The 25 biggest freshman efforts of the previous 25 seasons

• Myron Medcalf, ESPN

  • Personnel WriterNov 22, 2024, 09:30 AM ET Close Covers college basketball
  • Signed up with ESPN.com in 2011
  • Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato

Cooper Flagg is the most hyped freshman in males’s college basketball in years. He’s the forecasted leading choice in the 2025 NBA draft who has actually currently been scrutinized because of that potential.The 6-foot-9 star has actually been applauded by NBA superstars who will soon become his peers. He has a Gatorade sponsorship and other rewarding NIL offers. The pressure and spotlight Flagg will face in the 2024-25 project is not unique to star freshmen who have come through the sport. To become one of the greatest freshmen in current college basketball history, however, he will need to play at a level couple of have reached.If he can match a few of the leading freshman efforts in college basketball– through 4 games, he’s averaging 16.3 PPG, 9.5 RPG and 4.0 APG– he too might end his only season as a legend.For an idea of what he could achieve, we have actually put together a list of the leading 25 seasons by a freshman over the

previous 25 years (starting with the 1999-2000 season). There were much more standout efficiencies to consider. Sorry, we couldn’t include them all.It’s clear Flagg has a great deal of work to do to make an area on this list of a few of the best freshman efforts in guys’s college basketball history. play 2:40 Duke outlasts Gonzaga in possible Final 4 preview Paolo Banchero’s 20 first-half points move Duke to the win over Chet Holmgren and

top-ranked Gonzaga.Before he retired, Coach K hoped to win a sixth championship game at Duke– and he almost achieved it, with Banchero’s help. The freshman star balanced 17.2 PPG and 7.8 RPG as Duke made a go to

the Last 4 in Krzyzewski’s last season as head coach. He was a third group AP All-American who also made 53%of his shots inside the arc before being selected as the No. 1 choice in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. play 0:51 Alabama avoids upset in OT as Brandon Miller makes winning layup Brandon Miller sinks a go-ahead layup in the final second of overtime to assist Alabama beat South Carolina.The 6-9 talent made among the very best efforts from a freshman in men’s college basketball in his single year in Tuscaloosa. Although Miller struggled in the NCAA

tournament during his group’s go to the Sugary food 16, he had 9 efficiencies with 24 points or more.

Miller was the SEC player of the year and a first string Associated Press All-American after balancing 18.8 PPG and connecting on 38%of his 3-point efforts. play 0:49 Malik Monk amongst best guards in the draft See why the previous Kentucky star and SEC Gamer of the Year could be the very best shooting guard in the draft.Kentucky’s 2016-17 season included a trio of freshmen– De’Aaron Fox, Bam Adebayo, Monk– who would all go on to have differing levels of success in the NBA. While Monk hasn’t

rather reached the all-star status of the other

2, he had the best collegiate season. The group lost to North Carolina in the Elite 8

, however Monk won SEC player of the year after balancing 19.8 PPG that season for the Wildcats. play 1:33 Arizona takes rubber match from UCLA, advances to Pac-12 final Lauri Markkanen leads No. 7 Arizona with 29 points while No. 3 UCLA’s Lonzo Ball is held to eight points, as the Wildcats win 86-75 in the Pac-12 semifinal.The 2016-17 was a wild year that introduced the world to LaVar Ball, the daddy of future NBA players Lonzo and Lamelo. LaVar’s existence was still a sidebar to the

elder Ball’s production at UCLA, where he balanced 14.6 PPG, 7.6 APG(leading the nation in assists) and linked on 41%of his 3-point efforts. Those Bruins reached the Sweet 16 that year. play 2:19 RJ Barrett breaks down highlights from Duke RJ Barrett signs up with Omar Raja to break down highlights Duke, and shares how it felt to be prepared by the Knicks.21. RJ Barrett, G(Duke, 2018-19)Although his colleague Zion Williamson won the 2019 Wooden Award, anyone who viewed Duke during the 2018-19 campaign understood Barrett was the supporting force for

a team hampered

by crucial injuries. Barrett was the only player on the roster to begin all 38 games for the 32-6 Blue Devils, who made it all the method to the Elite Eight. And he was rewarded when he joined

Williamson that year, as a first team AP All-American after balancing 22.6 PPG.20. DeMarcus Cousins, C (Kentucky, 2009-10)Editor’s Picks

1 Related Cousins was the very first super star huge guy at Kentucky under John

Calipari.

With John Wall anchoring the action on the border, Cousins was a dominant force, balancing 15.1 PPG, 9.8 RPG and 1.8 BPG. He completed second in offensive rebounding percentage that year, per KenPom, and helped Kentucky end its season with a 35-3 record and an Elite Eight appearance. He earned a first team AP All-America area, and stays among most dominant post players on this list.There were a lot of odd minutes for Simmons, who was followed by a film crew throughout his time in Baton Rouge. The 6-10 standout likewise

averaged 19.2 PPG, 11.8 RPG and 4.8 APG, affecting the game in ways few freshmen had before he showed up on the scene. The Tigers ultimately disappointed expectations with Simmons on the roster, but his production was enough to make an area as a junior varsity AP All-American. Bagley, the No. 1 hire in the ESPN class of 2017, earned Coach K’s trust early in his career– a sign of his maturity– when the famous leader stated he felt comfortable with Bagley taking the swan song in a close game during a difficult non-conference loss. Throughout his freshman season in Durham, Bagley balanced 21.0 PPG and 11.1 RPG and also made 65%of his shots inside the arc. He also finished with a double-double in his group’s overtime loss to Kansas in the Elite Eight. play 0:36 1H UK K. Towns Block.1 H(17:00)UK Karl-Anthony Towns Block.The 2014-15 Kentucky group is one of thegreatest that failed to win a nationwide title.

And Towns was a key piece for the Wildcats,

who went on a 38-game winning streak before losing to Wisconsin in the Final Four. While the raw numbers do not seem substantial, it is necessary to keep in mind Towns(10.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.3 BPG )played simply 21 minutes per game on a squad with nine future NBA players before he ended up being a second team AP All-American and the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA draft.Ayton was the leading player in ESPN’s recruiting class of 2017 before Michael Porter Jr. and after that Marvin Bagley III surpassed him. Yet, Ayton probably had the very best analytical season of the trio, all of whom went into the NBA draft in 2018. Ayton won Pac-12 player of the year and a first string AP All-America spot after averaging 20.1 PPG and 11.6 RPG.Late in the season, Kansas had simply strike its stride when Joel Embiid suffered an injury that ended his academic year. However Wiggins, who balanced 17.1 PPG and 5.9 RPG and was ultimately the No. 1 choice

in the 2014 NBA draft, continued his excellent effort– that included a 41-point performance in the Jayhawks’ routine season finale loss at West Virginia. Kansas wasn’t at full strength in the postseason, leaving in the second round of the NCAA tournament, however Wiggins still created one of the best freshman seasons in current memory. play 1:03 Wiggins outdueled Parker the last time Kansas played Duke The last time Kansas played Duke in 2013, Jabari Parker scored a game-high 27 points, however Andrew Wiggins and the Jayhawks went out of the United Center with the win

.14. Jabari Parker, F( Duke, 2013-14)In his effort to

stick out in the recruiting fight for Parker, Mike Krzyzewski appeared to Parker’s Chicago high school in a limousine for one game. It worked. Parker signed with Duke, averaged 19.7 PPG as a freshman with heaven Devils and secured a slot on the AP All-America first team. He led a Duke roster that completed initially in adjusted offensive effectiveness on KenPom that season.Top stories of the week from Get special access to thousands of premium short articles a year from top writers. – All-underrated transfer website group is …”- What we missed in our NHL forecasts” – Anticipating how MLS Cup playoffs end up”More ESPN+content”The 7-1 star’s idol is Kevin Durant. Like the NBA super star, Holmgren challenged the traditional knowledge about what the tallest guy on the court can achieving in college basketball.
It wasn’t simply the numbers– 14.1 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 3.7 BPG,
39% from the 3-point line– that pleased the nation as he made a junior varsity AP All-America nod and helped his group reach the Sugary food 16.

It was likewise the large supremacy from a player who showcased a versatility few players his size had actually ever shown at this level.12. Kevin Love, F (UCLA, 2007-08)On a team with four future NBA players, Love emerged as the leader, and assisted the Bruins reach their third successive Last 4. With averages of 17.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and a 61 %clip inside the arc, Love finished his freshman season as the Pac-12’s player of the year and a first string AP All-American. His last college statline– the Last 4 loss

to Memphis– was 12 points, 9 rebounds and

3 blocks. play 1:45 On this date: Wall, Cousins win SEC title for Kentucky in OT On March 14, 2010, the Wildcats, led by John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, force overtime with a buzzer-beater and beat Mississippi State for the SEC title.11. John Wall, G(Kentucky, 2009-10)The”John Wall dance” was the former Kentucky star’s most viral contribution to college basketball in 2009-10–also

John

Calipari’s first in Lexington. Wall was also remarkable due to the fact that few college freshmen have actually ever played with his explosiveness and aggressiveness. In his lone season in Lexington, Wall balanced 16.6 PPG, 6.5 APG and 1.8 SPG, led his team to the Elite

Eight after making a spot as a Wood Award

finalist, winning SEC player of the year and being called to the AP All-America first team. He likewise ended up third in the country in helps per game.10. Jared Sullinger, C(Ohio State, 2010-11) A year before he led Ohio State to the Final Four as a sophomore, Sullinger was a driver for the Buckeyes’24-0 start and front runner in the NCAA tournament. Behind 17.2 PPG, 10.2 RPG and a 55 %clip inside the arc, Sullinger made an area on the AP All-America first team– an honor he would repeat a year later.

play 0:44 3H DUKE J. Okafor made Layup.OT( 1:44)

DUKE Jahlil Okafor made Layup.9. Jahlil Okafor, C( Duke, 2014-15)Okafor and his 2014-15 Duke colleagues were simply the 2nd freshman nucleus to protect a national title in the one-and-done period– which started with the 2007 NBA draft. While Okafor lost the Wood Award race to Wisconsin star Frank Kaminsky, he put up huge numbers(17.3 PPG, 8.5

RPG,

66 %clip inside the arc) and ended his season with Mike Krzyzewski’s 5th– and final– national title, together with a first team AP All-America spot.8. Derrick Rose, G(Memphis, 2007-08) Rose was seconds from ending his very first and just season of college basketball even greater on this list. However former Kansas standout Mario Chalmers hit the game-tying 3-pointer in the Jayhawks ‘nationwide title game victory over the Tigers, and altered history. The all-Conference USA first team selection averaged 20.8 PPG, 6.0 APG and 6.5 RPG throughout the NCAA competition and won a championship game, which would

have stressed a remarkable year on a stacked roster.7. Michael Beasley, F(Kansas State, 2007-08)There is no credible top-25 list about freshman performances in males’s college basketball that does not consist of Beasley in the top-10. With the Wildcats, Beasley averaged 26.2 PPG, 12.4 RPG and shot 38%from beyond the arc, signing up with former Loyola Marymount star Hank Gathers to lead the nation in both scoring and rebounding that season. K-State lost in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament, but Beasley’s numbers that

year did not seem genuine– especially for a freshman

. play 0:56 Trae Young completes roller-coaster freshman season Oklahoma’s Trae Young went from being under-recruited in high school to being the very first man to ever lead the nation in scoring and assists in just one year with the Sooners.When Young was on the court for Oklahoma seven years earlier, it wasn’t uncommon for him to see NBA star Russell Westbrook in the stands or to get a text message from future hall-of-famer Chris Paul after an excellent game.

Young ended up being

the first player in males’s college basketball history to lead the nation in helps(271, averaging 8.7 APG)and points(848, averaging 27.4 PPG), making an unparalleled résumé. The most significant mark on it: The Sooners lost in the first round of

the NCAA competition to Rhode Island.5. Greg Oden, C( Ohio State, 2006-07)The No. 1 choice in the 2007 NBA draft battled a right wrist injury all season, so we’ll never know how excellent a college basketball player he could truly have been when healthy. And yet, he averaged an unbelievable 15.7 PPG, 9.6 RPG and 3.3 BPG, won the NABC defensive player of the year award and was a first string AP All-American, after he led his group to a 35-win season and the national championship game. play 2:14 Duke greats under Coach K: Who ya got?Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, Jayson Tatum and Zion Williamson are some of the excellent players to play under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke. Relive some of their finest plays.The day after Williamson’s shoe broke throughout a home game versus North Carolina, Nike’s stock worth apparently dropped by more than $1 billion. Williamson’s effect was felt not just in the stock exchange though, however also on thecourt. He averaged 22.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.1 SPG and 1.8 BPG and led the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight. His stature was proven by his dominant, uncontested run to the Wooden Award(he was the third freshman to attain the honor)and the ACC player of the

year nod.3. Carmelo Anthony, F( Syracuse, 2002-03) Recently, Anthony’s kid, Kiyan, dedicated to Syracuse. When he gets here, he’ll see his daddy’s name on the practice center– which is not the complete extent of Anthony’s tradition. During the 2002-03 season, the all-Big East first team choice and novice of the year brought Syracuse to its only national championship and won A lot of Impressive Gamer after averaging 20.1 PPG and 9.8 RPG, while linking on 48% of his 3-point efforts.

play 1:21 Flashback: Kevin Durant tallies 37 points, 23 rebounds at Texas On Jan. 31, 2007, Texas freshman Kevin Durant dominated Texas Tech to the tune of a 37 points and 23 rebounds in a 76-64 win.Durant never ever experienced a deep run in the NCAA tournament, after his group was ousted in the 2nd round. But he saw an abundance of significant accomplishments throughout his short stint with the Longhorns: He won the Wood Award after averaging 25.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG and 1.9 BPG, while also connecting on 40%of his 3-point efforts and 81%of his complimentary throws. His novice season

included among the best offensive displays in college basketball

history.Davis ended his only season in college basketball with Kentucky’s very first championship game in 12 years and a collection

of honors no freshman in America has matched over the previous 25 seasons. That list consists of the Wooden Award, Most Exceptional Gamer in the NCAA competition and the NABC protective player of the year award. Davis( 14.2 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 4.7 BPG in 2011-12 )likewise led the nation in blocks.