The freshman class was regarded as lackluster, but at a close glance, it's even more depressing than initially anticipated.
John Wall has been the real deal, and guys like his Kentucky teammate DeMarcus Cousins and Texas guard Avery Bradley have been as good as advertised.
However, just 19 of Scout.com's Top 100 players are averaging in double-figures to this point.
There isn't a single freshman in the Top 20 in scoring in the ACC or the Big East, or anyone in the Top 15 among the Big Ten scoring leaders.
Here is my All-Freshman team thus far:
FIRST TEAM
F – Elias Harris, Gonzaga – The little-known German native has been phenomenal and is among the leaders in the WCC in scoring (16.3), rebounding (8.5) and field goal percentage (58 percent).
F – Derrick Williams, Arizona – Another under-the-radar guy who checked in at No. 95 in Scout.com's rankings. He's athletic and is in the Top 10 of the Pac-10 in scoring (15.9), rebounding (7.3) and field goal percentage (57 percent).
C - DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky – After an up-and-down start to his career, the strong and athletic big man has been terrific and has eight double-doubles in his last 10 games. He's in the Top 10 of the SEC in scoring (16.2), rebounding (9.7) and field goal percentage (55 percent).
SG – Avery Bradley, Texas – His impact can't be measured by his numbers (12.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.4 spg) because he's one of the top perimeter defenders in the nation and is also shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.
PG – John Wall, Kentucky – He's neck-and-neck with Ohio State's Evan Turner for National Player of the Year honors, and while he's struggled a bit of late, Wall is fifth in the SEC in scoring (16.9), first in assists (6.75) and second in steals (2.0).
SECOND TEAM
F – Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State – He's just outside of the Top 10 in the Mountain West in scoring (11.7) and ranks first in the league in rebounding (9.6) and steals (1.4) and is shooting 46 percent from the field.
F – Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech – The powerful and athletic Yellow Jackets big man has done it without fanfare, but he's averaging 11.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game.
C – Hassan Whiteside, Marshall – The 7-foot Marcus Camby clone leads the nation in blocks at 5.4 per game. Whiteside is also averaging 13 points and 9.3 boards while shooting 56 percent from the field.
G – Xavier Henry, Kansas – While he's struggling a bit lately, Henry is still averaging 13.7 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 40 percent from long range.
G – Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary's – He's not quite as talented as former Aussie Patty Mills, but he can shoot the ball and is averaging 12.9 points, 4.5 assists and is making 42 percent of his threes.
Almost Made the Cut: Kenny Boynton (Florida); Aaric Murray (La Salle); Eric Bledsoe (Kentucky); Maurice Creek (Indiana); D.J. Richardson (Illinois); Marshawn Powell (Arkansas); Arsalan Kazemi (Rice); Jordan Williams (Maryland); Tommy Mason-Griffin (Oklahoma); Lance Stephenson (Cincinnati); Reggie Moore (Washington State); Chris Gaston (Fordham); Ryan Colt (Evansville); Christian Watford (Indiana).
Best Shooter: John Jenkins, Vanderbilt – We had him in our top shooters in America entering the season and he hasn’t disappointed, shooting 49 percent from beyond the arc and 85 percent from the line.
Best Rebounder: DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky.
No Burn: The highest-rated player that hasn't made much of an impact this season is North Carolina's John Henson, who is averaging 3.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in less than 11 minutes per game.
Most Underrated: Alec Burks, Colorado – The 6-foot-6 guard out of Grandview High (Mo.) was listed by Scout.com as the 33rd-ranked shooting guard in the country. Burks is 10th in the Big 12 in scoring (16.3) and first in field goal percentage (53 percent).
Those who haven't played at all:
Mississippi State's Renardo Sidney (amateurism)
Lorenzo Brown (prep school)
Minnesota's Royce White (suspended)
Karron Johnson (junior college)
UCLA's Anthony Stover (redshirt)
Oregon State's Roberto Nelson (not cleared by the NCAA)
Georgia Tech's Kammeon Holsey (medical redshirt)
To check out Jeff Goodman's Twitter, click here.
Gillie.....you couldn't pay me enough to want Cousins....I'm not big on relying on a player who will more than likely end up in jail. I can't believe UK fans are willing to accept an early tournament exit followed by a mass exodus of freshmen players. You may be good now, but it will be right back to the bottom next year. Followed by an NCAA investigation on your coach the following year and a coaching search shortly after that.l
boilerguy10:41 AM