The ranks of the unbeaten are dwindling. It happened a little earlier than most people expected with Kentucky and Ohio State taking their first losses on Saturday. Despite the loss, it is hard not to be bullish about the Wildcats in general. Led by three Kentucky starters, the SEC has the best group of freshmen in the country. It would be easy just to stay at Kentucky, but there are other fine first year players in the conference as well. Almost every team has a freshman that is contributing to their relative level of success. We'll take a look at the first month for eight of the top freshmen, although I am sure others will bubble up as conference play commences.
Anthony Davis, forward, Kentucky Wildcats
Davis was billed by many as the top freshmen in his class. From a defensive perspective, it is not hard to see why. Davis is averaging 4.1 blocks and had that incredible block of John Henson's shot to seal the one-point win over North Carolina. That may be the signature moment of the regular season. Davis has also proven to be an excellent rebounder with 9.1 boards per game and at least nine boards in his last four games. However, the 6-foot-10 freshman's offense needs work. It may be that there are other Wildcats who are hogging the shots, but it seems like there aren't many plays designed for Davis to take the offense. He has only attempted three three-pointers this season and made none and is only converting 52.6% of his free throws. Davis has only taken more than nine shots twice and his 23 points in the opener look like an outlier since he has not scored more than 15 points in any game since. He is a valuable commodity in leagues that value blocks. Otherwise, he is rather ordinary.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, forward, Kentucky Wildcats
Lesser expectations were heap on Kidd-Gilchrist. Many people figured he would come off the bench, but the 6-foot-7 St. Patrick's graduate has started from Day One and has shown that coach Calipari made the right move in putting on the court at the opening tip. Kidd-Gilchrist is hitting 51.9% of his field goals and averaged 12.8 points. He had a season-low five points against St. John's on Dec. 1 (he accrued four fouls and only played 22 minutes), but has bounced back with a combined 35 points in the last two games to go along with 20 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. The freshman has shown the ability to hit perimeter shots and drive to the basket. His offensive game looks much more well-rounded than Davis and he is proving to be a much better bargain than his bigger teammate. As the Terrence Jones roller coaster goes, there may be more opportunities for Kidd-Gilchrist.
Marquis Teague, guard, Wildcats Wildcats
Teague has always been mentioned as a lesser player than the point guards who preceded him in the Calipari offense.The 6-foot-2 first-year player does not have a consistent place in the offense and his point production has been anywhere from five points to 16. He is only making 35% of his threes and is just 2-for-12 from long range in his last four games. He does lead the team in assists with 4.2 and has had 22 dimes in those four games, so he is figuring out his place as a facilitator. At least half of his value comes from his ability to score and he is getting shots. He just isn't making them. Look for Kentucky to take their frustration at being beaten by Indiana against Chattonooga, Samford, and Loyola (MD) in the next two weeks.
Bradley Beal, guard, Florida Gators
It is hard not to be impressed with Beal. He came to a team with two chuckers (Kenny Boynton, Jr. and Erving Walker) who added another shooter via transfer (Mike Rosario). Yet it is the 6-foot-3 Beal who is second on the team in scoring (15.1 points) and third in rebounds (6.6). I didn't think there would be a solid place in the rotation for Beal, but he has forced his way into playing time and offensive opportunities. He is making 45.6% of his field goals, but just 32% of his threes and 66.7% of his free throws. In the two Gator losses, Beal had 17 points against Ohio State and seven points against Syracuse. He was held to nine points in the overtime win over Arizona. As the competition gets fiercer in SEC play, he may see his shots reduced in favor of the upperclassmen.
Rodney Hood, guard, Mississippi State Bulldogs
Like Beal, Hood came to a team with a lot of top notch players and has found a role among the starters. The 6-foot-8 Mississippi native played especially well when Arnett Moultrie and Renardo Sidney were out with various maladies. The competition (Louisiana-Monroe and Tennessee-Martin) was not strong, but Hood had 37 points on 17-for-22 shooting and 15 rebounds in the wins. He plays more of a complementary role with the starting forwards on the team, but has hit 42.1% of his threes and 54.3% of his field goals. Hood even chipped in with six assists in the win over Troy on Saturday. You can't expect Sidney to stay on the court, so Hood will likely have a few more big games in conference play.
B.J. Young, guard, Arkansas Razorbacks
The 6-foot-3 Young wasn't exactly silent while Marshawn Powell was still uninjured. Since Powell went down, Young has become the de facto leader of the Razorback offense as evidenced by his last two games. Although Arkansas lost, Young has put up a combined 52 points against Connecticut and Oklahoma. He had a career-high 28 points (including five three-pointers) against the Huskies. The St. Louis native has scored at least 15 points in all but two games - one of which was the opener in which he only played 14 minutes. While coach Mike Anderson might keep Young as part of the reserve squad, he is getting a starter's complement of minutes. It will be hard for Anderson to give Young the red light if this type of scoring keeps up.
Anthony Hickey, guard, LSU Tigers
With sophomore Ralston Turner and Andre Stringer returning to the Tigers, it was hard to figure that there would be available minutes for a 5-foot-10 freshman. Turner and Stringer were high usage players as freshmen, but it appears that Hickey is the type of passing guard that neither sophomore is. Hickey is leading the team with 4.2 assists to go along with 2.3 steals. Hickey isn't a better shooter than either sophomore guard and is making just 37.4% of his field goals and 30% of his threes, but that is mainly due to a recent shooting slump. Hickey has missed his last 12 three-pointers and was a combined 4-for-22 in the wins over Houston and Rutgers. Hickey is getting a consistent amount of shots (at least ten per game), so he'll be able to shoot his way out of the slump.
Johnny O'Bryant, forward, LSU Tigers
I was very excited about the 6-foot-9 O'Bryant prior to the season and remain mildly intrigued by the Mississippi native. For the first six games of the season, O'Bryant came off the bench. Even as a starter in the last three games, O'Bryant has not played more than 27 minutes. Early in the season, O'Bryant did get into foul trouble, but fouls have not limited his playing time over the last five games. He may shoot a bit too much and puts up a shot every other minute, but the 250 pounder may have some huge games in him. He has 22 points in 21 minutes in a loss at Northwestern on Nov. 17 and has scored a combined 21 points in his last two games against Rutgers and Boise State. If you have room on the bench to be patient, you should hold onto O'Bryant.