Last week we unveiled what could be for the ACC when it comes to the 2016 recruiting class. In our next five part series, while things still play out within the respective senior class of prospects on the recruiting front, we will look at what can be expected this coming season on the hardwood for each program and the most important freshman within last year’s 2015 recruiting crop.

There is a bevy of elite, top shelf talent coming into the ACC this fall and also many others that could be labeled as late-bloomers. Programs like UNC, Duke, Louisville, and Syracuse are expected to land 5-star recruits, however, we will go one by one, and select the most important freshman that will be leaned upon most heavily during their first-year campaign, regardless of his ranking and based more on his progressing package of ball skills and opportunity at hand to leave an immediate impact this winter.

BOSTON COLLEGE

With the loss of star guard Olivier Hanlan to the NBA this past summer where the Canadian was selected by the Utah Jazz in the second round, there will definitely be an opportunity in the backcourt for new faces to display some worth this upcoming season. Enter Sammy Barnes-Thompkins. The 6-foot-3 guard out of Arizona was a late get for the Eagles as he was originally committed to St. John’s before reopening things after the change at the helm in Queens. What should be expected out of the Arizona native? A three-level scorer of the ball who has some explosion to him at the basket where he isn’t afraid of added contact and has some swagger to him whenever he has it rolling. Barnes-Thompkins can rely on having the ball in his hands but the west coast transplant might be an immediate producer on Chestnut Hill the day the season begins for the squad on November 14 against St. Francis (New York).

CLEMSON

With the loss of Rod Hall as he extinguished his eligibility this past year, the need for a point guard within Brad Brownell’s program is evident and bringing Ty Hudson should ease the loss. The Peach State native is one tough and gritty competitor and is all about getting to the basket and also creating for others on dribble-drive situations. Shelton Mitchell recently transferred into the ACC program from Vanderbilt and will have to sit out this upcoming season so the possibilities are definitely present for Hudson in having the ball in his hands from day one on campus. There is definitely going to be a learning curve with the Pebblebrook High graduate but with some quality talent around him with the likes of Donte Grantham, Landry Nnoko, and Jaron Blossomgame in the frontcourt, all the Tigers need is a solid facilitator and ballhandler in order for the purple and orange to surprise some squads this winter within the gauntlet that is the ACC, of which Hudson could be that guy for years to come.

DUKE

The plan wasn’t for Tyus Jones, the star lead guard for the defending national champions, to leave the ACC program after one year on campus. However, what the Minnesota native did in his short time in Durham was nothing short of remarkable as he parlayed it into a first-round selection in this past year’s NBA Draft. Add in the loss of Quinn Cook and there was a glaring hole at the lead guard spot for the Blue Devils for the 2015-2016 season. Sure, Grayson Allen and Matt Jones could give spot minutes at the most important position on the floor, yet by getting a late commitment from Derryck Thornton, a Findlay Prep product that decided to reclass into the 2015 class, was a power move that should give the 6-foot-1 freshman a chance to leave large fingerprints on the talented squad this coming season. Thornton has been known as a lockdown defender in the past and has had trouble shooting the ball consistently from outside of 15-feet. However, he is an ideal competitor with a quality feel for the game and though Coach K and his staff welcome the likes of Luke Kennard, Brandon Ingram, and Chase Jeter, no freshman will be more important to the squad’s success this season than Derryck Thornton.