So far, the highly touted high school class of 2016 has backed up the hype. With the turn of the New Year, focus now turns to conference action and rivalry games. As conference play kicks off, Washington’s Markelle Fultz holds onto his No. 1 spot in the freshman tracker, but others are pushing.
Previous: No. 1.
How he got here: Fultz picked Washington over Arizona and Louisville thanks to Lorenzo Romar being involved the earliest.
This season: 22.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game.
Analysis: The Huskies are struggling at 7-6 and lost at home to Washington State in their Pac-12 opener. Fultz, on the other hand, continues to play spectacular basketball and he was only one rebound short of the first triple-double in program history during the loss to Wazzu. Things have been tough in Seattle, but would be awful without Fultz.
Previous: No. 4.
How he got here: Most thought Monk’s decision would drag out until the spring of his senior year. Instead, Monk picked the Wildcats over homestate Arkansas shortly before the start of the early signing period.
This season: 22.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
Analysis: Some preseason concerns about how ready Monk was to compete at a high level were erased long ago. The shooting guard has been as explosive as they come. He went for 47 and the game-winner in a track meet with North Carolina, then he opened up his SEC career by going for 34 on the road against Ole Miss and netting 26 at home against Texas A&M.
Previous: No. 2
How he got here: Ball picked UCLA in January of his junior year and never seriously considered any other programs. His brothers LiAngelo Ball (2017) and LaMelo Ball (2019) have also committed to the Bruins.
This season: 14.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game.
Analysis: Though his overall numbers have dipped slightly over the past few weeks, Ball continues to make a significant impact for the Bruins. He’s the best freshman playmaker in the country, has shot the ball very well (52.5 percent overall, 43.4 percents from three). UCLA is now 14-1 after splitting road games at Oregon and Oregon State.
Previous: No. 3
How he got here: Fox also visited Kansas, LSU and Louisville before picking the Wildcats but Kentucky was considered the prohibitive favorite for the final six months or so of his recruitment.
This season: 15.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.
Analysis: The only concern with Fox so far is that he is not shooting the ball well at 43.9 percent overall while making just 13.8 percent of his three-point attempts. However, all the good he’s done running Kentucky’s offense, pushing tempo and being a defensive pest outweigh the shooting struggles. He’s been every bit as good as advertised.
Previous: No. 7
How he got here: The No. 1 player in the class of 2016, Jackson picked Kansas over Arizona and Michigan State in April of his senior year.
This season: 15.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.
Analysis: Jackson’s first Big 12 game at TCU wasn’t a good one as he got T’ed up and played just 13 minutes before fouling out. But, he bounced back on Tuesday night flirting with a triple double in a 22-point, nine-rebound and six-assist game in a win over Kansas State. Frank Mason is scoring more points, but Jackson remains the Jayhawks most important player because of the versatility he affords them on both offense and defense.
Previous: No. 5.
How he got here: A native of Finland, Markkanen’s dad played for Roy Williams at Kansas. However, Arizona won out over North Carolina and Utah.
This season: 15.8 points, 7.3 rebounds per game.
Analysis: Thanks to fellow highly touted freshmen Rawle Alkins and Kobi Simmons settling in and being consistently productive, Markkanen hasn’t had to shoulder quite as much of the Wildcats' offensive load. However, it is still quite clear that Markkanen is Arizona’s most important player as a floor-stretching 7-footer. If he can become more of a rim protector, he can shoot up the list.
Previous: No. 9
How he got here: Leaf initially committed to Arizona early in his junior year before opening things up shortly before his senior season. Once he opened it up, UCLA was the clear favorite.
This season: 17.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
Analysis: Thanks to his consistent production and effort on both ends of the floor, Leaf makes a nice jump this time. A good athlete who has shown toughness, it is Leaf’s efficiency that stands out. He’s shooting a whopping 65.7 percent from the field and has made an impressive 48.5 percent of his three-point attempts. Leaf has six double-doubles on the season.
Previous: No. 8
How he got here: N.C. State was always a heavy favorite for Smith. He enrolled a semester early to rehab a torn ACL.
This season: 19.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game.
Analysis: After a slow start, Smith used a December against mostly inferior competition to get himself rolling from the field. He was solid in his ACC opener at Miami, but the Pack got drilled on New Year’s Eve. In a freshman class loaded with impact point guards, Smith is the most explosive of them at the rim.
Previous: Not ranked.
How he got here: A native of Brooklyn, Ponds decided to stay home to try to help resurrect the near flatlined St. John’s program rather than head to Connecticut, Providence or some other options.
This season: 17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.
Analysis: After a poor start, St. John’s has picked up things recently, blowing out Syracuse and starting Big East play with a 2-0 record after an upset of Butler. Much of its success can be linked to the outstanding play of Ponds. He’s emerged as a team leader who can create his own offense off the dribble and at the rim when his jumper isn’t falling.
Previous: Not ranked.
How he got here: Even after his junior year at Omaha North, Patton was pretty much a total unknown. Creighton offered in June of 2014 and he quickly accepted before the recruiting world found out about him a month later.
This season: 13.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
Analysis: A redshirt freshman who still needs some strength, Patton struggled defensively and looked a bit timid on the offensive end early. Over the past few weeks, though, he’s gone from showing flashes of brilliance to making consistent contributions. Creighton was expecting multiple years out of the promising big man, but at the rate he’s going the NBA may be tough to turn down after this season.
KEEP AN EYE ON...
Miles Bridges (Michigan State), Jonathan Isaac (Florida State), Charlie Moore (California), Jayson Tatum (Duke), Michael Weathers (Miami, Ohio)
