One of my favorite elements of fantasy college sports is the "keeper" opportunity. The ability to prospect for gold; finding that young guy who may take two years to round into form, but once it happens, you can brag to all your buddies about how you knew it was coming. Most pro leagues don't afford you the opportunity to draft someone like Jarvis Varnado and sit through a 5.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg opening season. Anyone who took a flyer on Demar DeRozan in an NBA league has probably long since moved on. But (hopefully) not in college, where you get four (or maybe more) years to grow your game and contribute.
Each week, we'll spotlight freshmen from across the nation; some of whom may already be stars, and some of whom may be taking a slower path to stardom. I might be wrong on some, or a lot, but over the course of the year, this column should give you a list of names to make your fantasy roster solid now, and for years to come.
So, without further ado, on to a look at some rookies!
The 6-foot-3 combo guard got his collegiate career off to a roaring start, opening with a 10-assist effort against North Carolina Central. He followed it up with a 14-point, eight-assist outing against Nova Southeastern (who?) These outings earned Scott the honor of ACC Freshman of the Week. While we probably could have seen it coming, Scott showed signs of fatigue while playing three games in four nights this past week in the Charleston Classic. He is still filling up a box score. His season averages have settled in at 7.6 points, 5.6 asssists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals in just over 26 minutes of action. The Canes are replacing star Jack McClinton and backcourt mate Lance Hurdle, so don't think that Scott's minutes are simply trying to get him some early run. Turnovers are becoming an increasingly scary problem, but for now we'll chalk it up to inexperience and increased competition. Scott is a young stat stuffer, and those numbers should only grow in future years.
I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to taking a chance on a freshman, I can be a little bit of a homer. I'll take players from in and around my hometown of Richmond, VA just because it's a little more fun to pull for them. Tyrese Rice treated me well for four years, and if you remember Chris Moss at West Virginia, he wasn't too bad either. Enter Powell, a 6-foot-7, 220 pounder from nearby rural Crozet, VA. It would be hard to ask for a better three-game start to a career, as Powell opened with back-to-back double-doubles before exploding with 29 points against Appalachian State. Powell’s averages sit at a cool 20.3 points, 9.7 boards and 2.3 blocks in 32 minutes of action. It would be a mistake to expect those numbers to continue throughout the SEC season, but Powell clearly has Coach Pelphrey’s trust, and the depleted roster the Razorbacks are playing with is not a factor. I have high expectations for Powell, and personally can’t wait to see him take on fellow frosh
Keith Gallon and Oklahoma on Dec 2.
Speaking of the Sooners, big Mr. Gallon (who undoubtedly will be featured in this column at some point) isn’t the only new face in Norman. The lesser acclaimed Pledger has had no less early season success and coach Jeff Capel appears to have a growing confidence in the youngster. The 6-foot-4 guard from Chesapeake, VA (not quite close enough for me to qualify him as a homer) has been a scoring machine in the early going, highlighted by a 21-point debut against Mount St. Mary’s. Pledger struggled in his first road contest this past weekend at VCU (with yours truly in attendance) shooting just 2-of-10, but equally important were the 27 minutes he played.
Willie Warren was hampered by cramps and it was Pledger who saw extended time. That sentence should sum up Pledger’s future in Oklahoma, as Warren figures to depart before graduation and Pledger has the talent, confidence and game to replace him down the line … and play along side him as a rook.
The Wildcats feature a terrific rookie class and all of them are currently playing different roles in Philly. One is starting (
Mouphtaou Yarou,) one has been a last second hero (
Isaiah Armwood,) one is moderately struggling (
Dominic Cheek,) and one, in this author’s humble opinion, shows the signs of a great point guard of the future…
Maalik Wayns. Coming in to the season, minutes figured to be hard to come by for the 6’1” local point guard, and they may be even harder to come by once
Reggie Redding returns but to date, Wayns is averaging a solid 17.8 minutes in the early going. Coach Jay Wright apparently likes what he sees as well, as Wayns' season high 26 minutes came in a one point win over George Mason, where he finished with nine points, six rebounds and five assists. He won’t win you a league this season, but I happily drafted Wayns in the 2
nd round of a Big East/Big Ten keeper league, and fully expect starter minutes from him next season. He has the look of a young Kyle Lowry, and I’m perfectly fine with that.
It’s been an interesting start for two of Tubby Smith’s newest additions, as star recruit
Royce White has seen enough off court trouble in three weeks to last a lifetime. Fellow frosh
Rodney Williams has seen a little better fortune: he is second on the team in scoring through three contests with an average of 15.0. Equally as impressive, Williams is shooting a remarkable 65.4% from the field and swiping 2.3 steals per game. It’s early, but it would be nice to see Williams to add some boards or assists to his repertoire (averaging just 3.0 and 1.3 respectively) but I expect Williams to help lead a deep Gopher squad into the Big Ten season. My colleague Andy Bottoms has been all over his early season lines, and rightfully so. Jump in before it’s too late as Williams is legit.
Moore is rapidly proving to be worth the wait. After spending a year in prep school all the way in New Hampshire, Moore moved back to the Pacific Northwest to sport the garnet for the Cougars. The one thing that jumps out about Moore is the abundance of playing time, as he is averaging 29 minutes through three games. Yes, playing time doesn’t always translate into tremendous production (Louis Hinnant, anyone?) but with the departed Coach Bennett preaching defense in Charlottesville, Washington State figures to at least attempt to score a bit. Hopefully Moore’s averages are a sign of greatness to come: 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals are a mighty fine start to what appears to be a blossoming career.
Okay guys…we’ve tackled the Tier One conferences, but its time to dig just a bit deeper.
Maybe this is cheating, but as far as the NCAA is concerned, Harris is a freshman darn it! The 6-foot-8, 215 pounder from Speyer, Germany does have some experience on the international scene, and it has enabled him to immediately impact the rebuilding ‘Zags. Through three contests (Gonzaga is in action as I type against Colorado,) Harris is averaging 14.3 points and 7.0 rebounds; highlighted by a 17-point, nine-rebound effort against Michigan State. Hopefully the NBA is Harris’ ultimate goal, because he appears to have the game to make it to the next level … if the lure of riches overseas don’t tempt him sooner.
Here is some coverage you’ll only find on this website…a star freshman in the Southern Conference. First, the peripherals…Odem is a 6-foot-5, 170-pound guard with great length. He has a baby face that made me question his age at first glimpse as he appears to be 14 going on 15. He has a confident left-handed knuckleball shot, and is smooth in transition. Maybe the competition isn’t the greatest, but through three contests, he is averaging 13 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.3 steals while shooting 42.8% from downtown. His on-court performance while I was watching wasn’t superb (Sunday night at Richmond) but his potential clearly got me excited. Odem’s immediate playing time (26.7 minutes) should be a signal. This guy will be a factor down the line, and if you can stash him, mark it down; he’ll lead the Mocs back to the tourney.
I'll leave you kind readers with one final bit of advice. Be patient. Not all heralded freshmen explode immediately. I am the proud owner of
Devin Ebanks simply because he was released after two weeks last season. I also cut Jeffrey Taylor prior to the start of last season. Trust your gut, don’t waiver, and in one season’s time, you’ll probably have a roster full of senior starters and not need a bench to win your league…which means your bench is for all those listed above as you rebuild! See ya next week.