College Basketball Freshman Power Rankings: Week 3 Edition
Itโs getting to be reality check time in college basketball, as many freshmen have started to show their inexperience after scintillating starts. At the top of the first-year class, thatโs helping to sort out which players belong among the elite and which are starting to fade into the background.
One whoโs clearly ready for his close-up is LSU forward Jordan Mickey. While hyped classmate Jarell Martin has been hobbled by an injured ankle, Mickey has filled up stat sheets with his scoring and shot-blocking skills.
Read on for more on the Tigers' big man and where he fits among the 20 most impressive freshmen in the country at this early juncture of the season.
20. Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina
1 of 20
Previous Ranking: 19
Sindarius Thornwell continues to be the heart of the South Carolina offense, but he had his worst scoring day of the season (eight points on 4-for-10 shooting) in Sundayโs win over Florida International.
Key Stats: 13 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
Why Heโs Here: Gamecocksโ only SEC-caliber offensive weapon, also plays enough defense for Frank Martinโs taste.
Biggest Concern: Still getting the hang of playing in the offense (zero assists in two out of four games).
19. Troy Williams, Indiana
2 of 20
Previous Ranking: Unranked
Although heโs only the second-best freshman on his own team, Troy Williams powered his way into the national conversation with 22 points and eight rebounds against Washington.
Key Stats: 9.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.
Why Heโs Here: Steady rebounding presence, has also shown some explosiveness as a scorer.
Biggest Concern: At just 206 lbs, will have a tough time getting points inside against Big Ten defenders.
18. Nick King, Memphis
3 of 20
Previous Ranking: 17
Nick King and Memphis are still relatively short on games played (four in all), but heโs continued his outstanding showing on the glass in blowouts of Nicholls State and Siena.
Key Stats: 13.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, .571 field-goal shooting
Why Heโs Here: Board-crashing swingman, has been go-to offensive option for scorer-heavy Memphis.
Biggest Concern: May be coming back down to earth after hot start.
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17. Wayne Selden Jr., Kansas
4 of 20
Previous Ranking: 8
Like many of KUโs top players, Wayne Selden Jr. looked awful for long stretches during a win over Wake Forest, and the passing touch that characterized his first few games seems to have deserted him lately.
Key Stats: 10 points and 2.8 assists per game.
Why Heโs Here: Physical slasher, is a dangerous scoring weapon on loaded Jayhawks.
Biggest Concern: Invisible on defense (zero blocks and one steal for the season) despite sensational athleticism.
16. Mamadou Ndiaye, UC Irvine
5 of 20
Previous Ranking: Unranked
Mamadou Ndiaye is the undisputed physical marvel of the freshman class at 7โ6โ and 290 lbs.
Key Stats: 9.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game.
Why Heโs Here: Coming off his second monster shot-blocking performance of the season with 10 rejections in win over Eastern Washington.
Biggest Concern: Canโt shoot at all (.410 from free-throw line), so must stay close to rim to contribute offensively.
15. Andrew Harrison, Kentucky
6 of 20
Previous Ranking: 15
With Kentucky cruising along against lackluster competition, Andrew Harrison turned in a pair of solid but unspectacular performances against Cleveland State and Eastern Michigan.
Key Stats: 10.7 points and 3.7 assists per game, 7-for-16 three-point shooting.
Why Heโs Here: Wildcatsโ floor leader knows when to create his own shot and when to set up his arsenal of high-scoring teammates.
Biggest Concern: Defense is becoming an issue for him with nine fouls in his last two games.
14. James Young, Kentucky
7 of 20
Previous Ranking: 12
Although he kept up his non-scoring contributions, James Young suffered through a pair of awful shooting nights in the last week, adding up to just 15 points on 4-for-19 from the field.
Key Stats: 12.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
Why Heโs Here: Athletic swingman, gives Wildcats another perimeter weapon who can also finish fast breaks with the best.
Biggest Concern: Eager as he is to hoist three-pointers (48 of them in seven games), heโs shooting just .271 from beyond the arc right now.
13. Eric Mika, BYU
8 of 20
Previous Ranking: 13
Any gains Eric Mika might have made in leading the Cougars' narrow win over Texas were erased by the centerโs one-rebound vanishing act in a loss to Wichita State.
Key Stats: 13.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
Why Heโs Here: Low-post counterpart to BYUโs perimeter weapons, provides reliable scoring while his rebounding skills mature.
Biggest Concern: At 6โ10โ, needs to make more of a statement on defense than six blocks in seven games.
12. Nigel Williams-Goss, Washington
9 of 20
Previous Ranking: 6
Facing his toughest opposition of the young season, Nigel Williams-Goss went from overwhelming to ordinary against Indiana and Boston College.
Key Stats: 13.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
Why Heโs Here: Still the best all-around player on thin Huskies roster, he led a gutty home win over veteran Montana.
Biggest Concern: So negligible a long-range threat (at 1-for-6 through six games) that defenses can sag off him to cut down his penetration chances.
11. Zach LaVine, UCLA
10 of 20
Previous Ranking: 14
A string of easy Bruins wins have done wonders for Zach LaVineโs stats, as heโs been shredding the nets against the likes of Nevada and Chattanooga.
Key Stats: 13.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, 12-for-23 three-point shooting.
Why Heโs Here: Coming off the bench for UCLAโs deep backcourt, high-scoring ball-handler is putting up more points than some teamsโ leading scorers.
Biggest Concern: Hasn't been doing much as a playmaker (five assists in last three games).
10. Tyler Ennis, Syracuse
11 of 20
Previous Ranking: 18
Tyler Ennis came on like a tidal wave in Hawaii, dominating both Cal and Baylor in the Orangeโs Maui Invitational title run.
Key Stats: 11.7 points, 4.7 assists and 2.9 steals per game, 7-for-18 three-point shooting.
Why Heโs Here: Syracuseโs defensive leader stepped up his offense as a scorer (28 points against Golden Bears) and passer (nine assists against Baylor in title game).
Biggest Concern: Still shooting a dismal .365 from the floor for the season.
9. Joel Embiid, Kansas
12 of 20
Previous Ranking: 9
Joel Embiid continues to be a solid option at center for Kansas, though he was fairly quiet in limited minutes against both Towson and Wake Forest.
Key Stats: 9.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, .708 field-goal shooting.
Why Heโs Here: Mobile seven-footer brings explosiveness to balance Tarik Blackโs power down low.
Biggest Concern: Lack of aggression on offense will make it easy to disappear in Kansasโ deep lineup.
8. Aaron Harrison, Kentucky
13 of 20
Previous Ranking: 11
Aaron Harrison showed once again what a devastating scorer he can be at his best, torching Eastern Michigan for 22 points and grabbing seven rebounds in the bargain.
Key Stats: 13.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.
Why Heโs Here: Physical 6โ6โ scorer spreads the floor for Julius Randle and gets plenty of his own points along the way.
Biggest Concern: High-volume shooter is hitting just .397 from the floor.
7. Noah Vonleh, Indiana
14 of 20
Previous Ranking: 5
Although Noah Vonleh did add another double-double to his resume, the lasting memory of this week will be his disastrous showing against UConnโzero points in 10 foul-plagued minutesโas the Hoosiers lost their biggest game so far.
Key Stats: 12.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
Why Heโs Here: Big Ten rebounding machine is also top target for scoring PG Yogi Ferrell.
Biggest Concern: Iffy shot-blocker at 6โ10โ, though he has been forcing some turnovers (1.1 steals per game).
6. Jabari Bird, California
15 of 20
Previous Ranking: 7
Two terrific games in Mauiโincluding 17 points against the mighty Syracuse zoneโhelp offset Jabari Birdโs rotten finish against Dayton (six points on 1-for-6 shooting).
Key Stats: 13.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, 14-for-30 three-point shooting.
Why Heโs Here: Cal is an endangered speciesโthe senior-laden power-conference teamโbut Bird has still made himself a vital part of the offense.
Biggest Concern: Struggles against Dayton in third game in three days may hint at endurance issues for wispy 190-lb. guard.
5. Jordan Mickey, LSU
16 of 20
Previous Ranking: Unranked
Jordan Mickey should have been here last week, too, and even the end of his double-double streak came with a season-high 17 points and another five blocks.
Key Stats: 14.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.8 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.
Why Heโs Here: Pairing with junior Johnny OโBryant III to give Tigers SECโs top frontcourt outside of Lexington.
Biggest Concern: Stands just 6โ8โ, so unlikely to keep up dazzling shot-blocking numbers against power-conference foes.
4. Aaron Gordon, Arizona
17 of 20
Previous Ranking: 4
With Arizona struggling to score against a tough Drexel defense, Aaron Gordon keyed a dominant rebounding effort that put the Wildcats in the NIT title game.
Key Stats: 12.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.
Why Heโs Here: Double-double factory is showing some jump-shooting potential to go with his celebrated dunking prowess.
Biggest Concern: Despite signs of ending his early slump, still shooting just .536 from charity stripe.
3. Andrew Wiggins, Kansas
18 of 20
Previous Ranking: 3
After a dreadful first half, Andrew Wiggins bounced back to lead Kansasโ rout of Wake Forest on Thursday.
Key Stats: 16.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game, .585 field-goal shooting.
Why Heโs Here: Scoring leader for No. 2 Jayhawks is also pulling his weight on the defensive end.
Biggest Concern: Still hasnโt seen the kind of great defensive teamโa Virginia or a Wisconsin or an Ohio Stateโthat heโll have to beat in the postseason.
2. Julius Randle, Kentucky
19 of 20
Previous Ranking: 1
It was a quiet week for Julius Randle by his absurd standards, as he totaled โonlyโ 29 points in two Kentucky wins.
Key Stats: 19 points and 13.1 rebounds per game.
Why Heโs Here: On a roster featuring many of the countryโs top freshmen, Randle has been head-and-shoulders above the rest.
Biggest Concern: Continues to disappoint defensively with zero blocks in last two games and zero steals on the season.
1. Jabari Parker, Duke
20 of 20
Previous Ranking: 2
Tested by both upset-minded Vermont and defense-minded Alabama, Jabari Parker came through with flying colors (and two more Duke wins).
Key Stats: 23.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 blocks per game, 14-for-23 three-point shooting.
Why Heโs Here: Has yet to score fewer than 21 points in a game for high-powered Blue Devils, and he's also the team's best defender.
Biggest Concern: Still hasnโt gotten to prove himself against a bruiser-type power forward, an omission that will be corrected Friday when Duke takes on Aaron Gordon and Arizona.
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