10 Under-the-Radar College Basketball Freshmen Who Are Having Success in 2014-15
You know how it goes in modern college basketball. Freshmen oil the machine these days, providing (or failing to provide) key contributions for rosters in a constant state of churn.
A first-year player or group of first-year players can make or break a season. But as mentioned, you already know that. You know about Kentucky and Jahlil Okafor and Stanley Johnson and so on. However, what about those other freshmen, the ones with the lower profiles but who nevertheless are making a difference, even now in the season's infancy?
Those are the young dandies we're here to celebrate. These are the 10 under-the-radar freshman already meeting success. We can argue about what does or doesn't qualify as "under-the-radar," and, uh, I imagine that will happen, given that it's ultimately a subjective descriptor.
In any case, players are ranked based on individual and team performance.
10. Rashard Kelly, Wichita State
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Position: Power forward
Key stat: 4.6 rebounds per game
You won't hear much about Rashard Kelly in many national Diaper Dandy-type conversations. But he has quietly served as a very serviceable glue guy for the No. 11 Shockers.
Despite being only sixth on the team in minutes, the 6'7" Virginian is second in rebounds and brings an instant inside presence. And though he doesn't shoot much, when he does, it tends to go in, as he connects on 53 percent of his attempts. He's also not afraid to take and make meaningful shots, which is an encouraging sign and a nice potential dimension for Wichita State's depth.
He's still got to bulk up in the weight room, though, and he's got to to something about that free throw shooting. Four makes on 11 attempts isn't going to get it done.
9. Kyle Kuzma, Utah
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Position: Small forward
Key stats: 62.1 percent FG
Kyle Kuzma's taking things at his own pace. I think that's fair to say.
The 6'9" wing shook off on a slow start (only one shot attempt in his first two games) to go 6-of-7 against UC Riverside. That touched off a mini-run that disappeared as quickly as it came when he didn't log an attempt against Wichita State.
At the same time, though, that percentage shows you what he can do when he wants to put the ball in the air. He's only playing 12 minutes a game for the talented, 13th-ranked Utes, but when he's feeling it, he can affect a game.
8. Vic Law, Northwestern
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Position: Small forward
Key stats: 5.9 rebounds per game
Northwestern has fallen back to Earth; after starting 5-0, it has now lost its last three.
Vic Law is chipping in early, with his 5.9 boards per game good for second on the team and a tie for 15th overall in the rugged Big Ten. The 6'7" Law is also a versatile and effective defender who can guard both forward positions and even a guard, if need be.
He's already playing 26.5 minutes per contest for the Wildcats, which speaks to their need for him. But if he wants to help Northwestern get back in the win column, he'll need to step up his offensive game, as he's currently only converting about 38 percent of his shot attempts. That includes a dreadful 0-of-7 performance in a home loss to Northern Iowa.
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7. Daxter Miles, West Virginia
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Position: Point guard
Key stats: 8.2 points per game
Along with Elijah Macon and Jevon Carter, Daxter Miles is making a big freshman impact for the No. 22 Mountaineers thus far.
This is clearly Juwan Staten's team, but that doesn't mean it's a one-man gang. Miles has been steady as he goes in Morgantown, never scoring fewer than seven or more than 13 points in a game, never committing more than two turnovers and never melting down when the lights get hottest
In that huge win over Connecticut, Miles was a consistent presence, going 4-of-6 from the floor. He isn't quite a fully formed floor general yet, but his scoring ability has proven a boon to an overachieving team.
6. Tyler Ulis, Kentucky
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Position: Point guard
Key stat: 3.1 assists per game, 1.6 steals per game
I couldn't help but include one Kentucky guy. Why Tyler Ulis, given the team's overstocked freshman cupboard? Because with only one ball to go around and a constellation of brighter stars, Ulis is quietly making the best of his opportunities.
No part of Ulis' playing time goes to waste. As the team's backup point guard, he gets about 19 minutes per game. That's sixth-most on the team, but he still manages the second-highest assist average. Even though he's the shortest member of the team at just 5'9", he still grabs two rebounds every contest, not to mention a 47 percent shooting clip, which is perfectly respectable for the guard position.
But it might be the intangibles that set him apart. A fan and team favorite, he's the instant spark off the bench, an unshakeable and high-energy presence no matter the situation. He plays with passion on both ends of the court (see his team-high steals average), and that attitude is infectious.
If Kentucky is playing a better brand of team ball this year, Ulis is no small reason why.
5. Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Florida State
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Position: Shooting guard
Key stats: 12.3 points per game
The bad news for 'Noles fans: Florida State is 4-4. The good news for 'Noles fans: It'd be worse without Xavier Rathan-Mayes on the floor.
It's entirely possible that FSU would have a loss to The Citadel on its record, to go along with losses to the likes of Northeastern and Nebraska, if its talented freshman hadn't taken over the game.
In his first career start, he tallied season highs in points and shooting, hitting all five of his three-point attempts as part of a 26-point effort. He also scored the Seminoles' final six points of that game, which shows you how clutch he not only is, but how clutch his coaches and teammates think he is, which is half the battle right there.
With veterans Aaron Thomas and Devon Bookert battling injuries at various times, the high-scoring Rathan-Mayes is suddenly a pretty important cog for the low-scoring Noles (currently ninth in the ACC in points per game). As long as the guys above him on the depth chart continue to underperform (and even if they don't), the young man should have many more opportunities to shine.
4. Isaiah Whitehead, Seton Hall
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Position: Shooting guard
Key stats: 13.9 points per game, 3.5 assists per game
Seton Hall has started off quite nicely, taking seven of its first eight games. Throughout those games, Isaiah Whitehead's scoring numbers have steadily flowed upward: He only managed two points in the season opener, but he has reached double figures in his past five contests and surpassed 20 points in his last two.
Whitehead (and fellow freshman Angel Delgado) have cracked the starting five in the process. His most mature freshman moment? The moment when he admitted to having freshman moments in the first place. Not every guy will admit to having some early-season jitters, but Whitehead did to NJ Advance Media's Andrew Garda.
To be fair, it's probably easier to do that when said jitters are squarely in the rear-view, as Whitehead's are. He's shown not only an ability to score but a willingness to play other roles when the rock isn't falling, hence his assist totals, good for tops on the team.
3. Jordan McLaughlin, Southern California
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Position: Point guard
Key stats: 31.1 minutes per game, 12.9 points per game, 5.4 assists per game
The 6-3 Trojans aren't a big spot on the national radar, but they're tops in the Pac-12, and that's not nothing.
They'd be nowhere near this spot if not for Jordan McLaughlin, who leads the club in minutes, points and assists per game. And none of those races are particularly close.
According to the Orange Country Register's Michael Lev, head coach Andy Enfield makes no bones about McLaughlin's role: They tossed him the keys on signing day and gave him a chance to be the cornerstone of a young, rebuilding program. It's part of what lured the point guard to campus in the first place.
McLaughlin is not a flawless player. He's not exactly a sharpshooter and commits his share of turnovers. But he's the unquestioned floor leader for USC. As he goes, so go the Trojans. So far, it's going pretty well.
2. Melo Trimble, Maryland
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Position: Point guard
Key stats: 31.3 minutes per game, 16 points per game, three assists per game
Seth Allen's surprise transfer left the Terps in the lurch. Luckily, Melo Trimble has stepped into the breach and overachieved, even by elite-prospect standards.
No one else is logging more minutes or assists for No. 19 Maryland than Trimble, and only one other player (Dez Wells) has a higher scoring average.
Perhaps most importantly for the Terps, Trimble always seems under control on the floor, both mentally and physically. He can get to the basket and the charity stripe almost at will, and he already seems to know the offense and his teammates. It's the kind of leadership you don't expect from a freshman, but Trimble is something else.
1. James Blackmon Jr., Indiana
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Position: Shooting guard
Key stats: 19.3 points per game, five rebounds per game
If you haven't noticed, Montrezl Harrell is kind of a beast. So it turned a few heads earlier this week when young James Blackmon Jr. threw one down on Harrell's head.
Nevermind that Harrell's Lousville Cardinals won the game by 20 points. Nevermind that! It was an awesome moment.
The 7-2 Hoosiers are off to a solid start, and that's thanks in large part to the high-flying Blackmon. Despite standing only 6'4", Blackmon tops the club in boards as well as points. He's an impact player both in and out of the paint; behind the arc, he's hitting 48 percent of his attempts.
That's good enough to get my vote as the best under-the-radar freshman in the country. The jury is out on how long he'll retain that low-profile status.
All rankings and statistics courtesy of ESPN.com.
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