Rating school basketball’s finest freshmen: Kentucky’s Cason Wallace earns Freshman of the Week honors

We’re seven weeks deep into the 2022-23 school basketball season, six weeks deep into the Frosh Watch and as we speak asserting our sixth separate winner of this week’s Freshman of the Week — Kentucky’s Cason Wallace. It is a  signal of simply how a lot nice younger expertise the game is having fun with this season.

Our weekly freshmen rankings have had numerous mainstays within the prime 5 with Brandon Miller of Alabama and Gradey Dick of Kansas separating themselves because the clear prime two within the early going this season, however we have had loads of turnover, too, with GG Jackson of South Carolina coming into his personal, Wallace flashing moments of stardom and loads of others pushing for inclusion.

The game is in nice form and getting higher as first-year gamers throughout the nation slowly and constantly develop into larger roles, which makes whittling our listing down to simply 5 each week a near-impossible job. However David Cobb and I’ve every solid our personal ballots and landed on a recent 5 for the week. So let’s dive into this week’s outcomes by introducing Wallace for his first weekly honor as Freshman of the Week.

Freshman of the Week: Cason Wallace, Kentucky

Welcome again to the Frosh Watch, our weekly rating of the 5 most spectacular freshmen in school basketball. CBS Sports activities has as soon as once more teamed up with the US Basketball Writers Affiliation and its Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Yr Award to current this every-Tuesday function. Every week we’ll begin by asserting the nationwide Freshman of the Week honoree. The cycle for FOTW runs Tuesday-Monday.

Kentucky’s offense this season has been painful and bordering on malpractice given the expertise on the roster, however Wallace has been one of many few vivid spots. That continued this week as he poured in a career-high 27 factors in a 20-point win over Florida A&M. Wallace went 10-of-15 taking pictures from the sphere, 5 of 6 from 3-point vary and tied a career-high with 9 assists besides.

“He made pictures,” stated UK coach John Calipari. “We have to maintain working with him as he performs level. Resolution-making, seeing the courtroom higher. However what he did [vs. FAMU] was make pictures. He is a terrific participant.”

With out additional ado, let’s soar into this week’s rankings. However first, here is a glance again on the earlier rankings to this point this season and the winner of every Freshman of the Week.

Frosh Watch: High 5 freshmen rankings

1. Brandon Miller, Alabama

Stats: 19.3 PPG | 8.7 RPG | 2.0 APG | 44.2% 3PT

Miller is tied atop the SEC in factors per sport with LSU’s Okay.J. Williams as league play begins, and he leads all freshmen nationally in scoring. The lanky wing is a deadly 3-point shooter with a deep bag of offensive abilities that make him a matchup nightmare and certain NBA lottery decide. Even in a comparatively quiet offensive efficiency towards Jackson State final week, Miller nonetheless completed with a double-double as he pulled down 14 rebounds to go together with his 10 factors.

2. Gradey Dick, Kansas

Stats: 15.4 PPG | 4.8 RPG | 1.7 APG | 48.6% 3PT

Dick is likely to be the most effective 3-point shooter within the nation, no matter class. What’s most encouraging about his exterior taking pictures contact thus far is that it has translated towards high quality opposition. If he will get open even for a second, Dick will make you pay. He is additionally third in steals for Kansas and proving to be way over only a shooter. By means of the season’s first two months, Dick has outperformed the excessive expectations he entered with as a five-star prospect ranked No. 21 within the class by 247Sports.

3. Kyle Filipowski, Duke

Stats: 14.4 PPG | 8.9 RPG | 1.3 APG

Filipowski’s streak of double-digit scoring performances to start his school profession lastly got here to an finish in a loss to Wake Forest final week when he completed with simply 9 factors. It was his worst sport but, however it was certainly not indicative of how robust Filipowski has been for the Blue Devils. The 7-footer is proving to be one in every of school basketball’s premier “unicorn” gamers this season. Even at his peak, he can defend a number of positions and function a playmaker offensively.

4. Keyonte George, Baylor  

Stats: 15.1 PPG | 4.3 RPG | 3.9 APG | 32.6% 3PT

George is proving to be an offensive dynamo for a Baylor workforce that has no scarcity of scoring guards. Whereas his 3-point shot continues to be a piece in progress, his chops as a distributor have made him a dynamic addition to the Bears’ lineup. He’s second amongst all Massive 12 freshmen in assists per sport and barely trailing Gradey Dick of Kansas for the highest scoring spot among the many league’s freshmen. His productiveness as a younger participant for a veteran-laden workforce has been spectacular.

5. Jett Howard, Michigan

Stats: 15.6 PPG | 2.5 RPG | 2.5 APG | 40.3% 3PT

Michigan’s 7-4 file is disappointing, however Howard’s play has been a ray of sunshine amid the Wolverines’ powerful begin. In a shedding effort towards North Carolina final week, he scored 17 factors on 6-of-12 taking pictures, together with a 3-of-7 mark from past the arc. At 6-foot-8, Howard’s versatility and playmaking are spectacular, and his exterior shot has been a shot within the arm for Michigan’s offense. Howard seems like one of the vital NBA-ready freshmen on this class.