The Freshman Phenomenon in College Basketball
A few hundred games played over a couple of days—well, that’s really not enough to draw sweeping conclusions about a season that involves 365 teams over five months.
But, you know, that doesn’t mean we can’t go ahead and make some observations.
The 2025-26 men’s college basketball season is being dubbed the “Year of the Freshman.” That situation has unfolded in just 48 hours and will likely keep evolving over the next five months.
This isn’t a random conclusion. For a while now, recruiting analysts and basketball insiders have been saying that the 2025 recruiting class is the most exceptional the sport has seen in decades. Leading this impressive class are the “Big Three”: AJ Divanza, Darrin Peterson, and Cameron Boozer. These three would likely have been top-10 picks had they been eligible for that year’s NBA Draft.
Despite such excitement, some skeptics questioned whether these young players would really shake things up in college basketball. I mean, the sport had seen superstar freshmen making less impact than ever since the “one-and-done” rule was introduced in 2007. Why? Well, it might be a mix of factors—an aging sport, an extra year of eligibility granted post-COVID, and various recruiting classes that just didn’t deliver.
Take, for example, three seasons ago, when a team that broke through the Sweet 16 featured only one freshman in the top 100—Donovan Clingan, who played off the bench for UConn, the eventual champions. That season, only one true freshman made it into the top 100 scorers: Brandon Miller from Alabama.
The following season, in 2024, only one of the 20 players starting in the Final Four was a true freshman—Stephon Castle, who was instrumental in Connecticut’s back-to-back victories.
Sure, there are exceptions; Cooper Flagg won the Wooden Award last year and took Duke to the Final Four before being projected as the No. 1 pick in the next NBA Draft. But he stood apart from his peers, especially the other freshmen who were drafted.
Top picks like Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey performed admirably during their college stints, but their teams didn’t shine—Rutgers ended the season 15-17. V.J. Edgecombe, who was the No. 3 overall pick, was the second-leading scorer for a Baylor squad that barely made the NCAA Tournament and lost in the second round. Other top-15 picks played for teams that didn’t see tournament action at all.
This season is shaping up to be different. I can already feel it.
There have been instances where freshmen dazzled in exhibition games, but the real test comes with 48 hours of practice and then actual games over the winter.
It all began with freshmen absolutely dominating the first marquee matchup of the season. In an upset, Arizona’s Core Peat scored 30 points, along with seven rebounds and five assists, leading his team to victory over the reigning champions. He made his mark as just the second freshman in Big 12 history to score 30 in his debut, following in the footsteps of Michael Beasley.
In a later game, widely regarded No. 1 player in the 2025 class, AJ Divanza, tallied 21 points, six rebounds, and three assists as BYU narrowly overcame Villanova, opening a much-anticipated season.
Darrin Peterson also had a strong start at Kansas, scoring 21 points against Green Bay, even while playing fewer minutes.
Cameron Boozer had a somewhat rough first half in Duke’s game against Texas but still managed to post 15 points and lead in rebounds with 13. He previously shone in earlier exhibitions, scoring over 20 points.
Other notable freshmen also excelled. Nate Ament led Tennessee with 18 points against Mercer. Darius Acuff contributed 22 points in Arkansas’ high-scoring win over Southern. Mikel Brown Jr. had a solid performance with 11 points amidst a dominating Louisville win, while Caleb Wilson notched 22 in North Carolina’s opener. Even Chris Cenac made waves with a double-double in Houston’s season opener.
However, what’s striking about these first couple of days is that it’s not just the stars of the class making waves.
Hannes Steinbach performed outstandingly for Washington, scoring 21 points with impressive accuracy, and Malik Thomas also contributed significantly for Arkansas. Trey McKennie and Kiyan Anthony had noteworthy debuts as well.
And honestly, this list could just keep going.
Why is it so extensive? Because this year is indeed the “Freshman Year.”
It seems set in stone. So, let’s sit back and enjoy the excitement of the season.
