Conference Call: Four-stars that will make an immediate impact

There has been a ton of talk about how some of the elite will settle into their future college homes this fall and the impact that they will provide for the 2017-18 college basketball season. However, there are always a few less-heralded players that jump out and make an immediate mark. In this week’s conference rundown, we take a look at which four-star prospect will put up impressive numbers straight out of the gates.

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Last year was a season of progress for Danny Manning and the Wake Forest as the Deacons got over the hump and earned an NCAA Tournament bid. The primary reason was the play of John Collins, a super improved sophomore center who submitted his name into the NBA Draft. In order for Wake Forest to remain in contention for postseason play next year and beyond, Chaundee Brown will have to assume a go-to scoring role for the Deacons. A chiseled two-guard that can really put the ball through the basket, Brown has the toughness, confidence and size to immediately make an impact in Winston-Salem. Thankfully, he will not be asked to do too much slotted alongside all-conference guard Bryant Crawford.

Creighton is a program that has become known for its scorers and free-flowing offense, but it also has done fine work with its bigs. Seeing that NBA-bound Justin Patton became a practical overnight sensation, the Blue Jays will need to find their next low post threat to solidify their interior. Creighton will have no issues putting the ball through the basket thanks to its guard play throwing out a highly potent offense featuring Kaleb Joseph, Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas. However, if the Blue Jays want to get past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament next year, Epperson must step up. A native of Australia that had a breakthrough senior year at La Lumiere, the 6-foot-10 center displays deft touch around the basket, an unbelievable feel for the game in making the proper pass out of the high post and good hands on the glass. Epperson needs to get stronger, but the talent and opportunity is there for him to hit the ground running.

Maryland received good news last week with Justin Jackson’s return to campus. The backcourt remains a bit in question due to the departure of Melo Trimble but Anthony Cowan, Kevin Huerter and Darryl Morsell should be able to fill in the shoes left by the all-conference junior. Where their remains a hole comes in the paint, where Fernando should be able help. Sporting a college-ready body and a much improved skillset, the Angola native remains an under-the-radar prospect. Fernando's inside-out abilities could and should make Maryland a sleeper within the Big Ten.

Brad Underwood, thanks in part to the play and production of Jawun Evans, restored Oklahoma State to the upper echelon of the Big 12 Conference. However, both are gone and while replacing Underwood is crucial, newly named head coach Mike Boynton’s primary issue will be finding a way to fill the void left by Evans. This means a major role will be in place for Dawson. Originally thought of as just an athlete, Dawson had an excellent senior season at South Miami High School. A major weapon off of the high ball screen, the four-star guard will have more than enough scorers around him in Stillwater. If he can buy into a facilitating, playmaking role, the drop-off will not be as harsh as Dawson has all of the raw talents and abilities to play above his No. 109 ranking in the 2017 Rivals150.

Stanford heads into the new college basketball season as a major dark horse within the Pac-12 Conference. No one is going to question the Cardinal’s frontcourt as they boast such talents as Reid Travis, Josh Sharma and Michael Humphrey. However, their issue last season was guard play. The new staff in Palo Alto deeply needed to find the right guy at the guard positon. While he is not slotted in as the team's starting point guard, the importance of Davis cannot be understated. Ranked No. 47 in the 2017 Rivals150, Davis is a five-star fit and need for the Cardinal. He brings uncanny ball skills, versatility and shot making to the backcourt, all of which could get Stanford back into contention for an NCAA Tournament bid next March.

The SEC is loaded with premier talent entering the league, but what Georgia has with Hammonds should not be understated. The talented and well-sized small forward is the type of wing that should immediately leave his mark. Having played on a notoriously successful program at Norcross High and on the Nike EYBL circuit, Hammonds is more than battle tested. Georgia will rely on its backcourt duo of Jordan Harris and Tyree Crump in handling ball pressure appropriately and will look for Yante Maten to play like an all-conference big man but, if Hammonds can step up by scoring the basketball, rebounding and defending various positions, then UGA may have a four-star prospect turned five-star producer on its hands.