College basketball started this week and the Big Ten had some players shine in their collegiate debuts. This season’s Big Ten freshmen class is strong; the first week proved that. With some historic performances, it is time analyze the best freshmen this week.
Historic Start for Big Ten Freshmen
Will Riley, Illinois
One of the best freshmen this week is Will Riley from Illinois. In the Illini’s game against Eastern Illinois, Riley went off. He scored 31 points and shot 5/6 from three. He was the best player on the floor for Illinois and really shined. Even though the opponent was decidedly below par, it is good to see a freshman perform like this. The Illini play Alabama later this month, they will need Riley to play like this in order to compete.
Derik Queen, Maryland
In the first game of his collegiate career, Derik Queen looked dominant. He scored 22 points and secured 20 rebounds in a dominant Terrapins win over Manhattan. He also got things done on the defensive side of the ball by recording two blocks and a steal. This was the first 20/20 performance from a freshman in his first game since Michael Beasley in 2007.
On a team full of experienced players, Queen was clearly the best on the floor. He will be important for the Terps’ success this season. Next week, they face a big test against Marquette. It will be interesting to see how Queen performs against a high-major opponent.
Dylan Harper, Rutgers
With the other freshman phenom Ace Bailey out due to an injury, Wednesday night was the Dylan Harper show in New Brunswick. The New Jersey native showed out for his home state by scoring 20 points in his collegiate debut. More importantly, he was a force on the defensive end by grabbing 3 steals. He was unable to get things going from deep and struggled from the free-throw line, but these should be easy fixes. With numbers like this, Harper will be able to help Rutgers a ton this season.
The Last Word
This year’s Big Ten freshmen class looks amazing. In a conference that has long been reliant on known for its experienced players, it is nice to see an injection of youth. We have also not even seen the best freshman play in the aforementioned Bailey. These young players will be great in college and will be exciting to watch all season long.
