Sports
Ranking men’s basketball Freshman of the Year contenders: Who is No. 1?
After years of high school players playing overseas or for the G League or Overtime Elite as they developed their skills for the NBA, college basketball has again emerged with a monopoly on these first-year talents.
The numbers prove it: Eighteen freshmen were selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA draft, and 17 are projected to go in the first round of ESPN’s latest 2026 mock draft.
The 2025-26 group features an abundance of decorated freshmen with the traits of future stars at the next level. While Cooper Flagg looked the part of a No. 1 pick early in the 2024-25 campaign, this season’s race for the top spot could be one of the most competitive battles in recent history.
With one of the strongest freshmen classes we can recall, we’re here to help you make sense of it all with our Freshman of the Year tracker — a barometer of this strong crew of underclassmen, which we’ll update every other Wednesday as the race takes shape.
The conversation about the top NBA prospects will persist, but this ranking aims to answer a different question: Who is the best freshman in America? That answer probably will change throughout the season, and players on the list now might not be on it in a month or two.
For now, what follows is the top 10 best freshmen in the country through the first 16 days of the season. Note that we’ve decided that a freshman must play in 50% of his team’s games to be considered, so no need for angry emails about the omission of Kansas star and projected top NBA draft pick Darryn Peterson. We’ll talk when he’s healthy.

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Biggest performance so far: 25 points, six rebounds vs. UConn on Nov. 15
Dybantsa exited high school as the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class — and he hasn’t disappointed through the first four games. He took over late in the opener against Villanova, performed well against Holy Cross and Delaware, then looked like a No. 1 pick in the second half of Saturday’s narrow loss to UConn, bringing the Cougars almost all the way back from a 20-point deficit before falling short by two. He’s averaging 20.3 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 57.4% from the field and 40% from 3. — Jeff Borzello
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Biggest performance so far: 18 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists vs. Kansas (in New York) on Nov. 18
Although Boozer struggled early in Duke’s win over Kansas at Tuesday’s Champions Classic, he still finished with an admirable stat line. The performance on the big stage of Madison Square Garden was more proof that even on an off night, Boozer still manages to play a vital role for his team. The two-time Gatorade Player of the Year started his college career with a breakout effort in an exhibition win over Tennessee before he registered a double-double in a season-opening victory against Texas. There was more preseason buzz around Dybantsa, and Peterson is the projected No. 1 pick in ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft, but Boozer has already made the case that he’s as good as any freshman — or player, for that matter — in America. — Myron Medcalf
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Biggest performance so far: 24 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists vs. Kansas on Nov. 7
Against Navy on Tuesday, Wilson dribbled through the lane, rose above the rim and slammed in the ball — one of his many SportsCenter-worthy plays thus far. The five-star prospect from Georgia isn’t lacking in swagger, and he backed up that confidence when he led the Tar Heels to a win over Kansas in his second college game. Beyond the numbers (20.6 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.8 BPG), he has also been praised by coach Hubert Davis as a vocal leader the team needs. Wilson will have to carry a bigger load with veteran Seth Trimble sidelined by a broken arm, but the freshman seems equipped to take on the pressure. — Medcalf
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Caleb Wilson elevates for slam vs. North Carolina Central Eagles
Caleb Wilson gets up for the beautiful slam dunk
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Biggest performance so far: 29 points, five assists vs. Kentucky on Nov. 11
It was clear from the moment Brown committed that Pat Kelsey was going to hand him the keys to the Cardinals’ offense. It has worked so far, with Brown leading a unit that ranks third in the country in scoring at 103 points per game. He has been both a scorer and playmaker for Louisville, averaging 19.3 points and 6.8 assists, both tops among all freshmen. His performance in last week’s rivalry win over Kentucky was special — he carved up the Wildcats’ defense and looked generally unguardable, turning it over only once. — Borzello
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Biggest performance so far: 30 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists vs. Florida on Nov. 3
Peat had one of the most impressive debuts for a freshman in recent memory, dominating reigning champion Florida and arguably the nation’s best frontcourt on opening night to make an early case that he belongs in the top tier of incoming prospects. Peat was the first player in Big 12 history to post 30 points and five assists in their career debut, per ESPN Research. And while his numbers have slowed since, notably struggling against UCLA, he’s still averaging 16.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists. — Borzello
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Biggest performance so far: 22 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds vs. Auburn on Nov. 16
Kelvin Sampson said Houston’s talented freshman class would need time to excel at this level, but the 6-foot-4 Flemings hasn’t needed it. Through four games, he’s the best player on a team chasing the program’s first national championship, leading the Cougars in scoring (17.3) and assists (5.3). He and fellow freshman Chris Cenac Jr. combined to score 40 points in Sunday’s win over Auburn in Birmingham, with Flemings dominating as a scorer and distributor, performing at a mature level in his team’s toughest game to date. — Medcalf
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Kingston Fleming comes up with a clutch block
Kingston Fleming stays with Tahaad Pettiford and blocks his shot with less than a minute remaining.
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Biggest performance so far: 33 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists vs. Providence on Nov. 8
Avdalas is as distinctive a prospect as they come in this season’s freshman class. He’s 6-foot-9, plays the game at his own pace and has some of the best offensive instincts of the group. He went through the NBA draft process last year, even earning an invite to the combine, but Mike Young is certainly glad the Greece native opted to go the college route. Avdalas hasn’t repeated the star performance he had against Providence, but he’s averaging 16.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists, tied for second among all freshmen in the latter category. — Borzello
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Biggest performance so far: 23 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists vs. Northern Kentucky on Nov. 8
Considered one of the elite shotmakers in the 2025 class, there was some concern coming out of the Volunteers’ exhibition games that Ament’s talent wasn’t translating immediately. Once the lights turned on and the regular season started, those concerns dissipated. Ament has scored at least 18 points in each of Tennessee’s four games, and he’s showing more promise as a rebounder (at least eight rebounds in every game) and passer (at least five assists in two games) than expected. He’s averaging 19.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists. — Borzello
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Biggest performance so far: 27 points and 21 rebounds vs. Colgate on Nov. 14
Mirkovic came to the U.S. after playing professionally in Montenegro for a couple of seasons. That experience has enabled him to hit the ground running in Champaign. He opened his career with 19 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists in Illinois’ win over Jackson State. And he’s averaging 18.5 points, 12.5 rebounds (second among all freshmen) and 2.3 assists after his huge outing against Colgate, in which he became the first Illinois player to post 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game since Nick Weatherspoon in 1972. — Borzello
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Biggest performance so far: 32 points, eight assists combined at Michigan State on Nov. 8
We thought the two Arkansas stars, who scored 38 points combined in Tuesday’s 84-83 win against Winthrop, were both good enough to crack this list. They’re a package deal and have staked their claim as one of America’s best duos in just a handful of games. Together, they’re averaging nearly 40 points and 10 assists. Acuff, a 6-3 point guard, has made 42% of his shots from beyond the arc. And Thomas, a 6-5 wing, is averaging 6.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists. John Calipari has a couple of elite freshmen in his backcourt. — Medcalf
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Meleek Thomas rocks the rim with powerful dunk
Meleek Thomas gets up for the beautiful flush
Also considered: Ebuka Okorie, Stanford; Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor; Thijs De Ridder, Virginia; Hannes Steinbach, Washington
Sports
Transfer rumors, news: Dembélé to turn down PSG extension
Ousmane Dembélé is going to reject a new contract offer from Paris Saint-Germain, and Arsenal have their eye on Newcastle defender Tino Livramento. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.
Transfers home page | Men’s winter grades | Women’s grades
TOP STORIES
– San Diego working on exit of Mexico star Lozano
– Man City confirm Semenyo signing in $84m deal
– Sources: Saka to sign new five-year deal at Arsenal
TRENDING RUMORS
– Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé is set to reject Paris Saint-Germain‘s contract extension offer, as per Footmercato. Despite being offered a new deal which would see him earn €30m per year, the forward is holding out for double that amount. Dembélé, 28, is entering the final two years of his current PSG contract this summer, which may draw the attention of clubs around Europe.
– Arsenal are plotting to sign Newcastle United full-back Tino Livramento next summer, according to The Sun. Manchester City are also reported to be monitoring the 23-year-old, although it remains to be seen how concrete their interest is. Livramento is entering the final two years of his deal at Newcastle, with the club set to prioritize extending that in the coming months. A £60m valuation has previously been mooted for the England international, who is likely to feature at this summer’s World Cup.
– England midfielder Georgia Stanway will leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season, she has announced. Stanway, who has 87 England caps, joined Bayern from Manchester City in 2022 and has won three league titles in Germany, as well as two European Championships with the Lionesses. “The decision to leave was incredibly difficult. I definitely didn’t make it lightly. I’ve made friends and memories here that will last a lifetime, and I’ve been able to develop enormously as both a player and a person.”
– Aston Villa are exploring the idea of signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher this month, TalkSPORT has revealed. The former Chelsea star would welcome a return to the Premier League, having started just four La Liga games this season. Villa are open to the idea of signing him on loan with a future permanent transfer clause, a deal that would satisfy any short-term PSR concerns. Gallagher has been in Madrid since the summer of 2024 and has almost four years remaining on his current deal.
– Marcus Rashford has already informed Barcelona of his desire to stay at the club beyond this season, according to Fabrizio Romano. While no formal agreement between the two parties is in place just yet, Barca are said to be “very happy” with the England international’s contributions. The Catalan giants have the option to sign Rashford permanently from Manchester United for around €30m this summer.
OTHER RUMORS
1:38
Guardiola: Semenyo chose Manchester City after interest from ‘many clubs’
Pep Guardiola talks about Antoine Semenyo’s decision to join Manchester City from Bournemouth.
– Hungary midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, 25, has reached an agreement in principle to extend his contract at Liverpool, rejecting interest from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. (CaughtOffside)
– Atalanta forward Daniel Maldini is a January option for Juventus. The Italy international is viewed as a potential back-up for Kenan Yıldız. (Matteo Moretto)
– Rangers have enquired about the possibility of signing Sunderland duo Dan Neil and Romaine Mundle. Sunderland are open to letting the latter leave on loan this month, with Espanyol and Club Brugge also keen. (Sky Sports)
– Everton are tracking Genoa’s Brook Norton-Cuffy and Bologna’s Emil Holm as they target a new right-back signing. A new winter arrival would likely see Nathan Patterson leave the club on loan. (Sky Sports)
– Al Hilal are closing in on a deal to sign former Arsenal defender Pablo Marí in a €2m deal. (Fabrizio Romano)
– Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign Scottish wonderkid Keir McMeekin from Hearts. (Fabrizio Romano)
– Stuttgart striker Jovan Milošević is on the verge of joining Werder Bremen on loan until the end of the season, with a medical set to take place this weekend. (Sky Germany)
– Atlanta United are advancing on a deal to acquire left-back Elías Báez from San Lorenzo for a fee in the region of $3 million. (Tom Bogert)
– Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti and Mauricio Pochettino are all on Manchester United’s managerial shortlist to replace Ruben Amorim. (Daily Mirror)
Sports
US figure skating power couple makes history with record breaking seventh national championship
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U.S. figure skating stars Madison Chock and Evan Bates made history on Saturday with their record-setting seventh U.S. Figure Skating title in their final competition before the Milan Cortina Olympics.
The three-time reigning world champions, performing a flamenco-style dance to a version of the Rolling Stones hit “Paint It Black” from the dystopian sci-fi Western show “Westworld,” produced a season-best free skate and finished with 228.87 points.
“The feeling that we got from the audience today was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before,” Chock said.
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Madison Chock and Evan Bates of United States perform during ISU World Figure Skating Championships – Boston, at TD Garden, on March 28, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Jurij Kodrun – International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)
They’ll be the heavy favorites to win gold next month in Italy.
“I felt so much love and joy,” Chock continued, “and I’m so grateful for this moment.”
U.S. Figure Skating will announce its selections on Sunday.
Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik were second with 213.65 points and Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko were third with 206.95, making those two pairs the likely choices to join Chock and Bates on the American squad for the upcoming Winter Games.
The men’s medals also were to be decided on Saturday, though two-time world champion Ilia Malinin had built such a lead after his short program that the self-styled “Quad God” would have to stumble mightily to miss out on a fourth consecutive title.
The U.S. also has qualified the maximum of three men’s spots for the Winter Games, and competition is tight between second-place Tomoko Hiwatashi, fan favorite Jason Brown, Andrew Torgashev and Maxim Naumov to round out the nationals podium.
The last time Chock and Bates competed in the Olympics in 2022 in Beijing, they watched their gold initially go to an opponent who was later disqualified for doping violations.
Chock and Bates initially had to settle for team silver with their American teammates on the podium at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Team Russia and Kamila Valieva, who was 15 at the time, stood above them with their gold medals.
It wasn’t until the end of January 2024, when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found Valieva guilty of an anti-doping rule violation, when Chock, Bates and the U.S. were declared the rightful 2022 gold medalists.
UN URGES COUNTRIES TO HONOR TRUCE DURING WINTER OLYMPICS, NOT DENY VISAS TO ANY NATION’S ATHLETES

Madison Chock and Evan Bates compete in championship ice dance at the U.S. figure skating championships Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance, during an anti-doping test at the Russian Figure Skating Championships in December 2021. She was suspended for four years and stripped of all competitive results since that date.
Chock and Bates spoke about what their message to Valieva would be today during an interview at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee media summit in October.
“It’s hard to, I think, imagine what a 15-year-old has gone through and under that kind of situation,” Bates said. “And I know how stressful it is, being an elite athlete as an adult, as a 36-year-old. And I think that grace should be given to humans across the board. And we can never really know the full situation, at least from our point of view. … I genuinely don’t know what I would say to her.”
Chock added, “I would just wish her well like as I would. I think life is short. And, at the end of the day, we’re all human just going through our own human experience together. And regardless of what someone has or hasn’t done and how it has affected you, I think it’s important to remember we’re humans as a collective, and we’re all here for this, our one moment on earth, at the same time. And I just wish people to have healthy, happy lives, full of people that love them.”
Chock and Bates had to wait more than two years after the initial Olympics to get their rightful gold medals, and they were finally presented with them during a ceremony at the Paris Olympics last summer.
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Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the USA perform in the Gala Exhibition during the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final Nagoya at IG Arena on December 07, 2025 in Nagoya, Japan. (Atsushi Tomura – International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)
Chock, Bates and teammates Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim and Vincent Zhou were given a specialized gold medal ceremony to receive the medals in front of more than 13,000 fans.
Chock and Bates became the first ice dancers to win three consecutive world championships in nearly three decades in March when they defeated Canadian rivals Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sports
Clock is ticking for Frank at Spurs, with dwindling evidence he deserves extra time
LONDON — The previous Tottenham Hotspur head coach survived last season by having a trophy to play for. So where does Thomas Frank turn to now for inspiration?
Spurs’ 2-1 home defeat to Aston Villa ended their FA Cup campaign at the earliest possible opportunity. They are already out of the Carabao Cup and languish 14th in the Premier League. They still harbor hopes of reaching the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds, but not even the most optimistic Tottenham fan would give them a chance of winning Europe’s toughest club competition.
Frank will consequently feel very exposed right now. Ange Postecoglou had the shield of a Europa League campaign to bat away some of the mounting criticism of his tenure. It ultimately ended in glory, too, as Spurs won their first trophy in 17 years by lifting the Europa League in May. But his team’s underlying underperformance over such a long period of time still led to a change in the dugout.
There are deep-rooted problems that Frank has inherited: an imbalanced squad short on quality, an impatient fan base and a porous defense. The problem is, it is getting harder to see any signs of progress in resolving them.
– Biggest FA Cup shock ever: Macclesfield stun holders Crystal Palace
– FA Cup third round upsets this weekend: Macclesfield, Wrexham giant killers
Tottenham’s early-season defensive resilience and set-piece prowess has dissipated. Villa eased into a 2-0 halftime lead here through goals from Emi Buendia and Donyell Malen, both well-worked but given undue space and time to play.
Their attack continues to look disjointed, even if Spurs rallied after the break. Wilson Odobert halved the deficit with a low drive on 54 minutes and although they found some spirit and intensity, Spurs ended with an expected goals figure of 0.55. This was not as bad as some of the toothless performances Frank has presided over, but nevertheless, they couldn’t consistently threaten Villa’s goal.
The modicum of second-half improvement can be interpreted two ways: It was either the dying embers of a failed regime or a flash of hope that Frank can elicit a longer-lasting uptick.
The Tottenham hierarchy now faces a test of nerve. Premier League games against West Ham United and Burnley come next. Both teams are currently in the bottom three. Failure to win either of those games would leave Frank’s future hanging by a thread.
There was a nod to the past here with Spurs’ matchday squad and program commemorating the 125-year anniversary of their first FA Cup win in 1901. Frank often talks about the future being brighter, when long-term absentees such as striker Dominic Solanke — who returned for the final seven minutes here after ankle surgery — attacker Dejan Kulusevski and midfielder James Maddison return to a side more steeped in his ideas.
Looking at the past and future is one thing, but the present is becoming a major problem. Spurs fans would be forgiven for thinking their season is petering out halfway through.
“Of course it is disappointing,” said Frank. “We are all hurt. There’s nothing we want to do more than to get through to the next round, no matter who we face. We played at home, we had a good opportunity.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t go through. We went with full strength in terms of how we could do it. We all look back at the game and think we could do better in the first half, second half.”
The full-time fracas involving Villa striker Ollie Watkins, Spurs midfielder João Palhinha and a raft of other players was the sort of dust-up that often occurs at the end of a game, but cynics would put it alongside the loss of composure and discipline that is threatening to become a concerning trait under Frank. Perhaps that was why Frank took the unusual step of blaming Watkins, who went to acknowledge the Villa fans while very close to Palhinha.
“Of course, it is all about keeping a cool head,” he said. “The players gave everything out there, losing a tight game, the season is not going perfect and I think Ollie is very provoking in the way he’s going down to celebrate in front of the Villa fans.
“He is just walking into João and he could just easily walk around. Everyone who has a been of a competitive nature, it is difficult, that can trigger things.”
It can, but Spurs have been triggered by a lot lately, whether it is clashing with fans at Bournemouth in midweek or Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven appearing to snub Frank at full time of their defeat to Chelsea in November. Cristian Romero was suspended here after a red card against Liverpool, having received an extra game ban for “acting improperly by failing to leave the field of play promptly” following last month’s red card against Liverpool.
It all adds to a concerning wider picture. When Spurs sacked Postecoglou, a line from their accompanying club statement read: “It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond.”
That belief is being tested to the limit now.
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