Biggest Freshman Surprises?

[El Obrero]

Been watching basically every game going back to the NIT season in the 1980’s, and I’ll say this:
There have been at least a dozen players in this program who’ve displayed vastly superior skills and stats in their freshman year, but I never saw anyone take over a team with borderline Hall Of Fame NBA talent, imediately become the undisputed floor general from day one, and lead them to a national championship- the first in program history- until Khalid El Amin came along. Never saw a more mature freshman here, ever, and it’s not particularly close.

 

[OceanDoggie]

Glad I'm not the only one who understood that. Not sure why he got his panties all in a bunch just because I made a clarifying post to his post. I wasn't trying to be rude or anything like that.

The point was simple, as true senior He was ranked 47. Comparing apples and oranges was your profound "clarification"

 

[OceanDoggie]

Dude what. You made a weak point (“Caron surpassed expectations cause he was ranked just 47“) which was misleading and required clarification.

You're arguing against yourself, or just massaging the other posters jock strap. I immediately clarify His 5th year upon pointing out His true ranking for senior year against his pears. Would you prefer I preface with that fact, then proceed to state His true ranking of 47?

 

[HooperScooper]

The point was simple, as true senior He was ranked 47. Comparing apples and oranges was your profound "clarification"

 

[Mike Honcho]

Lol, he won a one way ticket to ignore island.

 

[Scoe]

It has to be Lamb, I don’t recall him ever playing in Maui. In March he played like an all American in March.

 

[Ratso]

ppl throwing out ray, bazz, lamb….all first round picks. karaban?

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

In the summer of 2001, I was a counselor in training at a camp in Vernon and Justin Brown was dating one of the counselors and came to visit one day. 13 yr old me was one of the few people who knew he was aside from being a giant. I asked him if he was going to start the next year and he said “I don’t think so. This freshman Emeka is looking really good.”

No surprise to me

Edit: walk-on Pete McCann was also a counselor there. JB may have actually been dating his sister? Anyway he was telling kids all summer he played on the team and no one believed him until Brown confirmed

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

ppl throwing out ray, bazz, lamb….all first round picks. karaban?

Karaban’s offense was pretty much what I expected. But his growth on defense from December to April was remarkable

 

[Chin Diesel]

In the summer of 2001, I was a counselor in training at a camp in Vernon and Justin Brown was dating one of the counselors and came to visit one day. 13 yr old me was one of the few people who knew he was aside from being a giant. I asked him if he was going to start the next year and he said “I don’t think so. This freshman Emeka is looking really good.”

No surprise to me

Edit: walk-on Pete McCann was also a counselor there. JB may have actually been dating his sister? Anyway he was telling kids all summer he played on the team and no one believed him until Brown confirmed

Newhoca?

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Newhoca?

 

[amishboy]

Here’s a happy thought:

Of all UConn recruits, dating back to the class of 2003 (Josh Boone, Marcus Williams), 247sports ranks Rudy Gay the highest (0.9977), followed closely by Stephon Castle (0.9966).

 

[UCan3]

Shabazz showed how great he would be way back at the 2010 Maui Invitational.

Conversely, I was kind of disappointed in Drummond’s season. Given the hype, I thought he would be more dominant.

Ummm… let us not forget it was just for 1 season… He out played some of the top big men in the game and did just fine for a freshman.


I was disappointed that Drummond didn’t stick around for 1 more year to leave a legacy at UConn.

 

[Deleted at users request]

Ummm… let us not forget it was just for 1 season… He out played some of the top big men in the game and did just fine for a freshman.


I was disappointed that Drummond didn’t stick around for 1 more year to leave a legacy at UConn.

Drummond’s case is pretty weird when you actually think about it.

He came in August/September. He didn’t even go through summer workouts/practices. Then left. Lol

Had very little chance to receive off-season coaching from Calhoun.

 

[businesslawyer]

Clingan might have been the biggest surprise
Karaban was a red shirt freshman who most of us thought would be a sixth man with significant minutes .
The big guy was slated as a project but went to someone who could have gone in the first round this year
That’s unprecedented or at least since Emeka who was not that highly regarded out of HS
Other runner ups
Brimah - unrated to key member of NC team
Hilton Armstrong
Josh Boone
Nadav Henefeld ( not really a freshman)
Christian Vital

If you count Henefeld as a freshman, easily him. Next would be Josh Boone.

No one else on that list is close.