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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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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 20: Isaiah Stewart #33 is guarded by Armando Bacot Jr. #5 during the Jordan Brand Classic boys high school all-star basketball game at T-Mobile Arena on April 20, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 20: Isaiah Stewart #33 is guarded by Armando Bacot Jr. #5 during the Jordan Brand Classic boys high school all-star basketball game at T-Mobile Arena on April 20, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Isaiah Stewart (Washington)

Another program that kept a top recruit in the state was the Washington Huskies as they were able to reel in Jaden McDaniels late in the process. However, it is another top-10 freshman who will be the focal point of this upcoming season. Center, Isaiah Stewart shocked many when he committed to the Huskies before McDaniels had made his decision. Stewart finished as the higher rank player (third compared to eighth) in the Class of 2019 so it can be assumed that he drew McDaniels in and not the other way around.

Washington has seen its basketball program have a resurgence under former Syracuse assistant –and one-time Men’s Basketball Head Coach-Designate for the Orange — Mike Hopkins. Through two seasons, the team has gone 48-22 and made it to postseason tournaments in both years, NIT (2017) and NCAA Tournament (2018). Their base defense has shifted to a 2-3 matchup zone, just like Hopkins ran during his time with Jim Boeheim.

Stewart will man the middle in that alignment this season. He’s a tenacious player who has a 7-foot-4 wingspan and is an explosive athlete so he should have no trouble defending the rim for the Huskies. He’s a high-motor kid who is always going to give 110 percent on every possession. That style rubs off on teammates and it could make Washington a very dangerous team this year.

He has made nearly any team he suited up for a contender. In his final high school season, his La Lumiere team grabbed the number-one seed at the GEICO Nationals and made it all the way to the championship game. With his AAU team, City Rocks, he powered (19 PPG and 12.7 RPG) them to a 4-1 record at Peach Jam only losing to the eventual champions.

A bit of a throwback, Stewart still can be effective in the modern game. The Huskies hope that a frontcourt pairing of him and McDaniels make them a team on the rise for the upcoming season. West Coast basketball, and Pac 12 specifically, have been trending downward lately in the NCAA but Stewart has a chance to change that this season.