Latest ranking of top 10 freshmen
By Jeff Goodman
ESPN INSIDER
Each week we release the Freshman Tracker, and each week there are new names and movement.
The guy in the top spot continues to put distance between himself and the rest of the field, but there was some shuffling going on within the remainder of the Top 10. In fact, there’s minimal disparity between the second and fifth spots heading into the final week of the regular season.
Check back each week, as we’ll have updates on how the top freshmen did on the floor and give you the rundown on the top first-year players in the country in a season in which the young guys wasted little time taking center stage.
Here is our updated ranking of the 10 best freshmen in college basketball.
1. Jabari Parker, F, Duke Blue Devils
6-foot-8, 235 pounds
The Blue Devils played only one game this past week, and while Parker struggled to make shots, he still wound up with a double-double in a win over Virginia Tech. Parker finished with 11 points and 12 boards and is averaging 11.6 rebounds over the past 11 games.
This week: Wednesday at Wake Forest; Saturday vs. North Carolina
Stats: 18.8 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 48 percent FG, 37 percent 3-pointers | Previous rank: 1
2. Tyler Ennis, PG, Syracuse Orange
6-2, 180 pounds
Ennis began the week with a 20-point performance in a road win in College Park against Maryland, but got into foul trouble in the road loss to Virginia and finished with 13 points and four assists.<!--offer--> Ennis still has 160 assists and just 48 turnovers this season, and narrowly has the edge in the Freshman Tracker over a pair of Kansas teammates and Julius Randle of Kentucky.
This week: Tuesday vs. Georgia Tech; March 9 at Florida State
Stats: 12.1 PPG, 5.5 APG, 2.0 SPG | Previous rank: 2
3. Andrew Wiggins, SF, Kansas Jayhawks
6-8, 200 pounds
Wiggins averaged 15 points and six rebounds in a pair of games this past week, but was just 10-of-30 from the field combined in a home win against Oklahoma and a setback at Oklahoma State.
This week: Wednesday vs. Texas Tech; Saturday at West Virginia
Stats: 16.3 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 44 percent FG, 34 percent 3-pointers | Previous rank: 4
4. Joel Embiid, C, Kansas Jayhawks
7-foot, 250 pounds
The skilled big man from Cameroon went for 12 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in a home win over Oklahoma, and had 13 points and 13 boards in a loss at Oklahoma State. He struggled down the stretch against the Cowboys after appearing to re-injure his back.
This week: Wednesday vs. Texas Tech; Saturday at West Virginia
Stats: 11.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.6 BPG, 63 percent FG | Previous rank: 5
5. Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky Wildcats
6-9, 250 pounds
Randle averaged 12 points and 12.5 rebounds this past week, but the Wildcats power forward struggled from the field (7-of-22 in the two games) and so did his team, which lost at home to Arkansas and on the road against South Carolina. Randle now has 16 double-doubles in 29 games and is the only freshman to rank in the top 10 nationally in rebounding.
This week: Tuesday vs. Alabama; Saturday at Florida
Stats: 15.5 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 52 percent FG | Previous rank: 3
6. Isaiah Taylor, PG, Texas Longhorns
6-1, 170 pounds
The Longhorns point guard has been Rick Barnes’ most valuable player this season. Taylor had 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds in a midweek win against Baylor and had 10 points, six assists and four boards in a loss at Oklahoma on Saturday.
This week: Wednesday vs. TCU; Saturday at Texas Tech
Stats: 12.7 PPG, 3.9 APG, 3.4 RPG | Previous rank: 7
7. Marcus Foster, G, Kansas State Wildcats
6-2, 200 pounds
The somewhat anonymous recruit had been huge for Bruce Weber and the Wildcats' success this season. Foster had 17 points in a win at Texas Tech on Tuesday, and finished with 11 points in a home victory over Iowa State.
This week: Monday at Oklahoma State; Saturday vs. Baylor
Stats: 15.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 39 percent 3-pointers | Previous rank: 6
8. Aaron Gordon, F, Arizona Wildcats
6-9, 225 pounds
The Wildcats played just one game this week, and the athletic forward finished with 13 points and four rebounds in a rout over Cal in Tucson.
This week: Sunday vs. Stanford; Wednesday at Oregon State; Saturday at Oregon
Stats: 11.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 49 percent FG | Previous rank: 8
9. Jordan Mickey, PF, LSU Tigers
6-8, 220 pounds
The Tigers may wind up being an NIT team, but it’s not because of Mickey, who has exceeded expectations this season. Mickey finished with eight points, six rebounds and four blocks in a win over Texas A&M, and had a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) in a road loss against No. 1 Florida. Mickey ranks sixth in the country in blocked shots.
This week: Thursday at Vanderbilt; Saturday vs. Georgia
Stats: 13.4 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.4 BPG, 55 percent FG | Previous rank: 9
10. Noah Vonleh, PF, Indiana Hoosiers
6-10, 240 pounds
The Hoosiers forward finished with 18 points and six rebounds in a home loss to Wisconsin, and while he struggled (four points, five rebounds) against Iowa, the Hoosiers came out on top.
This week: Sunday vs. Ohio State; Wednesday vs. Nebraska; Saturday at Michigan
Stats: 11.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 54 percent FG | Previous rank: 10
By Jeff Goodman
ESPN INSIDER
Each week we release the Freshman Tracker, and each week there are new names and movement.
The guy in the top spot continues to put distance between himself and the rest of the field, but there was some shuffling going on within the remainder of the Top 10. In fact, there’s minimal disparity between the second and fifth spots heading into the final week of the regular season.
Check back each week, as we’ll have updates on how the top freshmen did on the floor and give you the rundown on the top first-year players in the country in a season in which the young guys wasted little time taking center stage.
Here is our updated ranking of the 10 best freshmen in college basketball.
1. Jabari Parker, F, Duke Blue Devils
6-foot-8, 235 pounds
The Blue Devils played only one game this past week, and while Parker struggled to make shots, he still wound up with a double-double in a win over Virginia Tech. Parker finished with 11 points and 12 boards and is averaging 11.6 rebounds over the past 11 games.
This week: Wednesday at Wake Forest; Saturday vs. North Carolina
Stats: 18.8 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 48 percent FG, 37 percent 3-pointers | Previous rank: 1
2. Tyler Ennis, PG, Syracuse Orange
6-2, 180 pounds
Ennis began the week with a 20-point performance in a road win in College Park against Maryland, but got into foul trouble in the road loss to Virginia and finished with 13 points and four assists.<!--offer--> Ennis still has 160 assists and just 48 turnovers this season, and narrowly has the edge in the Freshman Tracker over a pair of Kansas teammates and Julius Randle of Kentucky.
This week: Tuesday vs. Georgia Tech; March 9 at Florida State
Stats: 12.1 PPG, 5.5 APG, 2.0 SPG | Previous rank: 2
3. Andrew Wiggins, SF, Kansas Jayhawks
6-8, 200 pounds
Wiggins averaged 15 points and six rebounds in a pair of games this past week, but was just 10-of-30 from the field combined in a home win against Oklahoma and a setback at Oklahoma State.
This week: Wednesday vs. Texas Tech; Saturday at West Virginia
Stats: 16.3 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 44 percent FG, 34 percent 3-pointers | Previous rank: 4
4. Joel Embiid, C, Kansas Jayhawks
7-foot, 250 pounds
The skilled big man from Cameroon went for 12 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in a home win over Oklahoma, and had 13 points and 13 boards in a loss at Oklahoma State. He struggled down the stretch against the Cowboys after appearing to re-injure his back.
This week: Wednesday vs. Texas Tech; Saturday at West Virginia
Stats: 11.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.6 BPG, 63 percent FG | Previous rank: 5
5. Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky Wildcats
6-9, 250 pounds
Randle averaged 12 points and 12.5 rebounds this past week, but the Wildcats power forward struggled from the field (7-of-22 in the two games) and so did his team, which lost at home to Arkansas and on the road against South Carolina. Randle now has 16 double-doubles in 29 games and is the only freshman to rank in the top 10 nationally in rebounding.
This week: Tuesday vs. Alabama; Saturday at Florida
Stats: 15.5 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 52 percent FG | Previous rank: 3
6. Isaiah Taylor, PG, Texas Longhorns
6-1, 170 pounds
The Longhorns point guard has been Rick Barnes’ most valuable player this season. Taylor had 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds in a midweek win against Baylor and had 10 points, six assists and four boards in a loss at Oklahoma on Saturday.
This week: Wednesday vs. TCU; Saturday at Texas Tech
Stats: 12.7 PPG, 3.9 APG, 3.4 RPG | Previous rank: 7
7. Marcus Foster, G, Kansas State Wildcats
6-2, 200 pounds
The somewhat anonymous recruit had been huge for Bruce Weber and the Wildcats' success this season. Foster had 17 points in a win at Texas Tech on Tuesday, and finished with 11 points in a home victory over Iowa State.
This week: Monday at Oklahoma State; Saturday vs. Baylor
Stats: 15.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 39 percent 3-pointers | Previous rank: 6
8. Aaron Gordon, F, Arizona Wildcats
6-9, 225 pounds
The Wildcats played just one game this week, and the athletic forward finished with 13 points and four rebounds in a rout over Cal in Tucson.
This week: Sunday vs. Stanford; Wednesday at Oregon State; Saturday at Oregon
Stats: 11.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 49 percent FG | Previous rank: 8
9. Jordan Mickey, PF, LSU Tigers
6-8, 220 pounds
The Tigers may wind up being an NIT team, but it’s not because of Mickey, who has exceeded expectations this season. Mickey finished with eight points, six rebounds and four blocks in a win over Texas A&M, and had a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) in a road loss against No. 1 Florida. Mickey ranks sixth in the country in blocked shots.
This week: Thursday at Vanderbilt; Saturday vs. Georgia
Stats: 13.4 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.4 BPG, 55 percent FG | Previous rank: 9
10. Noah Vonleh, PF, Indiana Hoosiers
6-10, 240 pounds
The Hoosiers forward finished with 18 points and six rebounds in a home loss to Wisconsin, and while he struggled (four points, five rebounds) against Iowa, the Hoosiers came out on top.
This week: Sunday vs. Ohio State; Wednesday vs. Nebraska; Saturday at Michigan
Stats: 11.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 54 percent FG | Previous rank: 10
