The college basketball season is winding down, and while some legitimate debates can be had on the periphery of this argument – certainly in relationship to the number four and number five positions on this list – there is very little if any doubt about the three best college basketball freshmen this season.
Lonzo Ball, UCLA
The freshmen with a real chance at National Player of the Year honors resides in Los Angeles. Lonzo Ball instantly transformed the Bruins from a struggling program uncertain of itself into an explosive powerhouse which will get a high NCAA Tournament seed and has a chance to make a run to the Final Four. Ball is a dynamic scorer. His jump shot might have a bizarre and untraditional technique, but he makes it work. Everything else about his offensive game is classically beautiful. He makes crisp passes, elegant cuts, and is direct and authoritative with his dribble-drive game, which breaks down defenders and creates chaos for opposing big men, who have to make the choice between stopping the ball and staying on their man in the paint. Ball authored UCLA’s 97-92 win in Rupp Arena against Kentucky. Few visiting point guards are ever able to beat John Calipari on his home floor. UCLA also needed Ball to rally from a 19-point deficit to beat an Oregon team which has an outside chance at being a number one seed in March Madness. You could go on and on, but Lonzo Ball checks just about every box when thinking about a Player of the Year… and he’s just a freshman. He’s been brilliant.
Josh Jackson, Kansas
There are people who might think Markelle Fultz should be ranked here, and to be honest, Fultz will probably be picked earlier in the NBA Draft, but this is not an NBA Draft board. This is about the value and performance of each player in the current college basketball season. Jackson has done more to make his Kansas teammates better. He has rescued the Kansas offense on several occasions when Frank Mason was battling the flu or Devonte Graham was missing his jump shots, or when Landen Lucas was not finishing five-foot hook shots in the paint. Jackson is able to play above the rim and get easy baskets in ways his teammates generally can’t. What probably seals the deal in terms of him being second on this list is that he plays hard defense and creates offense from his defense. He’s been great for a team that will be a number one seed.
Markelle Fultz, Washington
The brilliance of Fultz and the way he controls everything he does – as a scorer, passer and rebounder – make him an irresistible NBA Draft lottery pick, certain to go in the top four if not the top two. The main reason he’s behind Ball and Jackson is that he hasn’t been able to lift up his teammates. They’re not good teammates, but when a transcendent talent exists with a mediocre supporting cast, the quality of the team often improves. That hasn’t happened with Washington, so Fultz has to settle for third.
Lauri Markkanen, Arizona
This is where the debates begin. What about Malik Monk and De’Aaron Fox of Kentucky? How about Miles Bridges of Michigan State? Don’t forget about Jayson Tatum of Duke or Robert Williams of Texas A&M. They can all make a case. However, Markkanen and the number five player on this list have better arguments.
Markkanen is a terrific shooter who loosed up opposing defenses all season long for Arizona, until Allonzo Trier was ruled eligible to play. Markkanen basically saved Arizona’s season before Trier came along. Without his offense, Arizona wouldn’t have just one Pac-12 loss, and it wouldn’t have a chance to be the second seed in the West Region behind Gonzaga. In terms of impact, Markkanen eclipses Fultz, but he hasn’t been enough of a defender or low-post scorer to be considered a superstar.
Justin Patton, Creighton
The Bluejays have benefited from Patton’s consistent production all season, but a key point to note is that Creighton suffered when point guard Maurice Watson got knocked out for the season with an injury in January. The team needed a few weeks to recover, but Patton has kept the team afloat with his dynamic defense and his disruptive presence in the paint, a strong deterrent to opposing big men. Similar to Markkanen, Patton has meant a lot more to his team’s success compared to the Kentucky players or other possibilities on this college basketball list.
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