What are the 10 best men's college basketball seasons by a freshman?
Flagg is in the midst of a potent first season at the collegiate level, averaging 19.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game, while shooting 48.6/36.6/81.3 heading into Saturday's tilt.
With that in mind, what are the best seasons by a freshman men's college basketball player?
We've rounded up the 10 best. 10 best college basketball seasons by a freshman 10. Michael Beasley, Kansas State (2007-08)
"Your favorite player's favorite player" was a force to be reckoned with in his freshman season. Averaging a Big 12-high 26.2 points — which was third in the nation at that time — and 12.4 rebounds, as well as 1.6 blocks and 1.3 steals per game, Beasley helped the Wildcats get to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and win their first tournament game in 12 years. Beasley would go pro after the season, becoming the second overall pick in 2008. 9. Kevin Love, UCLA (2007-08)
Love was a walking double-double for the Bruins, averaging 17.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, while shooting 55.9/35.4/76.7 in his lone season on the college scene. The big man and future-Mr. Triple-Double, Russell Westbrook, helped lead the Bruins to a 35-4 season, a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and an appearance in the Final Four. Love would become the fifth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, one pick behind Westbrook. 8. Magic Johnson, Michigan State (1977-78)
Johnson was as spectacular at the collegiate level as he was at the NBA level. Whether it be facilitating, hitting the boards and starting the fastbreak or attacking the rack, Johnson did it all for the Spartans; he averaged 17.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and a Big Ten-high 7.4 assists per game his freshman year. The next season, Johnson and the Spartans won the national championship, and he would go on to become the first overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft. 7. Zion Williamson, Duke (2018-19)
Williamson took the sports scene by storm in the 2018-19 season. Handling the rock, attacking the rim with reckless abandonment, sticking mid-range jumpers and skying above the rim as well as anybody in the sport, Williamson — who stood at 6-foot-7 and 285 pounds — was a spectacle in his lone season in the sport. That season, Williamson averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game, while shooting an ACC-high 68.0% from the field. He would help Duke reach the Elite Eight, and he went on to be the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. 6. Derrick Rose, Memphis (2007-08)
Rose helped lead Memphis to arguably the best season in program history. Averaging 14.9 points, 4.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, Rose, who could explode off the dribble, was the motor for the Tigers' offense. While they ultimately lost to Kansas in the end, Rose and the Tigers still went 38-2 and reached the national championship, with the point guard averaging 20.8 points and 6.0 assists per game in the NCAA Tournament. Rose was the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. 5. Kevin Durant, Texas (2006-07)
Durant had one of the best seasons that a college basketball player has had, regardless of what year it came in. In the 2006-07 season, Durant posted 25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.9 steals per game, while shooting 47.3/40.4/81.6 for the Longhorns. Durant's point, rebound and block averages all led the Big 12. The well-rounded and highly efficient star forward led Texas to a 25-10 record and first-round win in the NCAA Tournament. Durant was the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft; he was part of the last version of the Seattle SuperSonics before they rebranded as the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008. 4. Chris Jackson/Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, LSU (1988-89)
Chris Jackson, who changed his name to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf in 1993, scored a lot in his freshman season at LSU — like a lot. He was second in the nation in scoring, averaging an SEC-high 30.2 points per game, while shooting 48.6/38.9/81.5 and helping the Tigers reach the NCAA Tournament. The next season, he led the SEC in scoring again, averaging 27.8 points per game en route to being selected with the third overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft. 3. Michael Jordan, North Carolina (1981-82)
In what was his first introduction to the national stage, Jordan helped the Tar Heels win the national title in the 1981-82 season that saw North Carolina go 32-2. UNC edged out Patrick Ewing, Sleepy Floyd and the Georgetown Hoyas in the title game, 63-62, with Jordan contributing 16 points and nine rebounds. Jordan would play two more seasons at Chapel Hill, leading the ACC in scoring in his final season (19.6 PPG) before becoming the third overall pick in 1984. 2. Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse (2002-03)
Arguably the best player to suit up for the Orange, Anthony delivered the school its only championship title in the 2002-03 season, when Anthony averaged 22.2 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 45.3/33.7/70.6 en route to Syracuse going 30-5. The 6-foot-8 forward could shoot off the dribble, finish at the rim, play in the post and stick it from deep. His 248 defensive rebounds that season stand as the most by a player in a single season in school history. Anthony was the third overall pick in 2003, and his son, Kiyan, will play for Syracuse starting next season. 1. Anthony Davis, Kentucky (2011-12)
More often than not, the Wildcats were knocking on the door of a national title with head coach John Calipari, but they only won the national championship once in his 15 years running the show — with Davis. In the 2011-12 season, Davis was a one-of-one. While he could certainly dominate in the paint and later developed a reliable jump shot, Davis was primarily a menace on the defensive end, averaging a nation-high 4.7 blocks, while also reeling in 10.4 rebounds per game. Offensively, he averaged 14.2 points per game, while shooting an SEC-high 62.3% from the field. Davis shot 1-of-10 from the field in the national championship, but he countered the offensive struggle by ripping down 16 rebounds and denying six shots, as Kentucky took down Kansas. Davis was the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.
Honorable mentions: Trae Young
Greg Oden
Patrick Ewing
Jahlil Okafor
John Wall
Kenny Anderson
Wayman Tisdale
Jared Sullinger
Chet Holmgren
Shaquille O'Neal
Demarcus Cousins
Pervis Ellison
Cooper Flagg
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