In this era of college basketball, with the COVID year players still lingering, the best way to get good is to get old. However, there have been many true freshmen who despite being a high school student earlier this calendar year are making an immediate impact on the college game. I selected my pick for the best freshman in every conference so far.

America East- Sebastian Robinson (NJIT)

NJIT hasn’t lit the world on fire this season, but they have gotten some immediate contributions out of their freshman class, most notably point guard Sebastian Robinson. Robinson is putting up nearly 10 points per game, and also leads the Highlanders in assists. Earlier this year, Robinson scored 25 points to go along with five assists in a win over Delaware State.

HM: Tariq Francis (NJIT), Anthony Valentine (UMBC)

American- Zion Stanford (Temple)

A month into the season, Zion Stanford has established himself in Temple’s frontcourt. The freshman is averaging an efficient 12 points per game, and has scored 14 or more in his last four. In his two games played vs top 100 teams, he’s put together his best games of the season. Playing high school in Philadelphia, the Owls didn’t have to look far for Stanford.

HM: Jayden Reid (South Florida), Tyshawn Archie (Tulsa)

Atlantic 10- Xzavier Brown (St. Joseph’s)

Also in Philadelphia, St. Joseph’s freshman guard Xzavier Brown has impressed so far. His shooting has been extremely efficient, shooting 50% from 3-point range so far. Brown has also shown playmaking abilities, with the second highest assist rate on the team. Another local product, Billy Lange and staff secured a recruiting win keeping Brown home.

HM: Bobby Durkin (Davidson), Baraka Okojie (George Mason), David Fuchs (Rhode Island)

ACC- Carlton Carrington (Pitt)

At this point of the season, Pitt guard Carlton “Bub” Carrington is looking like one of the major recruiting steals. Carrington has good size for a point guard, and has been an elite passer so far, in addition to nearly averaging 15 points per game. Carrington made national headlines with a triple double opening night, and has shown that he’s far from a one game wonder, with consistent play since then.

HM: Markus Burton (Notre Dame), Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina)

ASUN- Tucker Anderson (Central Arkansas)

Central Arkansas hasn’t been great this year, but freshman forward Tucker Anderson has been a big bright spot. Leading the Bears at scoring at nearly 15 points per game, Anderson has shown the ability to score from three point range. He’s coming off a game where he had 22 points, five rebounds, five assists, and shot 6-of-10 from three point range.

HM: Cody Head (Lipscomb), Frankquon Sherman (Kennesaw State)

Big 12- Ja’Kobe Walter (Baylor)

It’s not a huge surprise to see Ja’Kobe Walter here, but it is still noteworthy how good the Baylor freshman has been playing this season. Walter is averaging 14.9 points per game, leading the undefeated Bears. He’s done so with a high level of efficiency, having a true shooting percentage north of 60. Walter established himself in college basketball with 28 points in his first game against Auburn.

Big East- Dailyn Swain (Xavier)

The Big East is lacking any truly elite freshmen, but Xavier forward Daily Swain has still had a solid season. He hasn’t been a super high usage player on offense, but has been fairly effective on that end. However, he’s been elite on defense, having lots of versatility and so far being the best defender on the Musketeers. With lots of potential to still unlock, Swain has a very high ceiling.

HM: Stephon Castle (UConn, not enough games), Sasa Ciani (Xavier), Solomon Ball (UConn)

Big Sky- Money Williams (Montana)

Under 10 games into his college career, Money Williams already is adjusted to the college game, being one of the highest usage players in the country. Offensively, he’s very skilled, and can create his own shot or create for others. He’s averaging 15 points per game, and his last game was his best, scoring 21 points to go along with nine rebounds and two assists in a win over San Jose State.

HM: Kolton Mitchell (Idaho State), Viljami Vartiainen (Weber State)

Big South- Juslin Bodo (High Point)

High Point big man Juslin Bodo isn’t a freshman that’s been lighting it up with his scoring. However, Bodo has been a huge piece for an overachieving High Point team, starting every game so far. He’s been elite on the boards and protecting the rim, and still is a good finisher inside. Bodo was a highly ranked recruit for the conference, and so far is living up to his ranking.

HM: Kory Mincy (Presbyterian), Emanuel Richards (Longwood)

Big Ten- Owen Freeman (Iowa)

While Iowa has had some struggles to start the season, they have some hope for the future, in big man Owen Freeman. Freeman has quickly become one of the Hawkeyes most important players, excelling on both ends. Offensively, he’s an efficient inside scorer and rebounder. Defense is a big struggle for Iowa as a whole, but Freeman has shown lots of potential, being in the top 15 nationally in block percentage and top 100 in steal percentage.

HM: John Blackwell (Wisconsin), Cam Christie (Minnesota)

Big West- Derin Saran (UC Irvine)

UC Irvine is a team that experienced some significant offseason turnover, and freshman guard Derin Saran has filled in a lot of that production. He’s efficient and consistent on the offensive end, scoring in double digits the past six games. The Anteaters have a real shot to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019, and Saran is a big part of that.

HM: Barrington Hargress (UC Riverside), Quentin Jones (Cal Poly)

CAA- Tyler Tejada (Towson)

Towson forward Tyler Tejada is another freshman that hasn’t been scared of the moment, having the highest usage on the team. Tejada is averaging double digits, and had a 17 point performance against Wake Forest earlier this season. He’s shown the ability to score from inside and out, and should be a high level CAA player if he sticks around at Towson.

HM: Abdi Bashir (Monmouth), Nick Dorn (Elon)

Conference USA- David Terrell Jr. (UTEP)

Conference USA isn’t filled with freshman contributing right away, but UTEP guard David Terrell Jr. has proven to be a quality piece. Terrell is second on the team in assist rate, and has had at least one assist every game. His scoring game is still developing, but has shown flashes and should be a good long term piece.

Horizon- Corey Hadnot II (Purdue Fort Wayne)

Purdue Fort Wayne has been a surprise team this season, and freshman guard Corey Hadnot II has been an impactful piece of that. He hasn’t been super efficient thus far, but has shown the abilities to score from inside and out, and has flashes of becoming a good floor general. Hadnot has been consistent, scoring either eight or nine points in six of his nine games.

HM: Gabe Dynes (Youngstown State), Marcus Hall (Green Bay)

Ivy- Malik Mack (Harvard)

Malik Mack has easily been the best freshman in the Ivy League, and it wouldn’t be a far-fetched take to say he’s been the best freshman in the country. He’s currently averaging north of 20 points per game on efficient scoring, including shooting 50% from 3-point range. He’s also an elite passer, with a 33% assist rate. His best performances of the season have been 32 points in a win at Mass, and 27 points at Indiana.

HM: Tyler Perkins (Penn), Sam Brown (Penn)

MAAC- De’Shayne Montgomery (Mount St. Mary’s)

The MAAC is filled with high level freshmen, one of them being Mount St. Mary’s guard De’Shayne Montgomery. Montgomery is a player that has shown his impact on both sides of the ball. On offense, he’s had some big games, including 22 points at Ole Miss and 27 points vs Siena. Defensively, he’s third in the country in steal percentage and averages over a block per game.

HM: Jean Aranguren (Iona), Peyton Smith (Fairfield), Ahmad Henderson (Niagara)

MAC- Arne Osojnik (Eastern Michigan)

As a freshman, Slovenian wing Arne Osojnik has gave some major contributions to Eastern Michigan. He’s shooting nearly 40 percent from three point range on the season, and made six in a win over Central Arkansas. Osojnik has also been efficient when scoring from inside the arc, and is one of the best in the country at not turning the ball over.

HM: Evan Ipsaro (Miami OH), Sonny Wilson (Toledo)

MEAC- Deywilk Tavarez (Delaware State)

Three games into his true freshman campaign, Delaware State freshman Deywilk Tavarez was handed the keys to the team as the starting point guard. Taverez isn’t always the most efficient player, but has shown the abilities to score from inside and outside, and pass the ball at a high level. He’s scored in double figures the last six games, and had three or more assists the last seven.

HM: Mitchell Taylor (South Carolina State), Camaren Sparrow (Coppin State)

Missouri Valley- Kevin Overton (Drake)

Despite being a freshman, Drake wing Kevin Overton has started his first nine games in college. Overton has been a very efficient scorer from inside the arc, and has multiple 20-plus point performances, in wins over Oakland and Saint Louis. He’s not a super high usage player outside of scoring, but Overton has already shown that he’s a proven bucket getter at the college level.

HM: Johnny Kizinger (Illinois State), Joshua Hughes (Evansville)

Mountain West- JT Toppin (New Mexico)

Playing on New Mexico, one of the best Mountain West teams, freshman big man JT Toppin has already established himself. Toppin has been an elite player all around the floor, including scoring from inside, converting on over 77% from inside the arc. He’s also been elite on defense, being a high level rebounder and rim protector. Toppin is just scratching the surface of his potential, and will be a player to monitor in the coming years.

HM: Dedan Thomas Jr. (UNLV), Tru Washington (New Mexico)

NEC- Budd Clark (Merrimack)

From day one, Adam “Budd” Clark has been the starting point guard for the defending NEC champions, Merrimack. He’s shown many different abilities, scoring in double figures seven out of his first nine games. Clark has also shown flashes of passing, averaging over three assists per game. His on-ball defense is also notable, averaging nearly three steals per game and getting at least one every game.

HM: Bobby Rosenberger III (Saint Francis), Eric Acker (LIU)

Ohio Valley- Jaylen Jones (Tennessee State)

Tennessee State freshman Jaylen Jones is another point guard that’s made a big impact right away. Jones is a double digit scorer, and has done so consistently, scoring in double digits the past six games. He’s also shown passing abilities, with an average of over three assists per game. He made four 3-pointers in his most recent game after having three the whole season before, so that may be a sign of new things to come.

HM: Jaylen Crocker-Johnson (Little Rock), Eddie Ricks III (Morehead State)

Pac-12- Isaiah Collier (USC)

USC freshman Isaiah Collier was the number one recruit in the country, so it’s not a surprise to see him here. Collier has taken a big offensive load, scoring efficiently and in double figures every game. He’s also been a high level passer, but at the same time has turned the ball over more than you’d like. The Trojans have struggled as a team, but with Collier, it’s hard to completely count them out.

HM: Cody Williams (Colorado), Sebastian Mack (UCLA), KJ Lewis (Arizona)

Patriot- Ryan Curry (Army)

Early in his college career, Army guard Ryan Curry has shown lots of potential as the point guard of the future for the Black Knights. Curry has started every game so far, and has been a good scorer and facilitator. His best game of the year came at Indiana, where he scored 20 points and dished out four assists, as army nearly pulled off the upset.

HM: Josh Scovens (Army), Kyrone Alexander (Boston U)

SEC- Reed Sheppard (Kentucky)

Given the reputation of the program, it’s not surprising to see a Kentucky freshman here. However, Reed Sheppard wouldn’t have been most people’s first guess. Sheppard is currently leading the country in true shooting percentage and effective field goal percentage, and shooting 59% from three point range. Sheppard has also been a high level playmaker and elite defensively, and is now in one-and-done territory.

HM: Josh Hubbard (Mississippi State), Rob Dillingham (Kentucky)

SoCon- Myles Che (Chattanooga)

Early in his college career, Chattanooga freshman guard Myles Che has shown to be an impactful piece. Che has been a good scorer from inside the arc, and also one of the better passers for the Mocs. His best scoring performance of the year came in his first game, where he scored 22 points to get the win at Louisville. Che has also started every game this year.

HM: Jake Davis (Mercer), Jeremy Lorenz (Wofford)

Southland- Ryan Forrest (Northwestern State)

Northwestern State guard and former Memphis commit Ryan Forrest has already been a big contributor to the Demons as a freshman. Forrest is their second leading scorer, and had some huge games, including 25 points in back to back games against North Florida and Presbyterian. Forrest is a very high usage player, and has shown that he doesn’t have a problem scoring at this level.

HM: KC Ugwuakazi (Texas A&M Commerce), Evan Phelps (Texas A&M Commerce)

SWAC- K’Jei Parker (Florida A&M)

Florida A&M has their trust in freshman point guard K’Jei Parker, who is currently playing the most minutes on the team. The Rattlers have played a tough non-conference schedule, and Parker has had some big games there. He was the Kenpom MVP against Oregon, scoring 18 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists. Parker also scored in double digits against Creighton and Nebraska.

HM: Delang Muon (Southern), Orlando Horton Jr. (Prairie View A&M)

Sun Belt- Vasean Allette (Old Dominion)

Vasean Allette was a big recruiting win for Old Dominion, so it’s not a complete shocker that he’s producing already. However, averaging nearly 15 points per game this early into his career is very impressive. Allette has scored in double figures every game but one, highlighted by a 30 point performance at Old Dominion. Allette has also been active on defense, averaging nearly two steals per game.

Summit- DeAndre Craig (Denver)

For the second straight year, Denver has a freshman from Chicago contributing right away, this time it being DeAndre Craig. Craig hasn’t been super efficient, but he’s had some big games, including the Pioneers most recent outing, where he scored 16 points at Colorado State. He’s also shown defensive and passing flashes, and could be in for a big year.

HM: Josh Jones (Oral Roberts), Isaac Bruns (South Dakota)

WCC- Tyler Harris (Portland)

Tyler Harris has been playing big minutes since he got to Portland, and had a very strong start to the season, with 17 and 22 points in his first two games, and 12 rebounds in both. He’s also made a big impact on the defensive end with his athleticism and versatility. Although Harris hasn’t been quite as impressive lately as he was to start the season, he’s shown what he’s capable of.

HM: Dusty Stromer (Gonzaga), Ryan Beasley (San Francisco)

WAC- Makaih Williams (UT Arlington)

UT Arlington freshman guard Makaih Williams has made an immediate impact, taking the starting point guard spot four games into the season. Williams has had some solid games as a starter, showing scoring and playmaking flashes. He also excels at drawing contact and getting to the free throw line, shooting 14 free throws in his second start. Williams still has lots of room to grow and should make even more progress this season.