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With Selection Sunday just around the corner and March Madness bearing down on us, the final Frosh Watch of the regular season — wherein David Cobb and I update our top five freshmen performers on the season and identify a Freshman of the Week — is finally upon us. So today we’re going out with a bang in crowning a first-time winner who has consistently been a top-five freshman all season.
Duke big man Kyle Filipowski never had blow-up weeks to warrant consideration during the season, but he ended his regular-season on a high note to get our attention. Against rival North Carolina on the road, Filipowski on Saturday turned in a monstrous 22 points, 13 rebounds in 35 minutes to sneak his Blue Devils past the Tar Heels.
Filipowski finishes No. 3 in our regular-season freshmen rankings after a steady season in which he led Duke in both scoring and rebounding as a consistent inside-out force. Duke has not gotten the production it hoped it would from fellow freshmen five-stars Dariq Whitehead and Dereck Lively, but Filipowski has been reliably productive all season, culminating with one of his biggest weeks of the season.
Our freshmen rankings finish the way they started the season, at least as it pertains to the top. Alabama freshman Brandon Miller went wire-to-wire with the No. 1 spot in our rankings after a tremendous season. Hot on his trail was Kansas’ Gradey Dick, who finished No. 2. Keyonte George and Jalen Hood-Schifino solidified their standings as top five freshmen with strong finishes to the season, rounding out the No. 4 and No. 5 spots.
Let’s dive into the rankings this week.
Freshman of the Week: Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Welcome back to the Frosh Watch, our weekly ranking of the five most impressive freshmen in college basketball. CBS Sports has once again teamed up with the United States Basketball Writers Association and its Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award to present this weekly feature. Each week we’ll start by announcing the national Freshman of the Week honoree. The cycle for FOTW runs Tuesday-Monday.
On the road in a hostile environment, Duke fell behind late against UNC but clawed its way to a 62-57 win over the Tar Heels. Filipowski was key in powering Duke to the finish line, scoring 13 points in the second half and gutting out 18 of the final 20 minutes.
“Flip, he’s been right there. Him and Jeremy [Roach] have been our two best players all year,” said Duke coach Jon Scheyer. “To have 22 and 13 after a slow start, it says a lot about who he is. He’s a big-time winner. We just went to him. He found a way to manufacture points when we needed them the most.”
Filipowski was the third-highest ranked signee in Duke’s lauded 2022 recruiting class, but his production this season and impact on both ends of the floor far outpaced even the lofty expectations set before him. Entering the ACC Tournament this week, he sits in the top five in the league in rebounding, top 20 in scoring and 21st in blocks for a Duke team that — in no small part because of him — is rounding into form as March Madness approaches.
Now, without further ado, let’s jump in to this week’s rookie rankings — with a brief pit stop highlighting the previous Freshman of the Week winners this season:
- Nov. 22: Anthony Black, Arkansas
- Nov. 29: Fletcher Loyer, Purdue
- Dec. 6: GG Jackson, South Carolina
- Dec. 13: Nick Smith Jr., Arkansas
- Dec. 20: Brandon Miller, Alabama
- Dec. 27: Cason Wallace, Kentucky
- Jan. 3: GG Jackson, South Carolina
- Jan. 10: Jarace Walker, Houston
- Jan. 17: Brandon Miller, Alabama
- Jan. 24: Brice Sensabaugh, Ohio State
- Jan. 31: Jarace Walker, Houston
- Feb. 7: Aidan Mahaney, Saint Mary’s
- Feb. 14: Taylor Hendricks, UCF
- Feb. 21: Gradey Dick, Kansas
- Feb. 28: Jalen Hood-Schifino, Kansas
Frosh Watch: Top five freshmen rankings
Miller concluded the regular season as the nation’s highest-scoring freshman by a significant margin. In addition to his prolific offensive numbers in 31 games, the lanky wing also proved to be a quality defender and rebounder while leading the Crimson Tide to an SEC title. Amid some 3-point struggles in Alabama’s last three games. Miller still managed to reach the free-throw line and made 20 of 21 attempts. Even during his rare offensive struggles, Miller still manages to make an impact for a Crimson Tide team with legitimate national title aspirations. Miller’s connection to a January shooting is a serious issue he won’t be outrunning anytime soon, and it’s an obvious distraction. But on the court, it’s clear who the best freshman was in college basketball this season.
Dick ended the regular season as the second-leading scorer for the Big 12 champions after leading Kansas in 3-point makes during the regular season with 73 in 31 games. The 6-foot-8 wing made at least one 3-pointer in all but two games while also proving to be much more than just an outside shooter. With a knack for deflecting the basketball and the ability to attack the basket off the dribble, Dick has played his way into first-round NBA Draft consideration, should he choose to turn pro. He was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week three times during the regular season and will play an integral role in the postseason as KU tries to defend its national title.
Filipowski has been great all season, but he saved some of his best regular season basketball for last by going for 22 points and 13 rebounds in Duke’s win at North Carolina on Saturday. It was the 14th double-double of the season for the 7-footer, who is Duke’s leading scorer and the top scoring freshman in the ACC. Versatility is what sets Filipowski apart as he can player power forward or center for the Blue Devils. His 3-point shot is respectable enough to garner respect, and he’s a surprisingly competent perimeter defender for a player of his age and size.
George was injured after playing just six minutes at Texas on Feb. 25 and struggled in his return at Iowa State on Saturday. But he still closed the regular season as the Big 12’s top scoring freshman despite the hits those game took on his average. With 12 games of 20 or more points to his credit, the 6-4 guard is among the most explosive scorers in the country. George has blended well in a back court that features plenty of other talented players, and he’s got a chance to become one of the postseason’s top stars if he goes on a scoring outburst at the right time.
This is the first time since the 2015-16 season that Indiana finished the regular season with a winning record in Big Ten play, and Hood-Schifino had a lot to do with it. The 6-6 guard provided the type of dynamic playmaking from the back court that the Hoosiers have needed. With fellow guard Xavier Johnson officially shut down for the season, the ball will be in Hood-Schifino’s hands quite a bit this month. He’s averaging 17 points over Indiana’s last seven games. Like George, he could become a March star because of the position he plays for a team with lofty aspirations.
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