The Five Most Impactful Freshmen in Men’s College Hoops

Duke, Purdue and Kansas are among the teams getting a lot out of a young player.

Recruiting rankings mostly go out the window as soon as the ball is tipped in November, but this year has seen even more variance than usual in terms of men’s college basketball’s most impactful freshmen compared to the consensus during high school. That said, even in the transfer portal age, with more experienced players always available, several freshmen have made huge contributions immediately on their new teams in the season’s first six weeks. Here’s a look at the most impactful ones in the sport so far.

1. Brandon Miller, Alabama

SI99 high school rank: No. 18
Stats: 18.5 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 43.7% 3FG%

The most productive freshman in the country, Miller is the leading scorer and best player on a top-five Alabama team fresh off a huge road win at Houston. He possesses the rare combination of size and shooting ability that NBA teams covet and has proved tough enough to battle for rebounds despite a slender frame.

Teams have found success slowing down Miller when they’ve been able to get into his body defensively, and the talented 20-year-old has struggled at times to get to the rim and score that way. Miller followed up a quiet day in that Houston upset win with one of his best performances of the season Tuesday against a good Memphis team, pouring in 24 points (21 of those in the second half) and adding eight rebounds and five assists while shooting an efficient 7-for-13 from the field. He’s dealing with being the focal point of opposing scouting reports as a freshman against a tough schedule and finding ways to produce at a high level, and he’ll be in the All-American conversation should the Tide stay among the best teams in the country.

2. Kyle Filipowski, Duke

SI99 high school rank: No. 4
Stats: 14.8 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 1.3 apg, 43.2% FG%

Duke has largely looked the part of one of the better teams in college basketball despite underwhelming (and injury-filled) starts for top recruits Dereck Lively II and Dariq Whitehead, and Filipowski is a major reason why. The 7-footer has been remarkably consistent and one of the few Blue Devils who has consistently been able to create his own shot, scoring in double figures in every game and tallying six double doubles in his first 12 collegiate contests. Filipowski leads the Blue Devils in scoring, rebounding and steals and is second on the team in made threes, in addition to being a catalyst for Duke’s dominance of the offensive glass. In all, his size and versatility allow him to score in multiple ways and have been huge in Duke’s four-game winning streak, which has featured impressive victories over Ohio State and Iowa.

3. Braden Smith, Purdue

SI99 high school rank: N/A
Stats: 9.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.6 apg, 42.9% 3FG%

Smith’s numbers may not pop off the page, but he’s starting at point guard on the No. 1 team in the country and is a huge reason the Boilermakers have overachieved thus far. Smith has shown a command of the Purdue offense that you’d expect out of a senior rather than a freshman, stirring the drink for the second-best offense in the country (per KenPom) with his high-level passing chops and elite feel for the game. An illustration of his impact: Per Hoop-Explorer, the Boilermakers average more than 13 points per 100 possessions better with Smith on the floor than when he sits, and that number jumps to 27 points per 100 possessions against top-50 opponents.

In all, Smith and fellow freshman Fletcher Loyer have dramatically raised Purdue’s preseason ceiling. The concern all offseason with this group was focused on whether star center Zach Edey would get enough help in the backcourt to keep this team among the Big Ten’s elite. Smith and Loyer have spaced the floor well, gotten the ball to Edey in the right spots and shown off the ability to make plays when the offense breaks down. Smith profiles as a four-year star in West Lafayette and could well be an All-American by the time he’s done with the Boilermakers.

4. Gradey Dick, Kansas

SI99 high school rank: No. 7
Stats: 15.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.9 apg, 46.6% 3FG%

Dick’s transition to the college game has been seamless, with his immediate emergence as a key weapon offensively for Bill Self’s team with a knack for making big shots. Anecdotally, it’s rare even for freshmen with elite billing as shooters to be as good as Dick has been so far for the Jayhawks shooting the ball, and this season’s numbers back that up: Dick is one of just two freshmen nationally who has made more than 25 threes at a 45% clip or better this season.

What separates Dick from other prospects is his shooting stroke. He has a high release point and a lightning-quick release that allows him to get shots up in a hurry. However, perhaps most impressive has been his mentality and maturity. He fits right in on a Kansas team with several key veterans off to a strong start.

5. Donovan Clingan, UConn

SI99 high school rank: No. 52
Stats: 10.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.1 bpg, 75.4% FG%

Dan Hurley has an All-American center in Adama Sanogo but has had to find ways to get Clingan on the floor in his first season in Storrs. The 7'2" behemoth adds a different element on both ends of the floor to a UConn team that has looked like the nation’s best through the first several weeks. Offensively, Clingan has been a hyperefficient post scorer for the Huskies, shooting over 75% from the field thanks to his ability to establish deep position and use his good touch around the rim. On defense, Clingan has posted an eye-popping 14.3% block rate, which would place him in the top 10 nationally if he played enough minutes to qualify.

Clingan’s presence has helped UConn’s bench unit become arguably the best in the country. There’s very little drop-off for the Huskies when their best player steps off the court, a luxury few if any teams have. Plus, UConn surrounds Clingan and Sanogo with tons of shooting, creating the spacing necessary for the center duo to dominate in the post.

Five More Names to Know:

• Cason Wallace (Kentucky) has impressed with his elite defensive instincts and shooting stroke so far. Kentucky has fallen flat in its two biggest games to date but gets another big opportunity Saturday against UCLA.
  
  
• Anthony Black (Arkansas) has seen his numbers fall off slightly since the return of fellow freshman Nick Smith Jr. from a knee injury, but Black was terrific at the Maui Invitational and impacts the game in multiple ways thanks to his versatility and high-level passing ability.
  
  
• Brice Sensabaugh (Ohio State) is a flat-out bucket-getter. He’s averaging upward of 14 points per game in under 20 minutes per contest and has five total assists in nine games. He’s been a key part of the Buckeyes’ 7–2 start.
  
  
• Jett Howard (Michigan) has shot the ball extremely well for the Wolverines and could take on an even bigger role in the offense with starting PG Jaelin Llewellyn now out for the season with an ACL injury.
  
  
• Keyonte George (Baylor) is averaging more than 15 points, four rebounds and four assists per game. He still has some maturing to do, but his natural gifts in ball screens are evident and his play will be critical if Baylor wants to challenge Texas and Kansas for a Big 12 title.