He's Only a Freshman: Part One

College basketball’s top ten freshmen with the biggest impact

By Joshua Walls

AP Photo/ Kathy Willens

Shabazz Muhammad (UCLA): The UCLA Bruins star shooting guard is head above shoulders when compared to not only his class but also the other players in college basketball.  Muhammad has the talent that only comes around every so often.  He is all of the necessary ingredients to make a great shooting guard.  He has the ability to dominate the opposing defender and has a variety of playmaking abilities and a decent post game.  Shabazz is honestly the most prolific scorer in the nation.  So far this year Muhammad is averaging 10 points per game and is making a strong case for consensus number one pick.

Anthony Bennett (UNLV): Bennett, overall, probably has more of an impact than anyone else on this list.  The guy can do it all and that might be an understatement.  He is probably the most productive freshman in the nation, averaging 19 points and 8 rebounds while shooting 36 percent from the field.  This is one of the hardest players in the nation to guard because he can do so much and simply put the ball in the basket.  California head coach Mike Montgomery had his own words to describe the UNLV freshmen stand out.  “He’s a man,” Montgomery said Friday. “There’s no question about that. He’s got muscles on top of muscles.”

Nerlens Noel (Kentucky): Noel is not performing the way many experts expected him to.  Most fans thought Noel would be able to carry on where Anthony Davis left off, but this season it has been just the opposite.  Noel has had times where he has showed his brilliance on the court, but for a majority of the game he has often come off as raw and limited.  Noel has been an excellent defender in every aspect.  This tenacious defense will help Noel transition well into the NBA.  If the ferocious left handed defensive prodigy could add some weight and become a more mature player, everyone should be on the look out for greatness.

Alex Poythress (Kentucky): Poythress is following a great line of combo forwards that have played under the great John Cal in recent years including Michael Kidd Gilthrist and Terrence Jones.  This guy plays with a hunger like no other.  One NBA scout even went out on a limb and compared him to Michael Kidd Gilhrist, “I think by the end of the season he has a chance to be better than Michael Kidd Gilthrist.”  This season, Poythress has shown great consistency for a Wildcats team that lacks it, averaging almost 17 points per game, 7 rebounds per game and a block and a steal.  Poythress has arguably passed Nerlens Noel as perhaps the best freshman in Lexington.

Isaiah Austin (Baylor): Finally rounding out this week’s top 5 is none other than Baylor’s big man Isaiah Austin.  He is a highly polished offensive specimen with a smooth game around the rim and occasionally will knock down some shots from behind the arc.  Austin is far ahead of many of his big man counterparts when it comes to getting his teammates evolved through his passing and playmaking abilities.  Austin could probably be ranked higher on this list if he played at his full potential.  There is no reason for Austin to be averaging less than one block and only seven rebounds per game when he has a standing reach of 9’8.  Much like big man counterpart Nerlens Noel, a little weight could go a long way.