Ballo was the best 5 in the PAC-12 last year. He was first team All-Conference (for the second time) and first team All-Defense. He is not a guy that demands the ball much so he loses some shine because he's not a prolific scorer, but he's a dirty work, active defensive presence. He has averaged at least 8.5 RPG and at least 12.5 PPG two straight years. If you look at per/40 MPG contributions compared to National Player of the Year Edey? Ballo was better at rebounds, FG%, and steals, and was close to Edey in a few other categories. And Edey was really, really dominant.
Myles Rice was the 227th composite ranked player out of high school, then beat leukemia, and then four months after being cleared to play again as a freshman was a 30+ mpg point guard, about 15 PPG, and a better than 2:1 A/TO ratio on a 25-10, 14-6, 7 seed team at Washington State, a school that hadn't made the tourney in 16 years prior. In his freshman year he was Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and All-Pac-12 First Team. And he was Washington State student athlete of the year. He had a truly great freshman year.
Carlyle was pretty highly ranked, and was PAC-12 freshman first team at Stanford. He fits your description of 'high-ranked, solid freshman year'.
Bottom line? The talent level is proven and extremely high. If the results aren't there? It's on Woodson.