Top 15 Freshmen

After watching John Wall on Wednesday night in the Garden, its safe to say that John Wall is far and away the best freshman this season, if not the best player in the country. But there have been some great freshmen over the years, so the next logical step is to ask who were the best freshmen of all time.

Honorable Mention: Shareef Abdur-Raheem, Johnny Dawkins, Penny Hardaway, Allan Houston, Larry Hughes, Bobby Hurley, Allen Iverson, Kevin Love, Stephon Marbury, Alonzo Mourning, Troy Murphy, Lamar Odom, Derrick Rose, Dwayne Washington, the Fab Five


15. Pervis Ellison, Louisville - 13.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.2 bpg

Ellison is on this list not because of his overall performance as a freshman, but a result of his incredible NCAA Tournament. He averaged 18 and 12 as the Cardinal beat LSU and Duke to win the 1986 title. He won the tournament MOP, and picked up the nickname "Never Nervous Pervis".




14. Shaquille O'Neal, LSU - 13.9 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 3.5 bpg

Shaq wasn't the force he would eventually turn into as a pro, but a large part of that was a result of sharing the court with Chris Jackson and Stanley Roberts. While the footwork and skill level wasn't there yet, the overpowering physical presence and athleticism was. He was the first freshman to ever post two triple-doubles.


13. Patrick Ewing, Georgetown - 12.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.2 bpg

Ewing's numbers look paltry in comparison to the rest of the players on this list, but from the second he stepped on the Hoya's campus, he was the centerpiece for John Thompson's aggressive defense. Ewing would lead the Hoyas to the 1982 title game, becoming the standard with which all defensive centers are now compared.




12. Michael Beasley, Kansas State - 26.2 ppg, 12.4 rpg

All Michael Beasley did at Kansas State was produce. He led the nation with 28 double-doubles, three 40 points games, 13 30-10 games, and 22 20-10 games; he set the Big XII single-game scoring record with 44 points in a loss to Baylor; his per game averages of 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds were Big XII records; he helped K-State beat Kansas in Manhattan since 1983; overall, he set 30 K-State and 17 Big XII single-season and career records.


11. Mark Aguirre, DePaul - 24.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg

Aguirre was a prolific scorer in his college basketball career, leading the Blue Demons to an upset win against UCLA as DePaul reached the 1979 Final Four, where they would lose to Larry Bird's Indiana State team.




10. Kenny Anderson, Georgia Tech - 20.6 ppg, 8.1 apg

Teaming with Dennis Scott and Brian Oliver to form "Lethal Weapon 3", Anderson was the spark plug for a Yellow Jacket team that made it to the Final Four. One of a long line of NYC "point gods", Anderson hit one of the controversial shot to force overtime in the Sweet 16 against Michigan State.




9. Kevin Durant, Texas - 25.1 ppg, 11.4 rpg

Despite being built like a pipe cleaner, Kevin Durant dominated a physical Big XII conference to the tune of 28.9 ppg and 12.5 rpg in league player. Twenty times, Durant eclipsed the 30 point mark as a freshman as he was named national player of the year.


8. Tyler Hansbrough, UNC - 18.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg

Hansbrough kicked off one of the most debated careers in college hoops history with an all-american season as a freshman in 2006. He carried a Tar Heel team that was devastated by the loss of their stars after the Heels' 2005 NCAA title with a combination of skill and effort.


7. Bernard King, Tennessee - 26.4 ppg, 12.3 rpg

Teaming with TNT's own Ernie Grunfeld to form the "Ernie and Bernie Show", King dominated the SEC, winning the player of the year award as a freshman while being named an all-american.




6. Magic Johnson, Michigan State - 17.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 7.4 apg

Magic Johnson almost didn't go to Michigan State, opting for the Spartans over the Wolverines because Jud Heathcote would allow him to play the point. Good decision by Heathcote, as Sparty won the Big Ten title and reached the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament riding their 6'9" point guard.


5. Ralph Sampson, Virginia - 14.9 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 4.6 bpg

Sampson, despite not being named to the first or second all-ACC team, was named first team all-america as he led the conference in rebounding and blocked shots as UVA won the 1980 NIT title. At 7'4", Sampson was one of the most intimidating interior presences in college basketball history.




4. Wayman Tisdale, Oklahoma - 24.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 2.5 bpg

Tisdale was Blake Griffin before there was a Blake Griffin. As a freshman, Tisdale was named Big Eight Conference player of the year and was named a first team all-american, the first freshman to do so after they were allowed to play again (the '71-'72 season).




3. Fly Williams, Austin Peay - 29.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg

There have been few talents like Fly Williams in the history of college hoops, who twice scored 51 in a game as a freshman. His 854 points as a freshman was a record, only topped by LSU's Chris Jackson who had the benefit of a three point line. Williams was the biggest reason that Austin Peay reached their first ever NCAA Tournament in 1973.


2. Chris Jackson, LSU - 30.2 ppg, 4.1 apg

Hands down, Jackson (who changed his name to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) was one of the best scorers college basketball has ever seen. Lightening quick with a deadly cross over and range for days, Jackson would lead LSU to the NCAA Tournament while setting the record for points scored by a freshman, a record which still stands. He was the first freshman named SEC Player of the Year.


1. Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse - 22.2 ppg, 10.0 rpg

This was, in reality, a pretty easy choice. Anthony was the centerpiece offensively for a Syracuse team that won the national title. He was named second team all-america and first team all-Big East as well as being named the 2003 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.


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Why Are Freshman Playing Like Freshman This Season?

Who is the best freshman in the country? Last year, that conversation included guys like Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley and Kevin Love. All three of them were not only all-americans, but were also in the discussion for national player of the year at different points in the season.

This year, we are looking at guys like Greg Monroe and Samardo Samuels and Sylvan Landesberg. All excellent players with great careers ahead of them, but none of them look destined to even make first team all-conference.

College basketball fans have been spoiled the last two years. Freshman, by definition, are not supposed to carry a team. They could be the difference makers in the sense that you bring in a guy to fill a role you are missing. But freshman aren't supposed to be your team. Ohio State reached the finals in 2007 because they had freshmen Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., and Daequan Cook to carry them. Last year, Derrick Rose was the best player on a Memphis team that reached the finals and won an NCAA record 38 games. Beasley, OJ Mayo, Kevin Durant, Chase Budinger, Jerryd Bayless, Eric Gordon (I could go on). These guys came in and from day one, they were the go-to guys for NCAA tournament teams.

That isn't happening this year. So it begs the question - why?

More than anything, I think this is just one of those years where the freshman class isn't that good. It really is as simple as that. The last two years, the freshman coming in were essentially complete players, meaning that they had the athleticism and "high-ceiling" that make scouts salivate, but they also had advanced offensive games.

A guy like Demar Derozan is a perfect example. When you think about the physical tools you want out of a small forward, Derozan has it all. 6'7" and long. Ridiculous hops. Speed. Quickness. All of it. But he just doesn't have a feel for how to use his god-given talent. His jump shot needs work, his handle is suspect, and he just does not understand (yet) how to play the game or how to score.

But don't get to accustomed to freshman being role players thanks to the rule requiring high school kids to spend a year in college before heading to the league (or forcing them to pull a Brandon Jennings). Yes, the last two classes of freshman have been stacked, but take a look at 2004's class. Dwight Howard, Shaun Livingston, Al Jefferson, Josh Smith, and Sebastian Telfair all were top 10 recruits that went straight to the NBA Draft. Tell me those guys would not have lit up scoreboards at the collegiate level.

2005 saw Gerald Green, Monta Ellis, Andray Blatche, Louis Williams, Andrew Bynum, and Martell Webster skip college. Again, another group that could have dominated the college level.

Lebron James 20.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 4.2 apg as a rookie in the NBA. Imagine the numbers he would have put up had he gone to college. I don't think saying he could have averaged 35 is even an exaggeration.

The bottom line is that as long as the best high schoolers in the country are going to be forced spend a year on campus, there are going to be season's where they come in and dominate. And there are also going to be season's where the freshman aren't ready to compete at this level. It just so happens that the last two years have been the two ends of the spectrum. It may be a while until you see a class as good as last year's, and it may also take some time until you see a class that has as few guys ready to dominate on this level. Continue reading...