College Basketball: National Freshman of the Year Power Ranking

As we enter conference tournament play with Selection Sunday later in the week, I wanted to discuss the power rankings for national college basketball freshman of the year.

Oftentimes so much talk surrounding college basketball is around the freshmen. Last year saw Brandon Miller lead Alabama to their best record in program history and then go second overall in the NBA Draft. This season has not seen that same dominant play, but there have been a handful of freshmen at the forefront of many college basketball conversations.

There is still basketball to be played, but in the week leading up to the NCAA Tournament, here are college basketball’s freshman power rankings.

1. G Reed Sheppard, Kentucky

2023-24 Stats: 31 games. 5 starts. 12.7 points. 4.3 rebounds. 4.5 assists. 2.5 steals. 52.6% 3P

The Buzz: Reed Sheppard has been a steady factor all season for Kentucky. His highs never get too high and his lows are never too low. Sheppard has proven to be one of the premier shooters in the college games, but also a nice connecting guard, able to move the ball around and take hold of some of the primary ball-handling duties. 

2. G Isaiah Collier, USC

2023-24 Stats: 25 games. 24 starts. 16.6 points. 2.8 rebounds. 4.2 assists. 1.5 steals. 48.8% FG

The Buzz: Isaiah Collier came into the season with a lot of buzz. And he got started with mixed reviews. There was never denying his talent, but he would oftentimes get careless with his ball security. The point guard suffered a mid-season wrist injury where he sat for multiple games. And upon his return, he played in much more control. In Pac-12 play, the strong-framed lead guard cut his turnovers down by almost a full point, while maintaining his high usage and assist rate

3. G Robert Dillingham, Kentucky

2023-24 Stats: 30 games. 1 start. 15.0 points. 2.8 rebounds. 3.8 assists. 1.1 steals. 44.5% 3P.

The Buzz: Robert Dillingham has a hint of electricity in his game. That electricity tends to show itself every game, as he gets on a hot streak and carries his Kentucky team on a memorable run. Dillingham is one of the best one-on-one offensive players currently in college basketball. Even with his defensive lapses and some of his ball-stopping tendencies, Dillingham puts the ball in the basket at a high clip. And he oftentimes creates real momentum for everyone.

4. F Stephon Castle, UConn

2023-24 Stats: 25 games. 21 starts. 11.2 points. 4.3 rebounds. 3.0 assists. 1.0 steals. 47.4% FG.

The Buzz: After winning last season’s National Championship, UConn had two wins, Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson, who were drafted. Stephon Castle was brought to Storrs with the intention of starting at one of those wing spots. Castle, who is more like Jackson than Hawkins, did well as UConn has not missed much of a beat since their title run last April. The 6-foot-6 wing started the season up and down with injuries and adjustments but was able to find his footing quickly as the calendar turned to 2024. Castle stepped into a secondary guard role, taking some initiation duties off Tristan Newton, while also adapting to playing off the ball and finding his spots. In conference play, the Big East Rookie of the Year averaged 11.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. 

5. G Jared McCain, Duke

2023-24 Stats: 31 games. 31 starts. 13.6 points. 5.0 rebounds. 1.8 assists. 1.1 steals. 40.6% 3P.

The Buzz: Jared McCain took about a month to get his footing in the college game, but since December, he has stepped up in a big way for Duke. And it has not been just the amount of shots McCain has hit, but the caliber of the moment that he hit them. McCain has averaged 14.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in ACC play while knocking down 37.5 percent of his 6.0 three-point attempts per game. McCain has formed a nice one-two punch alongside sophomore center Kyle Filipowski, leading Duke to a No. 2 regular season finish in the ACC.

6. G Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor

2023-24 Stats: 31 games. 31 starts. 14.7 points. 4.5 rebounds. 1.5 assists. 1.1 steals.

The Buzz: When Ja’Kobe Walter has been at his best this season, he has been able to showcase the shotmaking ability that made him a five-star prospect coming out of Branson (MO) Link Year Academy. The thing with Walter’s freshman season has been the inconsistency. The 6-foot-5 wing has had as many 20-point games (8) as he has single-digit scoring outputs on the season. And his shooting numbers have been fluid as well. In the 14 games in November, December, and March Walter shot 41.8 percent from three. In the 16 games of January and February Walter shot 29.0 percent from three. Walter is Baylor’s leading scorer, as he has been all season, and behind their leading point-getter, the Bears are No. 11 in the current A.P. Poll. He finished the regular season with nine straight double-figure games getting to the free-throw line 6.4 times per game. 

7. F Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina

2023-24 Stats: 25 games. 16 starts. 10.3 points. 5.7 rebounds. 1.8 assists. 1.0 steals. 61.7% FG.

The Buzz: Collin Murray-Boyles missed the first six games of the season with an illness. South Carolina started the season off strong, and they have not missed a beat once he returned. In fact, the Gamecocks have looked stronger as a team with Murray-Boyles in the lineup. Murray-Boyles came off the bench for his first nine games played, getting acclimated and his strength back. In his 16 games since being named a starter, the 6-foot-7 freshman has averaged 12.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks, while shooting 63.4 percent from the field. South Carolina enters the SEC Tournament as a five-seed and is currently 25-6 on the season and ranked No. 17 in the A.P. Poll. 

8. F Cody Williams, Colorado

2023-24 Stats: 18 games. 18 starts. 13.7 points. 3.3 rebounds. 1.8 assists. 59.0% FG

The Buzz: It has been an interesting season for Cody Williams. While he has had some good moments, the team has not quite lived up to expectations. Williams is averaging 13.7 points on 59.0 percent from the field and 45.7 percent from three. He also has 33 assists against 40 turnovers. Williams, who has been a primary ball-handler for most of his life, is learning this season to play off the ball. There have been struggles with his decision-making and finishing close to the rim, there have also been flashes with his shot-making and some off-ball cutting. Even while he has not affected winning much in his freshman season (Colorado is 12-6 when Williams played this season and they are 9-3 in games he has sat), he still is projected as an NBA Draft pick with his best basketball ahead of him. 

9. G PJ Haggerty, Tulsa

2023-24 Stats: 30 games. 30 starts. 20.9 points. 5.4 rebounds. 3.7 assists. 2.0 steals. 49.2% FG.

The Buzz: PJ Haggerty, a former four-star recruit by On3, redshirted last season at TCU. He then hit the transfer portal in the off-season and chose Tulsa. The AAC Rookie of the Year hit the ground running, as he scored double figures in 29 of 30 games scoring 20 or more in 19. Haggerty only got better as the season wore on, seeing his numbers jump to 23.4 points and 4.0 assists in conference play while shooting 51.3 percent from the field. Haggerty finished second in the league in scoring and earned third-team all-conference honors. 

10. G Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State

2023-24 Stats: 31 games. 12 starts. 16.8 points. 2.2 rebounds. 1.8 assists. 36.7% 3P.

The Buzz: Josh Hubbard, the state of Mississippi’s all-time leading high school scorer, is a pure bucket-getter. The 5-foot-10 guard came into Starkville and did not miss a beat from his high school days. Even only inserted into the starting lineup for the last part of the year, Hubbard finished in double figures in 26 of 31 games. The freshman continued to get better as the season wore on, as he averaged 18.4 points in SEC play. Hubbard earned SEC All-Freshman as he led all freshmen in scoring in the conference and led the SEC in three-pointers made. 

The Next Ten Freshmen

G Cam Christie, Minnesota

Cam Christie had a solid freshman season averaging 11.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. While consistently good, his highs were never too high, and lows were never too low. Christie averaged between 9.0 and 14.2 points each month of the season, shooting 40.3 percent from three on the year

G Carlton Carrington, Pittsburgh

Calton Carrington started the year very strong. He hit a December, and January dip before finishing strong in February, and March. The 6-foot-5 lead guard started all 31 games, leading Pittsburgh to a fourth-place (12-8) finish in the ACC.

G Malik Mack, Harvard

Malik Mack started the season strong and was disrupted by a mid-season bout with illness. After missing around a month of December and January time, the Ivy League Rookie of the Year returned to average 15.1 points and 5.1 assists to close the year.

F Johnny Furphy, Kansas

It was an inconsistent season for Johnny Furphy. He was inserted into the starting lineup in mid-January and played very well for about a month (11 games). Over his last five games, he is averaging 7.0 points on 7.4 shots and 27.0 percent shooting. 

G Myles Rice, Washington State

What a story Myles Rice has been. Coming back from cancer to help lead his Washington State team to a 23-8 record. Rice averaged 15.3 points, 3.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game as the Cougars finished second in the Pac 12.

G Markus Burton, Notre Dame

Markus Burton carried the load for a Notre Dame team that won 13 games this season. The 5-foot-11 point guard won ACC Freshman of the Year after averaging 17.5 points and 4.1 assists while shooting 42 percent from the field and 30 percent from three.

C Yves Missi, Baylor

Yves Missi reclassified into the 2023 class to enroll a year early at Baylor. Even with that the 7-foot-0 center from Cameroon by way of Napa (CA) Prolific Prep averaged 10.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks this season.

C Owen Freeman, Iowa

Owen Freeman is a throwback big of sorts. A grinder on the low block that is not afraid of contact and has a good set of hands. The 6-foot-10 freshman averaged 10.8 points and 7.2 rebounds with 1.6 blocks in Big Ten play. He shot 63.6 percent from the field on the season.

G Elliot Cadeau, UNC

While the counting stats might not be on par with the rest, the flow of the game once Eliot Cadeau was inserted into the starting lineup certainly proved big. The ball consistently moved, and the opposing team had pressure put on them at the point of attack.

F Kyshawn George, Miami

Buzz built around Kyshawn George in the pre-season, and the 6-foot-8 wing started well even with injuries thrusting him into the starting lineup. George hit an early February and has not been able to catch his groove back. The 6-foot-8 wing did shoot 40.8 percent from three on the season.

G Dedan Thomas, UNLV

Dedan Thomas reclassified into the 2023 class to stay home and rejuvenate his father’s alma mater, the UNLV program. The Runnin’ Rebels finished 12-6 (fourth) in the conference, their highest finish in almost five seasons. The co-Mountain West Rookie of the Year averaged 13.6 points and 5.2 rebounds. 

C Baye Ndongo, Georgia Tech

Baye Ndongo was a surprise performer for Georgia Tech, but his consistent production never slowed. He earned first-team ACC All-Freshman honors after averaging 12.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks this season. He finished in double figures in 19 games, including six double-doubles.

F JT Toppin, New Mexico

JT Toppin was the co-Rookie of the Year in the Mountain West as he proved to be one of the league’s top complementary pieces. In 32 games (31 starts) the 6-foot-8 forward averaged 12.8 points, 8.8 rebounds. 1.9 blocks, and 1.1 steals while shooting 63.3 percent from the field. 

G Jackson Shelstad, Oregon

It was a disappointing season overall for the Ducks, but the future looked bright with the play of freshman point guard Jackson Shelstad. The 6-foot-0 local product averaged 12.6 points and 3.0 assists in Pac-12 play, earning first-team all-freshman honors.