As a reminder to those who are inevitable going to spam my twitter account with outrage that your guy isn't on this list – this has nothing to do with who I think are the top freshmen in the nation. It's all based on what they've done on the court, to date. And no, one great game on national tv does not qualify your guy.
And now we're five weeks into the season. We're getting somewhere. Guys can't live off of three or four good games anymore. Now there's some data!
1. Anthony Bennett, UNLV (last week: 1)
Bennett continues to impress,and remains at No. 1 for the 3rd straight week. And now that Mike Moser is out with a horrible elbow injury, Bennett will be called upon to up his possession %. In two games this week he averaged 21.5 points and 9.5 boards. He also went to the line 19 times. Oh, and he did this.
2. Nerlens Noel, Kentucky (lw: 6)
I'm not sure that there's a more impressive stat stuffer in the nation than Nerlens Noel. In two wins this week he averaged 10 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6 blocks and 1.5 steals. His block % has now risen to 11.1%, and with a few more good games he'll begin to approach Anthony Davis' ridiculous 13.8% from last year.
3. Jordan Adams, UCLA (lw: 2)
While many freshmen struggled for good team this week, Adams did the opposite. He tried to hold together a team which is falling apart. The least acclaimed player from the nations No. 1 class has separated himself from the pack with his nonstop motor and aggressive play. UCLA only played one game this week and Adams went for 18 and 7. Three of his rebounds were on the offensive end, and in the game final moments he had his only assist on the basket which gave UCLA the lead, and then he added a free throw to help ice it.
4. Alex Poythress, Kentucky (lw: 3)
In two games this week Poythress made 10-12 2s (83%) and 3-5 3s (60%). He also averaged 7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, though turnovers continue to be an issue.
5. Ben McLemore, Kansas (lw: unranked)
With a number of guys struggling in recent weeks, it's become apparent that McLemore belongs on this list. He's struggling a bit from deep, but is making 54% of his 2s, 86% of his free throws, and most importantly has been efficient with the ball despite huge usage numbers.
6. Archie Goodwin, Kentucky (lw: 10)
Goodwin really struggled in Kentucky's two losses last week, making just 6-18 shots from the field. But he began to re-find his way this week. He averaged 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.5 steals.
7. John Brown, High Point (lw: unranked)
He might have the most boring name in college hoops, but his game certainly doesn't match. All he did against Wake Forest this week was drop 27 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. He also added 3 blocks and 2 assists, and is averaging 17.6 points and 6.1 rebounds.
8. Michael Kessens, Longwood (lw: 8)
DNP this week.
9. Jalan West, Northwestern State (lw: 5)
Though he struggled (comparatively) this week, he still has the highest offensive efficiency of any player in the nation. And yes, Anthony Bennett might be from Canada, but he still counts in this equation. 11 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds in his only game was dampened by a season high 5 turnovers. HIs 3-point % (48.6%) also dipped under 50% for the first time this year.
10. Glenn Robinson III, Michigan (lw: unranked)
The more I watch this kid the more impressed I am with what he adds to the Wolverines. Though he's been a low volume guy to date, all of his numbers are off the charts. If he can increase his usage while remaining this efficient, then he could very quickly move to the top half of this list.
