The Best NCAA Freshmen for 2021/2022
Taking a closer look to see which freshmen stood out this season.
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As the season winds down, it is time to take a look back and see which freshmen have been terrific all season long. We first wrote about freshmen one month into the season, to see which players were standing out. This is an update on how they have performed.
This year’s freshman class has dealt with cancellations, postponements and forfeits. Those definitely have not been easy for any player, but particularly for the freshmen class, who had to deal with it while adjusting to the college game. Despite all of that, there were some freshmen who stood out and performed throughout the adversity.
Listed below are the top freshmen for this season, ranked in this author’s opinion.
All stats are from games played through Feb. 20th.
Aneesah Morrow - DePaul
Aneesah Morrow has been a terrific and consistent performer all season long. She’s the top candidate for Freshman of the Year because of what she has been able to do. She’s currently averaging 21 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. She’s scored 30 or more points in four games this season. She’s put up 21 consecutive double-doubles. She’s currently shooting 52.6% from the field and in terms of 2-point percentage, she’s even better at 56.1%. She’s third overall among all players in total points with 608. She’s first overall among all players in rebounds per game and in total rebounds with 401, breaking DePaul’s 35-year old rebounding record in the process.
Morrow leads the nation in total rebounds at 18.5 per 40 minutes. Her PER (Player Efficiency Rating) is 41.1, which ranks fifth. In terms of Win Shares, she has 9.6, which is third among all players. She’s been able to do all of this as a freshman. She has been highly efficient when relied upon and has helped her team win. Her level of play got better as the season went along and she has time to get even better as she still has three seasons of college left.
Olivia Miles - Notre Dame
Olivia Miles enrolled at Notre Dame last season and played the last six games, so she has some more experience than the other freshmen on the list, but she’s been fantastic. She had a triple-double earlier this season, and she’s been close to posting a few more. Miles is currently averaging 13.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game. She’s currently shooting 45.2% from the field, but in 2-point percentage, she’s up to 52.8%. She’s had seven double-doubles (five of them were points and rebounds and two were points and assists). She has had a 30-point game. Her 7.1 assists average is currently second among all college players. She’s shown tremendous ability to be a triple-double threat as a freshman and will be one of the players to watch in her next few years.
Rori Harmon - Texas
Rori Harmon got off to a great start in her first couple of games as a Texas guard and has not looked back since. Despite only playing 28.7 minutes per game, she is averaging 10.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. She’s put up two double-doubles (one was a points-rebounds and the other was a point-assists). She’s also been pretty close to posting a triple-double. She has scored 20 or more points two times. She’s shown her ability to help lead Texas even in her limited minutes on the court and will have the opportunity to showcase her skills more in the upcoming seasons.
Jayda Curry - California
When it comes to top-scoring freshman guards for this year, Jayda Curry comes to mind. She’s currently averaging 18.9 points per game, which is 41st among all players. She’s had a 30-point game and has scored 20 or more points seven times this season. She’s shown her ability to be a high scorer as a freshman and despite California not having a great season, having Curry on the roster is a positive because she has shown that she has star potential.
Talia von Oelhoffen - Oregon State
Like Miles, Talia von Oelhoffen entered Oregon State a year early and gained some experience. She started off on a strong note and has maintained her play throughout this season. She’s currently averaging 14.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. She was close to posting a triple-double and has had two double-doubles. She has had a 30-point game. She’s currently shooting 42.2% from the floor and has made 47% of her 2-point attempts. She’s also an excellent free throw shooter, as she’s currently shooting 87.1% from the floor. She’s been big for Oregon State this season and has given them a lift when they have needed it.
These five players have stood out as being among the best freshmen for this year’s class. However, there are a couple of names that have also played well and deserve an honorable mention.
In no particular order they are: Alexis Markowski, Nebraska; Gianna Kneepkens and Jenna Johnson, Utah; Shayeann Day-Wilson, Duke; Sonia Citron, Notre Dame; Azzi Fudd and Caroline Ducharme, UConn; and Paige Meyer of South Dakota State.
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I don't follow Utah. Is there a good argument for why Kneepkens got the PAC12 honor over Talia?