Fab freshmen, besides the big five
Posted: Sunday, November 18, 2007 9:51 PM
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Freshmen
Call it Year of the Freshmen, part II.
We’ve already seen plenty of star freshmen (Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose, etc.) showcase their skills this season. But in the post Durant & Oden Era, get ready for even more freshmen to step into the spotlight. Those fab five freshmen may be the best of this year’s class, but they’re far from the only ones to watch.
To start, another Big 12 freshman put his name in the record books and it wasn’t Michael Beasley. Texas A&M DeAndre Jordan apparently can’t miss a field-goal attempt. You’d expect as much from a recruit the Aggies and Longhorns spent the last two years fighting over.
N.C. State’s Brandon Costner was one of the nation’s top freshmen last season, but J.J. Hickson may be even better. He had 31 points and 7 rebounds in his debut, and followed that with a double-double in an upset loss to New Orleans. If there’s one ACC player who’s tougher along the front line than UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough, it could be Hickson. His teammates already think “he’s a beast.”
It’s strange to think that the best freshman in the state of Arizona may be playing in Tempe. Sun Devil freshman James Hardin is the most complete player to come to ASU in the last 25 years, who can score, pass and defend. He may be a little undersized at 6-4, but he has the athleticism to compensate.
Arizona does have a pair of fab freshmen, though. Point guard Jerryd Bayless will be an improvement over Mustafa Shakur’s four-year reign. He kept the Wildcats close before finally losing to Virginia, and should benefit once Lute Olson returns. Jamelle Horne struggled in their opener and was benched against Virginia, but will be counted on to produce later this season. Until Jan., Arizona’s inexperience will probably be evident.
Kyle Singler has been everything Duke had expected – a solid scorer who can help on the boards. The preseason ACC rookie of the year will get his biggest test this week in the Maui Invitational, though. The Devils open with Princeton, will play the winner of ASU-Illinois and likely end up against Marquette in the finals.
Pittsburgh’s DeJuan Blair had a fast start to the season, scoring 20 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in a rout of Houston, and just missed two more double-doubles in wins over NC A&T and Saint Louis. He bruised his tailbone in a fall against Miss Valley State, though, which will slow his stacking of the stats for the next few games.
Need one more? With Josh Heytvelt nursing an injury, 6-10 Austin Daye has thrived. He has nine blocks in the last three games, including six against Idaho and has led the team in scoring in all three.
