College Basketball’s Best Freshmen
Published by Aaron Torres on October 18, 2008
When David Stern decided three years ago to require all players entering the NBA Draft to be at least one year removed from school, everyone knew the ruling would have an impact on college basketball. But no one could have predicted what we’ve seen over the last two seasons.
During the 2006-2007 year, two freshmen- Kevin Durant and Greg Oden- became the instantaneous faces of college basketball. Durant was the consensus National Player of the Year, after averaging close to 26 points and 11 rebounds on the season. Oden didn’t put up nearly the numbers that his counterpart did, but buoyed by a stronger supporting cast led the Ohio State Buckeyes to the National Championship game before ultimately falling to Florida in the final.
Last season, we saw several more freshmen take control of college basketball, led by the likes of Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose, Kevin Love and O.J. Mayo. Ten players who had completed just one year of college eligibility ended being selected in the first round this summer’s NBA Draft- including four of the top five picks.
While this years class lacks the likely “one and done,” superstars that we’ve seen in previous years, there is plenty of star power. Here is a look at the first year players that will have the biggest impact on college basketball this season:
DeMar DeRozan- SF- USC: Of all the players entering college basketball this season, DeRozan is the one with the most NBA potential. The sleek 6’7″ small forward dominated high school basketball with his athleticism, averaging just under 30 points a game last year. DeRozan should slide right into the starting small forward slot for a USC team which returns quite a bit of talent. He isn’t quite O.J. Mayo, but the Trojans again have an elite freshman on campus.
Samardo Samuels- PF- Louisville: Although Samuels is a bit small for the power forward position, no one will question the size of his heart. Samuels is a relentless rebounder that will give the Cardinals a nice physical presence down low from day one. David Padgett is now gone for the Cardinals, so the power forward position is open for Samuel. Expect the youngster to average a double-double this season.
Scotty Hopson- SF- Tennessee: There may not be a freshman anywhere in the country that would have fit better into Bruce Pearl’s run and gun offense than Hopson. The 6’5″ wing can score attacking the basket, with the mid-range jumper or hitting the long three. With Pearl on the sidelines the Volunteers will always score a lot of points- and Hopson will be no exception. He will likely be the highest scorer on this list come the end of the season.
Kemba Walker- PG- Connecticut: With Brandon Jennings getting all the press clippings from the point guard position, many overlooked Walker. No worries, he’s used to it, after receiving virtually no national attention until the summer before his senior year when he exploded onto the national scene. The MVP of the FIBA Under-19 tournament this summer, Walker is an exceptional floor leader and one of the dying breed of pass first point guards. Despite a crowded backcourt, Walker will still get his minutes- and many even force coach Jim Calhoun to move last year’s starter A.J. Price, off the ball.
Tyreke Evans- SG- Memphis: Another year, another elite freshman ready to make an immediate impact for the Tigers. With Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts now in the NBA, there are plenty of shots to go around for Memphis, and expect Evans to take the majority of them. Although he comes with a little baggage, no player in this class has more natural talent. Memphis has the supporting cast to make another Final Four- but it will take Evans becoming a star for it to happen.
B.J. Mullens- C- Ohio State: No coach is better at luring big men to campus than Thad Motta at Ohio State. With Oden and last years center Kosta Koufos now in the NBA, it is Mullens turn to man the middle in Columbus. Although Mullens will need to add weight to his slender frame, his athleticism and agility, as well as his ability to hit the outside jumper are impressive for a player his size. Enjoy him while you can Buckeyes fans- Mullen will likely be another one-and-done center at Ohio State. Where have we heard that before?
Al-Farouq Aminu- SF- Wake Forest: Wake Forest has as much young talent as anyone in college basketball, but the star of the show will be Aminu. The 6’9″ freshman is an NBA wing in the making, with the type of size, athleticism and length that make NBA executives drool. Look for Aminu and the Deamon Deacons to be one of the feel good stories in college basketball this season, as they play in memory of Skip Prosser, the former Wake Forest coach who died in the summer of 2007- and the man who recruited Aminu to Winston-Salem.
Photo Credit: ICON Sports Media
This article was written by:
Aaron Torres - who has written 13 posts on Hoops Addict.
Aaron Torres is a young journalist just starting out in sports writing. With a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Connecticut, he has covered a number of different sports for several different media outlets in the northeastern United States. Aaron is a resident of West Hartford, Conn., and for more of his opinions on all things sports, please visit his blog at http://at-sports.blogspot.com/
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Ryan McNeill
on Sat, 18th Oct 2008 3:04 pm
What about that kid from Toronto that Tubby Smith is bringing in? I hear he could get big minutes and have a huge impact this season.
Brian
on Sun, 26th Oct 2008 10:11 pm
What about Jrue Holiday at UCLA who some consider a top 10 pick in next year’s NBA Draft? A player who at this point is better than Russell Westbrook when Westy entered UCLA.
Also, who decided that Derozan has the most NBA potential? That’s debatable. I’m sure many people might argue that Mullens or Holiday, especially, along with others (Evans) have at least as much potential as Derozan.
Ryan
on Thu, 30th Oct 2008 7:01 pm
how bout Devin Ebanks? He’s gonna be taking over Joe Alexander’s role in West Virginia and is gonna lead that team to a what i believe will be a surprisingly very good season…i know this is a shocker but i think they’re gonna be top 5 big east
Peter Robert Casey
on Sun, 2nd Nov 2008 9:37 pm
Kemba Walker will be steady as a freshman. Had the pleasure of watching him at Rucker Park and Tri-State this past summer. But, I think Tyreke Evans will emerge from the pack and outshine his cohort.
Aaron
on Tue, 11th Nov 2008 1:53 pm
Thanks for all the response:
A few things. One, I think that Jrue Holliday will be good, but in Ben Howlands half-court offense, I just find it hard to believe that anyone will put up “huge numbers,” especially someone like Holliday that thrives in the open court. He’s certain a much more polished player than either Westbrook or Ebanks coming out of high school, but I think in time will be a better NBA player than he is in what is likely his one year in college.
As for Ebanks, he’s another I debated to put on the list. There were 24 McDonalds All-American’s a season ago, so some, including Ebanks had to be cut. The kid can score, and will likely be the best player West Virginia. My concern for him is that at a thin 6′8(listed at 205 lbs.), whether he will have trouble scoring in the Big East. Unlike the NBA where he’ll be fronted by a bunch of wings similar in stature to him, in college he will likely be defended by players that are more physical “low post,” type guys. When I think of Ebanks, I think of Thaddeus Young now of the 76ers. The second year player actually struggled more in college than the pros, because his game was better suited for the NBA, and the night-to-night defense just isn’t as tough.
John
on Mon, 17th Nov 2008 1:37 am
How about Alabama’s JaMychal Green? 6′-9″ 225 lbs of athlete. Did very well in his first game and he’s definitely one to keep an eye on.