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College basketball tiers: Brandon Miller, Kyle Filipowski among top freshmen
One of the most anticipated aspects of a new college basketball season is seeing how the highly touted incoming freshmen perform at a new level.
This year's 2022 class is loaded with talent, and now that we are more than a month into the season, the race for the Freshman of the Year award is on. All signs point to an early favorite, but he is certainly not alone.
Remember, this isn’t an NBA Draft board. This is a look at 16 freshmen who have had a major impact so far this season. Some of them have clearly been the reason their schools are performing better than projected.
With that said, here are my college basketball freshmen tiers.
Alabama's Brandon Miller tops Andy Katz's CBB freshman tiers list.
TIER 1: Freshmen of the Year leaders
Miller's top moments came in Portland when he strung together three straight impressive performances against elite competition. The former five-star forward out of Tennessee dropped 24 in a victory over Michigan State, 18 in a loss to UConn, and then 14 in a win against North Carolina.
Smith has only played in four games due to a knee injury, but he has been exceptional in those contests, averaging 14.8 points per game. He was outstanding in Arkansas' 88-78 win over Oklahoma this past weekend, putting up 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting. Watching Smith play, you can see why he was so highly thought of coming out of high school.
Filipowski has been the most consistent freshman among an impressive 2022 class. He put up 12 points and 10 board in a win over Iowa, and 16 points and seven rebounds in a victory over Ohio State the previous week. The 7-foot Filipowski is leading the No. 12-ranked Blue Devils in scoring (14.8), rebounding (9.2) and steals (1.5).
A talented 6-foot-7 forward from Maryland, Whitmore has only played in three games for the Wildcats after suffering a right thumb injury before the season started. He had surgery on the thumb and made his season debut on Dec. 3 against Oklahoma. In three games, he is averaging 15.7 points and 5.5 boards per game, while shooting 50% from the field.
Nobody had Clingan as one of the top freshmen in the country heading into the season. But the 7-foot-2 big man was the MVP of the PK Invitational championship after putting up 15 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Iowa State. He has continued to star for the Huskies, notching 16 points and eight boards in a win at Florida.
TIER 2: Next in line
The five-star prospect is averaging 9.4 points and 6.5 rebounds for No. 5 Houston. Walker has been a focal point for the Cougars' offense this season. He put up a double-double in a 76-42 victory over North Florida earlier this month and scored 23 in a win over St. Joe's in the Cougars' second game of the season.
Wallace has lived up to the hype, averaging 10.7 points, 4.3 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game for the No. 13 Wildcats. However, it's his persistence on the perimeter that has been the difference for his team. He is averaging 2.4 steals per game, including eight in a double-overtime loss to Michigan State.
The 6-foot-8 Kansas native is the real deal. He has put up double digits in eight of the Jayhawks' 10 games this season, including an impressive 14-point outing against Duke, which was a difference maker in the Champions Classic. He is coming off a 16-point, seven-rebound, five-assist outing against Missouri this past weekend. Dick has certainly answered the call for Bill Self.
The Wolverines have struggled through the first month of the season, sitting at 6-3. However, Howard has been a bright spot, averaging 15.1 points per game. The Wolverines will count on Howard and Hunter Dickinson to form a solid 1-2 punch.
Hood-Schifino is nursing a back injury, but he is averaging 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. His 14-point performance in a 77-65 victory over North Carolina earlier this year was a difference maker.
TIER 3: Don't sleep on 'em
Loyer has been sensational for the No. 1 Boilermakers. He scored 18 in a 75-56 win over Duke, 14 in a dominant 84-66 victory over Gonzaga and 22 in an overtime win over Nebraska. He is shooting nearly 40% from the field and over 34% from downtown.
Mitchell was a mega-recruit coming out of high school and has been a high-riser in the Longhorns' lineup. He has put up double-digit points in five of the Longhorns' nine games this season. He is averaging 8.7 points and 5.7 boards, which will only continue to grow.
George was the No. 1-ranked shooting guard in the 2022 class, per 247Sports.com. He has lived up to the hype, scoring 18 against Gonzaga earlier this month and averaging 15.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists on the season. He is one of three players averaging 15-plus points for a program that consistently produces quality guards.
Sensabaugh has answered the call in each big game, outside the Buckeyes' loss to Duke. The 6-foot-6 forward from Orlando, Florida is averaging 14.1 points per game for the No. 23-ranked Buckeyes. He put up 17 in a loss to San Diego State, 17 in a win against Cincinnati, 10 in a win over Texas Tech and 13 in a victory over Rutgers.
Mitchell stepped up in two key games for the Blue Devils, scoring 17 in a win over Iowa and 16 against Xavier. The 6-foot-8 forward ranks third on the team in scoring at 9.5 PPG. The Blue Devils will be counting on him to play a big role this season.
Read more:
- College basketball power rankings: UConn rises to the top
- College basketball notebook: Ohio State's questionable buzzer-beater
- College basketball tiers: Who are this year's player of the year candidates?
- How Azzi Fudd's injury will impact UConn moving forward
- Ranking the top 50 players in college basketball
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Andy Katz is a longtime college basketball writer, analyst and host. He can be seen on FOX Sports and Big Ten Network platforms, as well as March Madness and NCAA.com, and he hosts the podcast "March Madness 365." Katz worked at ESPN for nearly two decades and, prior to that, in newspapers for nine years.
