December 14 — Are all freshmen created equal? Can they all have an immediate impact? The answer is no, but Illini Beat writer Scott Richey takes a look at 10 players who have established themselves as some of the best players in the country:
Looking like a modern NBA wing is one thing. Play as if it were someone else. And Bailey checked the box on both. The 6-10 forward is still looking for consistency as a shooter, but his 17.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game have made an impact.
Fears decommitted from Illinois because he wanted to enroll a year early and play now. The Sooners gave him that chance, and he made the most of it averaging 16.7 points, 4.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds during their 9-0 start.
Flagg has long been the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Even though the 6-9 forward doesn’t shoot the ball particularly well, he does everything else for the Blue Devils averaging 15.9 points, nine rebounds and 3.5 assists.
Flande has been exceptional this season. At least when he wasn’t guarded by Illinois’ Kylan Boswell (eight points on 2-of-12 shooting and an assist). Even with this game, Fland is averaging 15.5 points, 5.4 assists and 3.5 rebounds.
It’s not an exaggeration to call Harper the best freshman in the country. The 6-6 guard ranks third nationally in scoring at 23.4 points per game, but also averages 5.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists while being a threat offensively.
There’s a reason Jakucionis is starting to climb the NBA rankings. Already a potential lottery pick, the 6-6 guard’s steady filling of the stat sheet — averaging 15.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and six assists — puts the top five picks in play.
Johnson had a reputation as one of the best scorers in his class, and nothing in the first months of the season dispelled that notion. The 6-6 guard is the SEC’s leading scorer, averaging 19.9 points as a 48/43/84 shooter.
It turns out that Queen and Julian Reese can exist in the same front area. Even prosper. The 6-10 freshman ranks in the top 10 in the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding, with 17.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
Sanon took a few games to settle in, but the Sun Devils’ 8-1 start has a lot to do with their 6-5 freshman guard. He leads Arizona State with 15.9 points per game and shoots an absurd 54 percent from three.
Fellow VJ Edgecombe arrived in Waco, Texas, with more hype and has been solid, but Wright is the Bears’ second-leading scorer, leads the team in assists and is shooting 46 percent from three-point range.
