The OTHER freshmen to know

Happy Halloween! No better way to start the holiday than reading up on college hoops. Let’s get into the news.

1. Five freshmen to know, more to keep on your radar

Remember before the transfer portal when one-and-done players were all the talk? That might be in vogue again this season.

You’re probably curious which freshmen could be future NBA prospects, and which ones will make the biggest impact right away as freshmen.

With that, here are five freshmen to know, and more to watch for the 24-25 season.

We are going to exclude the big names, consensus 5-star players in the 2024 class like Cooper Flagg (Duke), Khaman Maluach (Duke) Dylan Harper (Rutgers), Ace Bailey (Rutgers), (Baylor), Tre Johnson (Texas), Ian Jackson (UNC), Jalil Bethea (Miami), Jayden Quaintance (ASU), Derik Queen (Maryland) and Liam McNeeley (UConn). All of them have already garnered national attention.

But here are some others who will contribute in a big way.

1. Boogie Fland — Arkansas

It’s hard to impress more in a debut. Fland showed he could be one of the nation’s premier guards during Arkansas’ exhibition win Friday over Kansas. The Razorback point guard finished with 22 points, five assists and six steals and shot 8-of-15 from the field. While both sides had players out, a standout performance against the AP Preseason No. 1 team is still notable, and it could be a sign of great things to come.

2. Donnie Freeman — Syracuse

Freeman came off the bench in Syracuse’s first exhibition game and started in the second. Even if he’s not a starter, the 6-9 forward will have a significant role. He’s scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds through the two exhibition games against Clarion and Slippery Rock.

“He’s a young man that is battling,” Adrian Autry said of Freeman during Syracuse’s media day. “He’s not scared. He wants to do well. He’s never going to quit. So I’ve been impressed with that.”

3. Carter Bryant — Arizona

Arizona needs some punch off the bench, and Bryant could be exactly the man to provide it. The 6-8 wing will see the floor a ton for Arizona and could be the Wildcats’ X-Factor.

"Carter has a great ability to impact the game in a lot of areas," Tommy Lloyd said. "I've been on him just to really focus on effort and energy. He is playing hard, but when you're a supreme athlete and really talented, one of the greatest gifts you have is to be able to play harder than other people."

4. Kon Knueppel — Duke

The sharpshooting wing lit up Arizona State in a charity exhibition, scoring a team-high 19 points with four 3-pointers en route to a 103-47 win. He’s been everywhere on social media to start his career in this preseason. And let’s face it: he’s at Duke. The national spotlight will remain on him and his teammate Cooper Flagg for the rest of the season. Still, the 6-7 Kneuppel has a chance to be an NBA lottery selection because of his shooting and size.

5. Egor Demin — BYU

Demin, the 6-9 freshman from Moscow, is now good to go as far as NCAA eligibility. And he’s a projected lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. There’s a lot to like about his potential fit in Kevin Young’s system at BYU.

“You don't see a lot of 6-8, 6-9 guys that handle and pass the way he does,” Young said. “Very unique from that standpoint. He shot it well here early on in practice. But just his overall feel for the game is impressive… I think he'll be somebody that people really grow to enjoy watching play.”

More freshmen to watch: Derrion Reid (Alabama), Asa Newell (Georgia), Kasparas Jakucionis (Illinois), Will Riley (Illinois), Vyctorius Miller (LSU), Jeremiah Fears (Oklahoma), Rakease Passmore (Kansas), Flory Bidunga (Kansas), Zoom Diallo (Washington).

2. NC State avoids exhibition scare + more results

Typically when you schedule an exhibition game against a Division II program, you’re expecting a comfortable victory. But NC State, who made the Final Four last season, almost ended the month with a thud.

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