NCAA Basketball: 5 impact high-major freshmen players so far in 2023-24 season
The college basketball season is two months in and one thing's for certain: freshman are still valuable assets in the landscape. Take a look at 5 freshmen names to get to know.
The transfer portal has taken precedence for a lot of college basketball coaching staffs over the past few seasons but the value of freshman is still apparent. With just four unbeaten teams in the college basketball ranks and a ton of parity across the board for fans to sift through, there are still several first-year players making their mark on their respective teams. Take a look at five freshmen in the high major ranks of college basketball to get to know.
The initial list was a tough one to come up with as the honorable mention list entails. There's still a number of first-year names making their mark on the college basketball landscape. It's just on the respective coaches and their programs to develop and utilize them correctly.
Honorable Mention
- Rob Dillingham - Kentucky Wildcats
Dillingham could have very easily made the final list. He's averaging 14.1 points, 4.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game off the bench and shooting 51.4 percent from 3-point land. He's an efficient shotmaker and playmaker who's shown he can make an impact on the hardwood.
- Isaiah Collier - USC Trojans
Collier and the Trojans are just 6-4 despite him posting 16.8 points, 4.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals per contest. He's making half his shots from the field. With Bronny James back in the rotation, they'll look to turn things around as conference play approaches.
- JaKobe Walter - Baylor Bears
Walter had a coming out performance alongside Yves Missi during the European Exhibition Tour in August. Since then, he's cooled a bit at 14.9 points per contest on 38 percent shooting from deep. He's still on a ton of scouts radar in this year's NBA Draft, nonetheless.
- Owen Freeman - Iowa Hawkeyes
Freeman has been a strong pience in the Hawkeyes' frontcourt despite their 5-5 start. He's averaging 9.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game and shooting 61.2 percent from the field in his debut season.
- Cam Christie - Minnesota Golden Gophers
Christie has it in nicey for head coach Ben Johnson, averaging 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest on 43.8 percent shooting from behind the arc. He began the season with 18 points on four made 3-pointers against UTSA.