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Oklahoma Basketball: Just how good is Trae Young?

By Phil Poling

MORGANTOWN, WV - JANUARY 06: Trae Young
MORGANTOWN, WV - JANUARY 06: Trae Young /
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Freshman point guard Trae Young has led the Oklahoma Sooners to a 15-5 record, good enough for second place in the nation’s toughest conference, the Big 12.

Whether it’s five-star freshmen eligibility concerns, John Calipari ranting about recruits picking Duke over Kentucky, or discussions about Trae Young being the next Steph Curry – college basketball is all about freshmen.

Oklahoma’s star freshman happens to lead the NCAA in two main categories – points and assists. Scoring from a point guard is encouraged in today’s game, but Young does it exceptionally well. He averages 29.6 points per game, but manages 9.6 assists as well, making him virtually unstoppable when he gets in a groove.

Young began his career with back-to-back double-doubles; a 15 point-10 assist game against Nebraska-Omaha, followed by a 22 point-13 assist game against Ball State. If these games didn’t grab your attention, what he was about to do next demanded it.

Two weeks later at the Phil Knight Invitational, Young poured in 43 points against Oregon in a 90-80 victory. He made 7 of his 11 2-point attempts, connected on four 3-pointers and made 17 of 18 free throws; he also tallied 7 assists.

One knock on Young is the number of turnovers he racks up. Playing nearly 35 minutes a game, Young will turn the ball over 5.3 times on average. He’s had seven games with six or more turnovers, including a nine-turnover game against TCU and a 12-turnover game against Kansas State. Young scored 43 points (including 10 3-pointers) against the Horned Frogs to overcome the turnovers but only managed 20 points against the Wildcats in defeat.

If you look closely at the Sooners’ losses this season, Young hasn’t been his typical stellar self, either. He’s averaging 28.4 points per game in losses – just one less point than his season average – but his turnovers spiked to 7.2 per game. On average a 44.7 percent shooter from the field, Young’s shooting just 37.6 percent in the Sooners’ five losses. And when it comes to assists, the numbers dip to 6.4 per game.

The good games, though, are really impressive.

Every facet of Young’s game seems to blossom during victories. He scores only 22.5 points but does it at a 47.7 percent clip. The turnovers decrease to just 3.5 per game in victory, while the assist totals rise to eight per game. In summation: he scores more efficiently, his teammates make more shots off his passes and he turns the ball over less.

The comparison everyone keeps throwing at Trae Young is Steph Curry. Does he deserve the hype?

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In Curry’s best statistical season at Davidson – his junior year – he averaged 28.6 points, 5.6 assists, and 2.5 steals per game, all career highs. That’s an impressive season for any college player, but the still-learning Sooner has already surpassed Curry’s (college) greatness. Young is averaging 29.6 points, 9.6 assists and 2 steals per game through 20 games. While he is working with a better supporting cast, he’s also facing stiffer competition than Curry did in the Atlantic 10. However, Curry won two Southern Conference Player of the Year awards and was drafted No. 7 overall in 2009. He’s since turned into the greatest shooter to ever pick up a basketball.

Another player I’ve likened the Sooner freshman to is former BYU gunner Jimmer Fredette. The four-year Cougar started 102 career games and improved each season, but his final campaign in 2010 saw an incredibly confident Fredette emerge.

Starting all 37 games as a senior, the 6-foot-2 point guard was must-see-TV. He scored 28.9 points per game and earned tons of national honors, including the AP Player of the Year award, a consensus first-team All-American nod, a Naismith Award and the NABC Player of the Year. It was Fredette’s scoring that dazzled viewers to tune in, watching him score 30 or more points in 16 games, 40 or more in four games and one 52-point performance to catapult BYU into the Conference Tournament Championship.

One glaring similarity Curry, Fredette, and Young display is their knack for scoring the basketball. As soon as they cross halfcourt they demand defensive attention. They strike fear into (most) of their opponents. And it took the first two a bit longer to consistently produce at a high level, but Young has done it upon arrival in Norman. Will the freshman phenom burn out down the stretch? Can he keep this stellar performance up? Only time will tell.

Next: Power Rankings: Coach of the Year

The Oklahoma Sooners (15-5, 5-3) host the Baylor Bears (12-9, 2-6) tonight on ESPN2. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m.

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