Connor Cagley, Big Sports Radio Basketball Writer
January 12, 2023
Coming into conference play across the country, we are examining how the 2022 freshman class is performing relative to expectations since the beginning of the season. This is article two in a six part series.
We are seeing a differentiation of performance as the freshmen find out that results are more important than their ranking prior to arriving on campus. The groups of players can be broken down into three basic groups: those that are exceeding expectations, those that are meeting expectations, and those that are underwhelming.
This installment focuses on four more players who are exceeding expectations.
Michigan’s Jett Howard came into the season as the 2022 freshman class’ 42nd ranked recruit in the country. If you are watching this season, you know that ranking is nowhere near accurate. Through fifteen games, Howard is averaging 14.3 points, 3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He’s shooting 44.4 from the field and 36.7 from the three. Jett’s father, Juwan Howard is lucky to have him on the team. Without him, they’d be struggling more than they already are.
Michigan’s best player, Hunter Dickinson, needs as much spacing around him as possible from outside. Howard, who shoots 6.5 threes per game, really helps in that regard. At one point, he was thought of as a multi-year college player, but with his skillset, it looks likely he’ll be a one and done after this season. The caveat to this is if Juwan Howard talks him into coming back for the sake of the team.
Anthony Black was a player who shot up the rankings during his senior year of high school, ending up as a five star recruit. At 6’7” he is playing the point guard role for the Razorbacks. This is a result of consensus number one ranked recruit only playing five games this season due to injury. To date in the season, he’s averaged 12.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. He’s shooting 48.8% from the field and 32.6% from the three.
Black’s three point jump shot represents his biggest opportunity for growth. Where he shows his true potential is as a shot creator and as a versatile defender. He’s another who has solidified himself as a first round pick and one who could go as high as the top ten if he continues this level of play.
Coming out of high school, Keyonte George was billed as one of the best scorers in the entire class. Through fifteen games, that has held true. Averaging 16.8 points per game for the Baylor Bears and also leading them in scoring. He also averages 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
The only knock to his game so far is that his efficiency with which he’s scoring isn’t the greatest – 38.2% from the field and 33.6% from three. That’s an area George will need to improve to help ensure the Bears are successful in conference and tournament play. Those are both lower than overall team averages.
Kyle Filipowski came into the season as a premier post player in this class. His versatility and ball handling abilities allow him to play either the four or five comfortably. He’s the leading scorer and rebounder for the Duke Blue Devils.
He averages 13.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. He’s shooting the ball at a lower clip than many expected at 42% from the field and 26.6% from the three. These percentages leave a little to be desired, but he shows solid form and it’s reasonable to expect these percentages to go up as he adapts to the speed of the college game. Filipowski may not be the prototypical center prospect, but his offensive skill set will make teams want him in the league.
The next installment in this series of six will focus on four players who are underwhelming in relationship to expectations.
