10 most underrated freshmen of men's college basketball so far feat. Jeremiah Fears, Labaron Philon and more
There are freshmen who have superstar expectations and are on everyone's radars. And then there are ones who are performing at a high level but going under the radar.
The 2024-25 season has witnessed the likes of freshmen Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, Liam McNeeley and VJ Edgecombe hog the national spotlight. But there are ones who aren't talked about as much despite having similar performances.
While the aforementioned names are having a lot of attention for justified reasons, the players who are yet to be named are deserving of more recognition. Here are the 10 most underrated freshmen of the 2024-25 men's college basketball season so far:
Ten most underrated freshmen of men's college basketball so far
#10 Jase Richardson
A consensus four-star recruit coming out of Columbus High School in Florida, Jase Richardson has shown flashes throughout his first collegiate campaign as a spartans-basketball" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Michigan State Spartan.
Nine games in, Richardson is averaging 10.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and two assists per contest. His shot selection has been solid as well, making 63.5% of his attemps from the field and 50% from beyond the arc.
He has been a spark plug off the bench for the Spartans, scoring in double-digits six times and counting. Hs best scoring performance was against Memphis on Nov. 26, finishing with 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting overall and 3-of-5 from downtown.
#9 Kanon Catchings
Coming out of Overtime Elite as a consensus four-star player, Kanon Catchings is off to a solid start in his collegiate career as a BYU Cougar.
Catchings is putting up 10.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and a block after eight games. His shot selection has room for improvement, shooting 36.6% from the field and 32.7% from deep, but his exploits on the court has helped BYU get off to a 6-2 start to the season.
He has scored in double-digits three times, with his highest production occurring against Central Arkansas on Nov. 5 and Ole Miss on Nov. 28, where he put up 17 points in both contests. As the son of WNBA legend Tamika Catchings, it would be fair to keep an eye on his progress throughout the season.
#8 Vyctorius Miller
In his first season as an LSU Tiger, Vyctorius Miller has impressed as a source of offense off the bench.
Following nine games, Miller is averaging 11.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 45.9% shooting from the field and 26.5% from beyond the arc. He gets to the free throw line frequently, putting up 3.8 attempts per contest.
He had a six-game streak of scoring in double digits, producing 15 points per contest on 49.2% shooting. With LSU having an 8-1 record to begin the year, Miller may be a freshman to have eyes on as the season winds down.
#7 Donnie Freeman
Despite being a top-10 recruit in the Class of 2024, Donnie Freeman hasn't been talked about as much as the freshmen above him in rankings.
He has been putting together stat lines that are worth paying attention to. Freeman has been flirting with double-doubles, averaging 14 points and 8.7 rebounds per game on 50.5% shooting overall and 30.4% from downtown.
Freeman has four double-doubles and counting this season, getting a 20-point, 10-rebound performance against Notre Dame on Dec. 7. His accuracy from the charity stripe is also praiseworthy, knocking down 84.4% of his attempts at the line.
#6 John Mobley Jr.
A four-star player coming out of Bishop Gorman High School, John Mobley Jr. has been shooting lights out from the field for Ohio State.
As a key scorer off the bench, Mobley is providing 12.9 points on shooting splits of 49.3% overall and 55.6% from three. Of the 36 shots he made this season, 25 came from beyond the arc.
He has reached double-digits in scoring seven times, including six straight to begin the season. With the Buckeyes having a 6-3 record, they could stand to benefit from having him be more involved in more areas on the court outside of scoring; that way, his efforts as one of the best shooting freshmen can be recognized more often than not.
#5 Thomas Sorber
Georgetown got a solid freshman in Thomas Sorber, coming out of Archbishop Ryan High School as a consensus four-star recruit.
With the Hoyas being nine games into their season, Sorber is averaging 15.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.6 steals per contest. As a big man, he has been efficient in his shot-making, converting 59% of his total attempts from the field.
Sorber has three double-doubles this season, as his versatility on both sides of the ball has propelled Georgetown to a 7-2 start on the season. He has reached the 20-point mark three times, with the most he scored being the 25 points he put up against Fairfield on Nov. 9.
#4 Labaron Philon
The Alabama Crimson Tide landed a skilled point guard in Labaron Philon, a consensus four-star player coming out of Link Academy in Missouri.
He's providing 11 points, four rebounds, four assists and 1.2 steals on 52% shooting from the field after nine games. He's obtained double-digits in scoring six times, scoring a season-high 18 points against Purdue on Nov. 15.
Philon has solid displays against the likes of Purdue, Illinois, Oregon and North Carolina. With Alabama off to a 7-2 start, thanks to his contributions, it would be fair for some to believe that his name could be in some discussions regarding some of the best performing freshmen.
#3 Asa Newell
Entering five-star territory with Asa Newell coming out of Montverde Academy in Florida, he has stood out as a solid performer for the Georgia Bulldogs, with the team off to an 8-1 start.
Nine games in, Newell is producing 15.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocks per contest. He is an aggressive and efficient scorer inside the arc, making 55.5% of his shots from the field this season.
He has two double-doubles to his tally, both being 20-point, 10-rebound performances against Tennessee Tech on Nov. 4 and Notre Dame on Dec. 3, respectively. His 3-point shooting is a work in progress, though, only converting three of 19 tries, but he would be a force to be reckoned with once he gets that part of his game going.
#2 Joson Sanon
Arizona State has seen one of their freshmen break out in Joson Sanon, a consensus four-star prospect from Vermont Academy.
The Sun Devils are on a six-game winning streak, with Sanon playing a key role off the bench. He's averaging 15.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists on remarkable shooting splits of 52.1% overall and 54.3% from downtown.
After Sanon's first three career games, scoring just 8.3 points on 40.9% shooting, he has ballooned up to 19.7 points at a sharp shooting clip of 55.4%. Arionza State is 8-1 this season, which could have an impact on how he's viewed in discussions about the best rookie seasons.
#1 Jeremiah Fears
Plenty of freshmen have impressed to start the 2024-25 season, but Oklahoma's Jeremiah Fears seems to be the one most deserving of recognition.
A consensus four-star player coming out of Compass Prep, Fears is putting up 16.7 points, 4.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 steals on 52.4% shooting from the field and 38.7% from beyond the arc after nine games. He's second on the team in scoring, while leading in assists and steals.
Fears notably had a standout performance against Arizona, finishing with 26 points, five rebounds and five assists on 7-of-17 shooting overall and 4-of-7 from three en route an 82-77 victory.
His high-level production has rocketed the Sooners to an undefeated 9-0 start, having them ranked in the AP Top 25, so his efforts should be noticed by many who can observe quality talents like him.