College Basketball: Mid-Major Freshmen to Watch

We are ten weeks into the college basketball season. Most teams have already played multiple conference games and we are starting to get a good feel for players and their roles.

Earlier this week I talked about the top ten freshmen in college basketball. With so many freshmen playing well this season, I was not able to capture everyone who was having a notable season. So yesterday I discussed other Power Six freshmen who were playing well. And today, I want to use this article to talk about mid-major freshmen across the college basketball landscape who are entering the discussion.

READ | Week 10 Freshman Power Ranking | Power 6 Freshmen to Watch

G Vasean Allette, ODU

The Buzz: Vasean Allette blew up after averaging 29.7 points on the Under Armour Circuit the summer between his junior and senior season. In the time after, he picked up offers from the likes of Arizona State, Georgia Tech, St. John’s, VCU, Rutgers, and more. He suffered a knee injury during his senior year of high school. Currently, he is averaging 16.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 47.6 percent from the field.

C Juslin Bodo, High Point

The Buzz: Juslin Bodo played at Los Angeles (CA) So Cal Academy alongside top 50 recruits AJ Johnson and Garwey Dual. Bodo is a 7-foot-0, 240-pound center who is originally from Cameroon. While he is scoring 5.3 points at a 63.9 percent clip, through their first 18 games, he is grabbing 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. He is currently fourth in the Big South in rebounds and third in blocked shots.

F Darren Buchanan, George Washington

The Buzz: Darren Buchanan signed with Virginia Tech out of high school and redshirted for the Hokies. He was the No. 131 player in the 2022 On3 150 rankings. After sitting last season, Buchanan then transferred to George Washington in the off-season. The 6-foot-7, 235-pound redshirt freshman is now top three for the 10-3 Revolutionaries in points (14.7), rebounds (5.9), and assists (2.1) while leading the team in steals (1.3). The versatile forward is shooting 56.4 percent from the field. 

G PJ Haggerty, Tulsa

The Buzz: PJ Haggerty finished as the No. 66 player in the 2022 On3 150 rankings. The 6-foot-3 guard signed with TCU where he redshirted his first season, only playing in six games before his season ended with an injury. He transferred to Tulsa this off-season where he is currently averaging 18.5 points and 3.3 assists through his first 15 games. He is currently second overall in the American Athletic Conference in scoring.

F Garrett Johnson, George Washington

The Buzz: Garrett Johnson has had a unique path, originally signing with Princeton out of high school. He then redshirted his first year there and was not enrolled for the 2022-23 season due to a benign tumor in his hip. The 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward transferred to George Washington this season averaging 14.2 points and 6.5 rebounds, and is shooting 47.9 percent from the field.

G Jayden Reid, USF

The Buzz: Jayden Reid averaged 16 and six as a senior at Long Island (NY) Long Island Lutheran on the NIBC Circuit. LuHi finished 23-3 on the season and won a New York state championship. Reid has come off the bench for USF for the first 13 games of the season. However, for their last seven, starting with a December 2 win against Florida State, Reid’s playing time has jumped to 23.0 minutes per game, and with that bump, he has averaged 10.9 points, 3.9 assists, and 1.3 steals. The Bulls are also 6-1 during that period. 

F Miles Rubin, Loyola-Chicago

The Buzz: Loyola-Chicago has started the season off 2-1 in A10 play with true freshman Miles Rubin as a starting forward. A lot of this has to do with the presence the 6-foot-10, 205-pounder has established around the rim. Rubin’s 2.3 blocks per game are already third in the conference. In 17.9 minutes per game, he also averages an efficient 6.5 points and 4.6 rebounds on 61.6 percent shooting.

G Dedan Thomas, UNLV

The Buzz: UNLV got the top 2024 prospect in Nevada, Dedan Thomas, to re-classify and enroll in college a year early. Now, the 6-foot-1 point guard, and Las Vegas high school product, is averaging 6.3 assists per game, which is third in the Mountain West and 12th nationally. While UNLV’s season has been up and down, the Runnin’ Rebels have won four of their last five. Thomas is also averaging 12.4 points and 1.1 through the first 14 games of his college career.

F Jadyn Toppin, New Mexico

The Buzz: On a New Mexico team that is ripe with scorers, averaging 82.3 points per game, Jadyn Toppin has found his niche playing a simple game. Sure he is averaging 12.5 points and shooting 67.2 percent from the floor, but the 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward is also fifth in the Mountain West in rebounding (7.6) and third in blocked shots (1.5). The true freshman is also averaging 1.3 steals per game and is showing as one of the top-producing freshmen in the country, regardless of level.

F Seydou Traore, Manhattan

The Buzz: To say it has been an odd season for Manhattan might not justify the circumstances. However, it has provided an opportunity for young players to shine. One such player, Seydou Traore, has taken off with his opportunity. Traore is a 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward from Bronx (NY) Our Savior Lutheran. He is putting up stats across the board. His 9.1 rebounds are second in the MAAC and his 1.2 blocks are fourth. Traore is also averaging 11.1 points, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals on the season.