This year’s college basketball freshman’s class has an abundance of young talented players. The five that have stood out the most so far to date have been Austin Rivers, Cody Zeller, Bradley Beal, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Anthony Davis. These five have tremendous talent, but also have a ways to go to become consistently dominate forces in the college basketball landscape.
Austin Rivers (SG Duke) – The leading scorer for the Duke Blue Devils and son of Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, Austin Rivers brings a dynamic to the Duke offense that has been absent for quite some time. Rivers breaks the mold of pure shooter by possessing a great shot with unlimited range, a good handle, and the scorer’s mentality to get to the hoop. He offers what Kyrie Irving brought to the table last season, though he does not need the ball in his hand to succeed. Rivers at shooting guard, plays off the ball often while Seth Curry and Quinn Cook handle the responsibilities of the point.
Rivers is currently leading his team in scoring averaging 15.8 ppg while shooting 43% from three point land. His game appears to be comparable to that of Oklahoma City Thunder’s James Harden, though he is right handed. Rivers may not have the floor command that Harden possesses, but neither did Harden as a college freshman. Rivers needs to grow in that area because Curry is not really a true point guard, only averaging 3.3 apg while turning it over 2.4 times per game. Rivers will likely have the ball in his hand more when it gets to conference play, because he is ultimately the best ballhandler on the team. Rivers’ ability to get to the basket and finish in a variety of ways makes him a match up nightmare for opposing coaches. He has that scorer’s instinct only few players possess, and the Rivers has to focus on finding out how to integrate it appropriately into Duke’s offense.
Cody Zeller (C Indiana) – It would be very easy to make an argument that no freshman is more important to their respective team than Cody Zeller. Zeller’s arrival to Indiana has returned Indiana basketball to prominence. The 6’ll’’ big man’s thin athletic frame provides the agility to perform exceptionally on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. Zeller is leading the Hoosiers in scoring(15.0), rebounds(7.4), blocks(1.6), steals(2.4), field goal percentage(66%), and made free throws (4.3). It is safe to say that Zeller is the focal point of Indiana’s game plan, and the scary thing is he is only starting to come into his own as a college player. Zeller has great skill with the ball in his hand and has the ability to get very deep post position. With an array of post moves, Zeller is as formidable as any center in college basketball.
Zeller’s true impact is felt on the defensive end, where he is the anchor of the team’s defense. He eliminates the easy layup with his long frame and good lateral quickness. Zeller’s presence was felt in their upset of the top-ranked team in the country, Kentucky. Kentucky C Anthony Davis came in averaging 12.3 ppg and Zeller negated Davis’ offense attack by getting him into foul trouble early and not allowing him to get good post position. Zeller’s real tests are going to come when he battles against more physical big men (Dec 31, Jared Sullinger). He has shown nothing but promise on offense and defense, and looks to be not only be one of the best big men in the Big 10, but in the entire country.
Bradley Beal (SG Florida) – Bradley Beal is an enigma at the two guard due to his uncanny ability to rebound the basketball. Beal is currently averaging 6.6 rpg combined with 15.1 ppg, and has just started to dip into his true potential. Beal is reminiscent of a shorter Philadelphia 76ers SG, Evan Turner. Both have that ability to rebound effectively and score the ball in a variety of ways on the offensive end. Beal has not found his stroke yet from long range, but he has good form and his shot will come with more game experience. Beal is a good ballhandler, but is forced to play primarily off the ball due to the fact that Florida has a wealth of points in Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker.
Beal is scoring at an effective rate because he gets to the rim frequently and converts often. Beal is operating in more of a slasher role than his expected shooter role, but he will likely integrate both into his offensive repertoire. Beal is an able defender but has not shown up against talented wings, as seen during the Ohio State game where his man William Buford scored 21 points. Beal has a star-like game but needs to flourish in a team environment with an entourage of talented players. Beal may ultimately be the star on this Florida team , but if he wishes to be more productive he has to stay in his role of scoring the ball effectively and providing a constant defensive effort.
Micheal Kidd-Gilchrist (SF Kentucky) – With the combination of power and speed Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has the prototype body for an elite small forward. He does not possess a great shot yet, but he uses his elite athleticism to get to the basket and finish with ease(12.8ppg) and draw fouls(3.9ftpg). His physique makes him an active and very able defender as seen during the North Carolina game, where he held Harrison Barnes in check, allowing him to score only 14 points by turning him exclusively into a jump shooter. Kidd-Gilchrist’s long athletic 8’8’’ frame allows him to guard four positions on the floor as well as being an able bodied help defender. He possesses a high basketball IQ and generally gets good position when the ball hits the rim. He then uses his strength to out-muscle opponents for the rebound (7.3rpg).
Kidd-Gilchrist brings an added dynamic while on the floor due to his excellent motor. He is the only Kentucky player always diving for loose balls and running ahead on fast breaks. Kidd-Gilchrist’s overall game is very similar to the Portland Trailblazers swingman, Gerald Wallace. Both players have extreme hustle that allows them to dominate on defense, the boards, and getting to the basket. Kidd-Gilchrist has all the intangibles that it takes to succeed, but needs to polish out his offensive game in order to flourish in Kentucky’s system. With all the talent on the Wildcats’ team, Kidd-Gilchrist will get a lot of open looks, and will need to convert them on a more consistent basis.
Anthony Davis (C Kentucky) – The slender, freakishly long big man Anthony Davis has as much potential as any other player in college basketball. His massive wingspan allows him to play a vital role on the offensive and defensive end of the ball, finishing alley-oops on one end and altering shots on the other. Davis hit a major growth spurt late in his high school career. This spurt came after Davis had a good handle and long range j, so he was able to retain both while growing tremendously. Davis’ good ball skills allow him to take bigger players off the dribble, and finish over them using his leaping ability and length. The one area where Davis has to improve drastically is his strength, so he can bang around down low with more physical big men. Added strength will result in more looks in the post, where Davis will have to improve, and then will likely play a more traditional center role. The more physical he plays the more fouls he will draw. This will help the Wildcats get into the bonus earlier in games, later during the season.
Davis has a ways to go before he can dominate consistently on the offensive end, but his long frame alone makes him a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end, averaging 4.1 bpg and 9.1 rpg. He is the anchor of the Kentucky defense and makes it very difficult for opposing teams to score in the lane as seen in Kentucky’s loss to Indiana, where his presence forced the Hoosiers to shoot a lot of jump shots, though to Kentucky’s chagrin, many of them fell. Davis is the best NBA prospect of the bunch, but currently is probably the least refined; however, though with more game experience he should only continue to improve.
