great lead guards this team has a shot to bring a second title to Lexington in this decade.