Not Michael Jordan or Cooper Flagg, this is the greatest freshman in college basketball history

Freshman phenom Cooper Flagg made his NCAA Tournament debut on Friday against the Mount St. Mary’s, and has a chance to cap one of the best first year’s that any college rookie has ever had. Duke will have to win it all for Flagg to be considered the best freshman ever, but that’s not out of the question.

Flagg’s Big Dance debut

Flagg has been hyped as basketball’s next big superstar for the last few years. After garnering nationwide attention in high school, he signed with Duke University, and is one of the key players on the Blue Devil’s one seeded side that is currently the favorite to win the Big Dance.

In his first season at Duke he averaged 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists which earned him the ACC Player of the Year award and a spot on the consensus All-American First Team. He comes into the tournament a little hobbled after spraining his ankle in the ACC Tournament. That would only add to his legacy if he were to win it all and have a stunning run in the tourney.

He had 14 points and 7 rebounds in the win over the Mountaineers on Friday, but te Dukies have their work cut out for them in the East Regional, with Alabama, Wisconsin and Arizona as the other top seeds in their part of the bracket. Should Flagg tear up the tournament, he might just be considered the best freshman ever.

Who is the best freshman of all time?

As always, these “GOAT” conversations are subject to debate. What makes the greatest of all time the greatest? Is it stats? Is it awards won? Do they have to win the title to be the greatest? Or is it a mix of all?

Michael Beasley (Kansas State, 2007/08)

If your are a stats guy, than you might think Michael Beasley is the greatest freshman ever. He led the nation in scoring (26.2 ppg) and rebounding (12.4 rpg), but his Kansas State Wildcats didn’t make it to the second week of the tournament.

Derrick Rose (Memphis, 2007/2008)

Derrick Rose was incredible in his first year at Memphis. He put up 14.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.7 assisits in his freshman year that saw the Tigers go all the way to the National Championship. In the tournemanet Rose put up 20.8, 6.5 and 6, but Memphis would go on to lose to Kansas University with a last second shot by Mario Chalmers.

Michael Jordan (North Carolina, 1981/82)

Michael Jordan had the game winning shot as a freshman at the University of North Carolina back in 1982. He put up 16 points against Georgetown in that game and averaged 13.2 ppg in the tournament but that was about on par with his average all season. So even the all-time GOAT can’t be considered the top freshman.

Anthony Davis (Kentucky 2011/12)

Anthony Davis is the only one who could and should hold a candle to our best freshman ever. Davis brought the glory back to the University of Kentucky after a 14 year title drought. Davis won the Wooden Award averaging 14.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg and led the nation in blocks with 4.7 back in 2011/12. He was named the NABC Defensive Player of the Year, and earned the Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament averaging 13.6 points, 12.3 rebounds and 4.8 blocks a game to lead the Wildcats to their eighth title.

Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse, 2002/2003)

Nothing and no one quite matches what Carmelo Anthony did back in the 2003 Tournament. After posting 22.2 points and 10 rebounds a game in his freshman year, he went into the tournament and had one of the most memorable March Madness runs ever. He averaged 20.1 points and 9.8 rebounds, hitting almost 50% of his threes in the tournament. A freshman Carmelo scored 33 against Texan in the semifinal and put up 20, 10 and 7 in the National Championship to give Syracuse their first and only National Championship.