Conference Call: How top 2016 class in each league is faring

In this week’s Conference Call, we take a look back at the top 2016 recruiting class from each of the major six leagues and give a grade to how each grouping has done thus far, with the five-star rating being the best and the one-star label as the worst.

TEAM RANKINGS: 2016 | 2017

RANKING: 2-STARS

Freshmen: PF Harry Giles (No. 2), SF Jayson Tatum (No. 3), C Marques Bolden (No. 11), PG Frank Jackson (No. 12), PF Javin DeLaurier (No. 39), SF Jack White (NR 3-star)

There once was talk that Duke’s 2016 recruiting class was the best ever assembled. It might not even be the best collection of freshmen within the ACC this season.

Tatum has been inconsistent and Giles has not been himself all season thanks to prior knee injuries. Bolden, DeLaurier, Giles and White have combined for a stat line of roughly 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Much of the disappointment circles back to the injuries, but overall these freshmen have not settled in as many would have expected.

RANKING: 4-STARS

Freshmen: SF Brendan Bailey (No. 54), SF Sam Hauser (No. 135), SG/PG Markus Howard (No. 73)

Marquette may be the team of the week in college basketball and rightfully so. After going into Omaha and defeating Creighton, the Golden Eagles returned home and beat No. 1 Villanova. Steve Wojciechowski has to thank his litany of guards for the two wins, but it has also been the steady play of Hauser and Howard that has improved a worthy NCAA Tournament resume.

Originally a member of the 2017 class, Howard reclassified a year up and he is averaging nearly 13 points and shoots better than 50 percent from the field and three-point land. Hauser, a 6-foot-7 small forward, has also knocked in more than half of his field goal attempts and averages nearly 10 points per game. Bailey, the son of Thurl Bailey and a top-60 prospect, will join the program in the fall of 2018 after he finishes his two-year mission trip.

RANKING: 4-STARS

Freshmen: SF Miles Bridges (No. 10), SG Joshua Langford (No. 20), PG Cassius Winston (No. 29), PF Nick Ward (No. 41)

Bridges continues to cement his status as a one-and-done prospect and potential NBA Draft lottery pick in June. The Spartans have thrown Winston into the starting lineup and he is leading the team in assists while scoring close to seven points per contest. Ward has been a beast down low, converting on 55 percent of his field goals, while Langford has displayed what made him such a valuable high school recruit on both ends of the floor.

Will Michigan State make a run into March? That is up for debate, but what isn’t is the value of the freshman class.

RANKING: 3-STARS

Freshmen: SF Josh Jackson (No. 1), C Udoka Azubuike (No. 31), PF Mitch Lightfoot (No. 107)

One of the juggernauts on the recruiting trail, Kansas cashed in last year with the commitment of top ranked 2016 recruit Jackson. Heading up until the defeat to WVU on Tuesday, the Jayhawks had rattled off 18 straight wins and while Jackson has been foul prone throughout the year, his ability to fill up the final stat sheet and compete with a vengeance is something that should be appreciated for as long as he suits up for the Jayhawks.

To say that Jackson is a complete ballplayer would be incorrect as the Michigan native remains very poor as a jump shooter thanks to his shaky 26-percent shooting from beyond the arc along with sub-60 percent shooting from the foul line. However, Jackson is what we expected out of him as he has shown vast playmaking skills from his position, elite defensive skills and excellent abilities on the glass. Next to him are two other freshmen that have not produced nearly as much compared to the KU star. Azubuike is out for the year because of an injured wrist, though he did produce in spurts when he was healthy. Lightfoot is still a year or two away.

RANKING: FIVE-STARS

Freshmen: SG Rawle Alkins (No. 17), SG Terrance Ferguson (No. 14), PG Kobi Simmons (No. 23), PF Lauri Markkanen (NR 4-star)

While Ferguson's decision to play professionally in Australia instead of suiting up for the Wildcats hurt, the other three parts to Sean Miller’s recruiting haul has paid dividends.

The Wildcats' top-ranked freshman, Alkins, has actually been the least productive of his fellow classmates. Still, he has chipped in with 12 points and six rebounds while remaining a competitive defensive piece. Simmons is another five-star recruit that has bounced back and forth from the lead guard spot.

While both Alkins and Simmons have been solid, Markkanen has been even better. The Finnish big man (Rivals does not rank international prospects) has been the catalyst all year in Tucson. All three freshmen have played more than 30 minutes per game.

RANKING: 5-STARS

Freshmen: PG De'Aaron Fox (No. 6), SG Malik Monk (No. 9), PF Bam Adebayo (No. 7), PF Wenyen Gabriel (No. 13), PF Sacha Killeya-Jones (No. 24), SG Hamidou Diallo (NR 5-star)

After landing Diallo just two weeks ago, Kentucky can now firmly make the argument that its 2016 recruiting haul can go down as the best ever, on paper at least. How is this group doing on the hardwood, though? Fox is on pace to set the SEC freshmen record for assists while Monk could break the SEC freshmen record for 3-pointers in a season.

Fox and Monk have been two of the best players in the country in any class. Together, the five-star duo has combined for more than 37 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. The backcourt has been aided with Adebayo’s interior punch, while Gabriel and Killeya-Jones have been inconsistent.