Bol Bol is a 7’2 freshman hitting turnaround 3s. College basketball should be very scared

Each and every college basketball season has been defined by the freshmen in the one-and-done era, and this year will be no different.

By now, you have heard about the Duke freshmen, especially Zion Williamson. North Carolina (Nas Little), Indiana (Romeo Langford), Kentucky (Keldon Johnson), and Kansas (Quentin Grimes) have stud freshmen, too.

But outside of Williamson, the freshman who will generate the most attention in college basketball this year is Oregon’s Bol Bol, ranked No. 92 on our top 100 college basketball players for the season. He confirmed as much during his preseason debut for the Ducks on Thursday night against Western Oregon.

Bol finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks, but those numbers hardly capture the experience of watching Bol on a college court for the first time. He’s going to be one of the biggest names in the sport this year on his own merit, not just because of his famous father.

Bol Bol is the oldest son of Manute Bol. He enters Oregon as a 7’2 center who spent his high school years playing in Kansas, California, and Nevada. Bol was the top center and No. 4 overall recruit in the 2018 class, according to Rivals. He picked the Ducks over Kentucky and others.

We took a trip to see Bol on the grassroots circuit a year ago, and saw a player with a unique skill set who already spends most of his free time hanging out with rappers. If his production can match the hype, Bol is going to be a star in every way.

While the three-point shot was a novelty for his father, it’s the bread-and-butter of Bol’s game. Bol isn’t just a capable shooter for a 7’2 center — he’s one of the best shooters in the freshman class, regardless of position.

Look at this shot!

Bol’s numbers on Nike’s EYBL circuit speak for themselves: he shot 22-of-45 (48.9 percent) from three-point range during the regular season and hit 83.3 percent of his fouls shots. He has a low and slow release on the jumper, but he also has incredible touch. At 7’2, it won’t be easy for anyone to block that shot.

Bol also has a wingspan that has been reported between 7’6 and 7’8, which makes him an intimidating shot blocker. There have been questions about his quickness, agility, frame, and motor, but it is so rare to find a player with this much size, coordination, and touch.

Oh, yes. We had him pegged as the first center off the board and the No. 8 overall pick in our initial 2019 NBA mock draft. It’s possible he goes even higher than that for a few different reasons.

For one, there simply aren’t many big men in this class, and Jontay Porter’s season-ending injury has already taken one of the best ones away. There appears to be four special prospects at this point: the Duke trio of Williamson, Cam Reddish, and R.J. Barrett, plus UNC’s Little. After that, there’s room for Bol to break into the top five with a big year.

Bol’s famous name and unique game is going to keep him in the spotlight all year. This is only the beginning.