Undoubtedly as Chief and Superjohn are driving home, there is a physical, mental, and cardio correlation with performance, and generally outcome.
The freshman experience and certainly my experience (ancient as it was) at this level, you find there are two major variables that separate role/starter to stand-out.
1) If you came in with great to dominant athleticism you are ahead of the game.
2) Great basketball skill/great sense of flow of game (think Herb Crook teammate of Never Nervous), you name the skill, including D, you had a leg-up.
So depends how they come in, after that hard work can make up the gap v. former advanced teammate.
And when you get there, immediately its weights, ball hard,
film/unofficial basketball class. Eat, study hall, rinse, repeat. It's difficult to duck out of any of that, again my experience. So normally its evident who's out lifting who, whose vertical has improved, same w/squats, film session.
I believe coaches, your teammates, and anyone who competes against you knows when you turn the corner. Your teammates see strength, advanced understanding, ease of how game comes.
Made sound like some ish to some but this was my experience. You can always improve on how you came in, those are the pros. Guys who start out behind, outwork other guys by some metric, that's the beauty of athletics and competition in general.
