Freshman Check-In

This year’s freshman class is off to a great start in college basketball, so I thought we would take a look at how the nation’s best recruits are faring in their first handful of games. 

Tyran Stokes (Kansas)

The 2026 class’s No.1 recruit had his coming-out party on the biggest stage Monday night against Kentucky. The 6’8 forward dominated the Wildcats with a 23-point, 10-rebound double-double as the Jayhawks cruised to a 20-point victory. 

Stokes is averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. A big question mark coming into the season was Stokes’ three-point shooting. He has answered those questions so far, shooting 41.7% on four attempts. 

Kansas has a great mix of freshman talent mixed with experienced upperclassmen. Stokes has a chance to lead the Jayhawks on a deep run if he keeps playing at this rate. 

Jordan Smith (Arkansas)

The nation's No. 2 recruit is headlining another strong recruiting class from head coach John Calipari. Averaging 14 points per game on 44.4% shooting, Smith looks like he is on the long list of Calipari guards with excellent freshman seasons.

The 6’2 guard can do it all. He’s averaging 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. The knock is his shooting. Smith is shooting just 25.0% from beyond the arc and 60.0% from the free-throw line. It is still early enough in the season to turn it around, but it is something to monitor.

Jason Crowe Jr. (Missouri)

The leader for freshman of the year has to be Jason Crowe Jr who is off to a blazing start for the Tigers. The California native is averaging 21.7 points per game on 46.0% shooting. Missouri is a sleeper in the SEC thanks to Crowe’s shooting ability (36.4% from 3). 

Crowe scored 34 points against SIU-Edwardsville on Monday and also put up 23 points against Cleveland State in his first collegiate game. If he keeps scoring at this rate, Crowe can run away with the freshman of the year award and shoot up NBA teams’ draft boards.

Marcus Spears Jr. (Texas)

Spears was the nation's No. 1 recruit in the 2027 class, but he reclassified to this year’s class and has made an immediate impact as a 17-year-old for the Longhorns. The 6’9 forward is shooting 61.9% from the field and averaging 12.0 points in 20 minutes per game coming off the bench. 

Texas is ranked inside the top-10 for a reason, and Spears’ role will only increase as the season goes on. As soon as his confidence grows and he starts to dominate, watch out for the Longhorns. 

Caleb Holt (Arizona)

Holt got off to a slow start in his first collegiate game against UCLA, scoring just seven points on 2-for-7 shooting. But the 6’5 guard has bounced back with 21- and 17-point performances in his next two games. 

The Wildcats will need to rely on the guard to provide performances like the last two throughout the season. Arizona’s depth is an issue, so the stars will need to shine night in and night out. Holt is averaging 15 points per game on 51.4% shooting and 6.7 rebounds per game. He is 1-11 from the three-point line, so that will need to improve.