The freshman class for the 2024-25 men's college basketball season was hyped almost to the point that it seemed impossible for it to live up to the expectations, but for the most part, it has...and then some.

Our top 10 freshmen roughly one-third of the way through the regular season are ranked based on a combination of individual production and team success.

Contrary to consideration for National Player of the Year trophies like the Wooden Award, though, one needn't play for a title contender in order to have a real shot at winning this one. Oklahoma was a No. 10 seed when Trae Young was named the USBWA National Freshman of the Year in 2018, and LSU missing the tournament altogether didn't keep Ben Simmons from winning in 2016.

Team success is much more of a potential bonus than a prerequisite.

So while Rutgers' Dylan Harper was considered by many to be a snub from our early NPOY rankings, rest assured that he is comfortably in the top three here.

One thing that doesn't factor into the rankings, though, is NBA draft stock. It might be mentioned where applicable, but by no means should this be viewed as some kind of draft big board of top freshmen. (Though, the vast majority of our top 10 will at least be in the mix for a lottery pick.)

Statistics are current through the start of play Wednesday, Dec. 18.

10 Honorable Mentions

V.J. Edgecombe, Baylor (11.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, 2.4 SPG, 1.3 BPG)
Robert Wright III, Baylor (12.9 PPG, 5.4 APG, 2.1 RPG, 46.4% 3PT)

While not quite on the same level of last year's Kentucky duo of Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, Baylor's dynamic duo of first-year phenoms has been putting in work. Wright scored 22 in the loss at UConn (in which Edgecombe didn't play) and had 13 dimes last week against Norfolk State. Edgecombe put up 20 in the loss to Tennessee and has been a rim-rattling stat-sheet stuffer. Had we ranked more than just 10, these Bears might have been Nos. 11 and 12.

Jayden Quaintance, Arizona State (8.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.4 BPG, 2.1 APG, 1.5 SPG)

The Sun Devils are still figuring out how to best utilize Quaintance on offense, maxing out at 14 points in a game thus far. He has been a relentless force in the paint, though, with multiple blocks in all 10 games, as well as 60 rebounds over his last six contests. He's already quite good and might really level up his game at some point in the next few weeks.

Egor Demin, BYU (13.3 PPG, 5.8 APG, 4.6 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 38.4% 3PT)

Demin averaged 15.2 points, 7.2 assists and 2.4 steals while shooting 56.5 percent from downtown in BYU's first five games, all at home against teams with no at-large potential. However, he tapered off considerably in the three subsequent games against major-conference opponents (10.0 PPG, 3.3 APG, 12.5% 3PT) before missing the past two games with a knee injury. Thus, we're keeping him outside the top 10 for now. With these first four honorable mentions, though, the race for Big 12 Freshman of the Year is going to be sensational.

Will Riley, Illinois (13.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.5 APG, 37.5% 3PT)
Tomislav Ivisic, Illinois (14.2 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.1 BPG, 1.1 SPG, 34.8% 3PT)

Because he played professionally in Croatia before landing at Illinois, Ivisic was docked a year of eligibility and is *technically* a sophomore as far as the NCAA is concerned. But the first-year big man has been a double-double machine, while Riley has averaged better than 22 points per 40 minutes off the bench. Both are strong Freshman of the Year candidates, though not as strong as the third member of that class who we'll get to later.

Thomas Sorber, Georgetown (15.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.7 BPG, 1.4 SPG)

This is easily the most 'out of left field' player among the 20 here, as Sorber was neither a 5-star recruit nor is Georgetown particularly relevant. The Hoyas do already look a whole lot better than the past three years, though, and Sorber—who entered Wednesday's game against Creighton leading the team in points, rebounds and blocks—has been a massive part of their ascension back into the KenPom top 100.

Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn (10.7 PPG, 2.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 43.6% 3PT)

A key reserve for the best team in the country, Pettiford scored 20 against Duke and 21 in the win over Houston, rising to the occasion in big moments. He's held back a bit in these early rankings by only playing 20 minutes per game, but he could easily be a top candidate if both he and Auburn continue to shine.

Kon Knueppel, Duke (11.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.9 APG, 32.2% 3PT)

Respectable stats/play here, but Knueppel has gone 6-for-32 (18.8 percent) from three-point range in Duke's five games against major conference foes. Between that and the fact that it's hard to hold a candle to what teammate Cooper Flagg is doing, just an honorable mention for now.

Labaron Philon, Alabama (11.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.3 SPG)

On Mark Sears' infamous scoreless night against Illinois, Philon had a monster performance, going for 16 points, nine assists and seven rebounds as the Crimson Tide won 100-87. That alone almost got him into the top 10. But his combined five points, four assists, four rebounds and seven turnovers in the next two games against Houston and Rutgers brought him back to earth a bit.

10. Asa Newell, Georgia

Season Stats: 16.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.2 BPG, 1.2 APG, 5-23 3PT

MVP Performance: 26 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks, zero turnovers vs. Tennessee Tech (Nov. 4)

The highly touted Asa Newell made quite the first impression with the stat line above on opening night—in a game Georgia needed every last bit of it, only winning against KenPom No. 342 Tennessee Tech by five points.

The Bulldogs have since looked much better, sitting at 9-1 with just a loss to Marquette against them. Newell struggled a bit in that one, but he had 14 points and seven rebounds in the road win over Georgia Tech, 18 and five in the neutral victory over St. John's and went for 20 and 11 in blowing out Notre Dame as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge.

Early on, it looked like Newell was going to be hosting a season-long block party, racking up 10 rejections in his first three games. He has just two blocks since then, but not for lack of effort on defense, as he went from one steal across those first three games to 12 over his last seven.

Between that handiwork and the fact that he isn't afraid to stretch the defense with a perimeter jumper, this 6'11" frosh is going to be a season-long matchup problem on both ends of the floor before he jets off to the NBA as a possible lottery pick.

9. Boogie Fland, Arkansas

Season Stats: 15.5 PPG, 5.8 APG, 3.6 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 21-53 3PT

MVP Performance: 20 points, seven assists, two steals vs. Michigan (Dec. 10)

With Adou Thiero battling the flu, Zvonimir Ivisic unable to do anything against Michigan's dual seven-footers frontcourt and facing an early 15-point deficit, Arkansas needed Boogie Fland in a huge way in the Jimmy V Classic.

The freshman combo guard delivered.

Fland scored eight points in the span of three possessions late in the first half, including a pair of and-one buckets as he briefly went into takeover mode to put some life into the Razorbacks. That sparked a prolonged 58-26 run for what was Arkansas' best win of the season by far.

Fland was even more clutch late at Miami in that ACC-SEC Challenge game. Arkansas trailed for just about the entire night, but Fland flipped the game in the final three minutes, outscoring the Hurricanes 7-2 by his lonesome en route to the three-point victory.

This isn't the typical John Calipari freshman-dominant bunch that we saw over the past 15 years at Kentucky, but Cal has leaned heavily upon this one in Fayetteville, with Fland scoring at least 16 points in eight of 11 games. He has also tallied at least six assists on eight occasions, and is a certified menace with his ball-hawking defense.

Arkansas will open SEC play at Tennessee on Jan. 4. If Fland propels the Hogs to victory in that one, it could be where he catapults up into the Cooper Flagg/Dylan Harper mix of serious consideration for Freshman of the Year.

8. Ace Bailey, Rutgers

Season Stats: 17.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 13-37 3PT

MVP Performance: 24 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, four turnovers vs. Texas A&M (Nov. 30)

After missing the first two games of the regular season with a minor injury, Ace Bailey immediately began to showcase his "going to be a top-five pick" talent. He went for 23 points and 10 rebounds against Merrimack in the second game of his college career and has scored in double figures in every game thus far.

There are two big factors keeping Bailey from ranking higher than this, the first of which is teammate Dylan Harper being clearly the more dominant force thus far.

While there's nothing keeping teammates from ranking both first and second for Freshman of the Year, it kind of has to be a situation where it's tough to definitively argue which one has been more valuable, like what Kentucky had last year with Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham. That simply isn't the case at Rutgers (at least at this point).

The other factor is that Bailey is getting quite the reputation as a ball hog and is growing more turnover-prone as opponents figure out he has no interest in passing once he gets the ball. In 305 minutes played, Bailey has five assists against 137 field-goal attempts. And over the past four games, he has committed 15 turnovers (three of which were offensive fouls).

Bailey is clearly very talented and maybe the best shot-creator in the game today. It would be great to see him play more of a team game, though, if only to improve his efficiency metrics.

7. Tre Johnson, Texas

Season Stats: 19.9 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, 29-67 3PT

MVP Performance: 29 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals vs. Ohio State (Nov. 4)

Like Asa Newell at Georgia, Tre Johnson wasted no time in showing the college basketball world what he can do, exploding for 29 points on opening night (albeit in a losing effort).

Johnson was also stellar earlier this month in the loss to Connecticut, going for 24 points, four assists and three steals in that one. Unfortunately, he and Arthur Kaluma were the only Longhorns who bothered to show up for that game, as we're beginning to wonder if Texas will ever capitalize on one of these Johnson gems.

Only fractionally below 20 points per game, Johnson has been one of the most prolific scorers in the nation, freshman or otherwise, scoring at least 16 points in each of his first nine games. He struggled from the perimeter in his final three games of November (4-for-21), but is sitting at 54.3 percent from distance in the other seven contests.

And he's much more than just a spot-up three-point shooter, averaging more than eight two-point attempts per game with both a strong mid-range game and a proven ability to finish near the rim. He's also shooting 84 percent on free throws, only adding to his danger level when he drives to the lane.

With multiple assists in more than half of his games as well as decent impact on defense, Johnson could be an intriguing FOY candidate if he and Texas can hold their own in that SEC gauntlet.

6. Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma

Season Stats: 16.7 PPG, 4.7 APG, 3.5 RPG, 2.4 SPG, 11-37 3PT

MVP Performance: 30 points, four assists, three rebounds, one steal vs. Michigan (Dec. 18)

Michigan State sophomore point guard Jeremy Fears is having a breakout year at nearly six assists per game, but his younger brother, Jeremiah, has been the family's brightest star, guiding Oklahoma to its somewhat surprising 11-0 start.

At least one Sooners loss was expected in a Battle 4 Atlantis field featuring preseason AP top-10 teams Gonzaga and Arizona. However, Fears went for 20 points, seven assists, four rebounds and four steals in the opener against Providence, and you can see above what he did in the subsequent round against Arizona.

Heading into Wednesday's showdown with Michigan, Fears had scored in double figures in all 10 games, plus at least three assists in all but one contest, limited to two dimes in the early win over Northwestern State.

And then he lit up Michigan with a career-best 30 point performance, including the stunning game-winning four-point play with a little over 10 seconds remaining in regulation to keep the Sooners undefeated.

The points and assists are great, but it's all that plus the defense which has Fears near the top of the list.

His 25 steals have led directly to 36 Oklahoma points, 20 of which Sears has scored himself. The biggest of those came at the end of the win over Arizona, finally putting an end to a Wildcats possession that featured three offensive rebounds in what was a three-point contest. Fears subsequently hit four consecutive free throws to ice the game.

5. Liam McNeeley, Connecticut

Season Stats: 13.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.1 APG, 19-56 3PT

MVP Performance: 26 points, eight rebounds, four assists, zero turnovers vs. Gonzaga (Dec. 14)

After Liam McNeeley's sensational performance against Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden, UConn head coach Dan Hurley gave a statement of very high praise about his freshman star:

"Liam McNeeley was born to replace Cam Spencer."

Spencer was the sine qua non of last year's championship team, hitting big buckets time and again while leading the team in both steals (officially) and grit (unofficially). And McNeeley has ascended to that throne for the three-peat seekers.

When Hurley blew his lid in overtime of the loss to Memphis in Maui, it was because McNeeley was called for a foul on what sure looked like a clean offensive rebound at a critical juncture. And when Hurley almost blew his lid again the following day against Colorado, it was because McNeeley was on the receiving end of an over-the-back foul that somehow didn't get called.

He was right where he needed to be to potentially prevent both of those losses, although the refs saw things differently.

Not to be deterred, McNeeley went for 17 points, eight rebounds and three blocks as UConn opened December with a marquee win over Baylor. And he was the star of that even bigger win over Gonzaga, reasserting the Huskies as a championship threat with his huge night.

Having him at No. 5 might feel a bit low in the aftermath of that recent gem, but rest assured he is very much within striking distance of the early favorites.

4. Derik Queen, Maryland

Season Stats: 17.3 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.1 BPG

MVP Performance: 26 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks at Purdue (Dec. 8)

Maryland has had some super-talented freshman bigs over the past decade, but none of them burst onto the scene quite like Derik Queen has.

Ten games into Diamond Stone's career, he was averaging 10.7 points and 4.5 rebounds. Jalen Smith was a little more productive on the glass, but he was sitting at 10.9 points and 7.0 rebounds after 10 contests.

Queen immediately asserted his dominance, though, with 22 points and 20 rebounds in his collegiate debut against Manhattan, before adding three more double-doubles in his sixth, ninth and 10th games—each of the latter three coming against major-conference competition.

Queen also put up 24 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks in the narrow loss to Marquette, unable to quite make up for Kam Jones' heroics for the Golden Eagles.

With '10 games in' marks of 17.5 points and 8.7 rebounds—not to mention an impressive 2.4 assists for a guy who could just try to bowl his way to the rim on a regular basis—Queen might be the best thing to happen to Maryland basketball since at least Melo Trimble's run in the mid-2010s, or maybe Greivis Vasquez's senior year back in 2009-10.

If he continues to excel, maybe the Terps can play their way up to what would be their first top-three seed in the NCAA tournament since winning it all in 2002.

3. Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois

Season Stats: 16.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 21-50 3PT

MVP Performance: 24 points, six rebounds, five assists vs. Wisconsin (Dec. 10)

It took all of five games for Kasparas Jakucionis to start taking games over almost by himself.

Through the first five, he averaged more assists per game (6.6) than field-goal attempts (6.0), going for a combined total of 51 points and 33 dimes, including a near triple-double (12 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds) against SIU-Edwardsville.

Jakucionis scored at least 20 points in each of his next five games, though, with a combined total of 110 points and 23 assists, including another near triple-double (20 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists) at Northwestern.

Illinois did lose two of those recent games against Northwestern and Tennessee, but he almost carried them to victory in both. And he did lead them to quality wins over Arkansas and Wisconsin, with help from a supporting cast that was simply much better in the two wins (Illinois averaged 88.0 PPG) than it was in the two losses (65.0 PPG).

It's probably a bit premature to compare Jakucionis to former AP Players of the Year Evan Turner and Denzel Valentine, but this 6'6" point guard is already as a freshman doing a pretty good impersonation of what those Big Ten stars did as upperclassmen.

He's doing so against a quality schedule, too, as half of Illinois' games thus far have been against potential NCAA tournament teams. Wouldn't be a surprise if he challenges Braden Smith for Big Ten Player of the Year while making a strong case for National FOY.

2. Dylan Harper, Rutgers

Season Stats: 23.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.4 APG, 20-55 3PT

MVP Performance: 37 points, two steals, two assists, two rebounds vs. Alabama (Nov. 27)

If we can temporarily ignore the fact that one plays for a title contender and the other plays for a team that isn't even on the projected bubble right now, it's a real 1A/1B situation between Duke's Cooper Flagg and Rutgers' Dylan Harper for Freshman of the Year.

You could even make the case that Harper belongs at No. 1, between his near best-in-the-nation scoring average and the theory that Duke would still be pretty good without Flagg while Rutgers would probably go winless in the Big Ten if Harper suddenly vanished from that mix.

Whether he's No. 1 or No. 2 at this still early point in the season, though, the moral of the story is that Harper has been everything we hoped he would be.

He already exploded for 37 points in the marquee showdown with Alabama, that gem coming 24 hours after he went for 36 points, six rebounds and six assists in an overtime victory against Notre Dame.

Harper hit the game-winning free throw with 11 seconds left in that game against the Fighting Irish, but that was nothing compared to his buzzer-beating triple at the end of regulation last Saturday for the win over Seton Hall.

He's had the Herculean performances, as well as the iconic moments, and he's just getting warmed up.

As a side note, it's incredible that Harper is averaging as many assists as he is, considering his only teammate averaging better than 7.6 points per game is Ace Bailey, who does a lot of his work off the dribble for unassisted buckets. Harper would maybe be putting up freshman-year Trae Young numbers (27.4 PPG, 8.7 APG) if he had at least one other teammate who could score.

1. Cooper Flagg, Duke

Season Stats: 16.6 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.6 SPG, 1.4 BPG, 10-41 3PT

MVP Performance: 22 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals, two blocks, zero turnovers vs. Auburn (Dec. 4)

As great as Cooper Flagg has already been, what's wild is that he hasn't been padding his stats in the easy wins against overmatched opponents.

Quite the opposite, in fact, as Flagg has averaged 21.5 points against Duke's six toughest opponents, compared to 10.8 points in the five games that were never going to be a problem for the Blue Devils.

If anything, he has gone out of his way to get teammates going in those games, racking up nearly twice as many assists as he does when they need him doing some heavy lifting against a quality foe.

There's probably a joke to be found in there about betting the over on how many assists Flagg might accumulate the rest of the way against a pretty weak ACC, but he has been as good as advertised through the first six weeks of his one-year stint in college hoops.

We're still waiting for one of those games where he just goes off for 30-plus like Dylan Harper has done on several occasions; an "Oh, OK, that's why he's going No. 1 overall in a few months" sort of explosion.

However, it's quite hard to argue with four double-doubles, a solid stockpile of assists and great defense through 11 games, particularly as Flagg has already drastically cut down on the turnover woes that had emerged as a potential Achilles' heel in November.

At this point, the only complaint one could make is that maybe he shouldn't be shooting close to four three-pointers per game if he's only going to make 24 percent of them. If he can turn a corner and start hitting better than 35 percent the rest of the way, though, game over; he'll be the National Freshman of the Year.