This year in college basketball has been anything but normal, and one of the biggest things that has stood out this year is how talented the freshmen class has been.
Every year there are always a handful of freshmen who shoot up on mock draft boards, but rarely do we see this many freshmen leading their teams into March Madness.
As we get ready for the big dance we wanted to take a look at the freshmen that caught our eye the most this year.
Jalen Suggs – Gonzaga
Jalen Suggs spoke to the media after the Orlando Magics practice session on Tuesday 125 | Screenshot NBAcom
Suggs was a two-sport starter when playing for the Minnehaha Academy, as he was chosen as both the Minnesota Boys Basketball and Football Player of the Year for the 2019-20 season — he averaged 23.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.9 steals per game in his final season with Minnehaha (27 appearances), carrying the Redhawks to a 24-3 record in his final high school season before departing for Gonzaga.
He has maintained a high level of performance with the Bulldogs and has undoubtedly been one of the best freshmen this year. Suggs, who is projected to be a lottery pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, is averaging 13.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game in his first — and possible lone — year at the college level.
He has shown flashes of greatness and seems more than ready to take his game to the next level, although he’d probably want to close out the year winning the National Championship with the Bulldogs.
With an undefeated record this year Suggs has made Gonzaga the best moneyline pick of the year. Will this star-studded team led by freshman Suggs be able to keep that undefeated record throughout March Madness?
Hunter Dickinson – Michigan
Hunter Dickinson The 1 Player in the Transfer Portal commits to Kansas | Screenshot Clockwork ProductionsYouTube
Dickinson has been one of the most dominant big men in college basketball this season playing for the Michigan Wolverines, but he has been dominant in the past as well.
He spent his high school career with DeMatha Catholic High School, averaging 18.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game for the Stags in his final year while winning the Maryland Basketball Player of the Year for the 2019-20 season — he also carried DeMatha to a 30-3 record and the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Tournament championship this past season.
Dickinson is touted as a threat on both ends of the court for the Wolverines and his first year at the college ranks has done nothing but certify his potential, as he has averaged 14.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 0.9 assists per game while anchoring the pain on both sides of the ball for the Wolverines.
With those stats, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see Dickinson be a consensus pick for All-American his first year at the college level. Michigan is one of the top favorites to go all the way in the NCAA Tournament and it remains to be seen whether Dickinson will choose to make the jump to the NBA straight away as a “one-and-done”, but he has done enough at the college level to believe he can also perform at the next level.
Evan Mobley – USC
Evan Mobley Breaks Down How He Defends The NBAs Top Players | Screenshot Bleacher ReportYouTube
Mobley won the California Basketball Player of the Year for the 2019-20 season while playing for the Rancho Christian School and was a dominant force on both ends of the court, as he averaged 20.5 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.2 blocks, and 4.6 assists per game in his final high school year.
He also led the Eagles to a 22-8 record and the Open Division playoffs in his final high school year, but he was also a member of the gold medal-winning 2019 USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Cup Team. Mobley’s accolades do not stop there, though — he has been selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game, the Jordan Brand Classic, and the Nike Hoop Summit, and was a finalist for the Naismith High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year trophy.
With such a lofty resume, the expectations were sky-high for Mobley as a freshman while playing for the Trojans — but he responded to that by carrying USC on both ends of the court while averaging 16.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.9 blocks, 2.1 assists, and 0.9 steals per game as a freshman.
Mobley is expected to be a “one-and-done” and the people who make expert picks have been touting Mobley to be a lottery pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, while also drawing comparisons to players such as LaMarcus Aldridge and Chris Bosh.
Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.
The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.
Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.
As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.
Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.
The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.
The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.
The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.
Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.
Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State
Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones
Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.
Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.
During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.
In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.
Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.
In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.
Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer
View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball
Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.
At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.
She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).
In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.
Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.
VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”
“It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”
Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.
