This article is part of our Freshman Haze series.
Prior to the college basketball season, freshmen come to us bathed in hype. I dislike hype. Nearly every highly recruited player heads into the season after putting up ridiculous stats in high school. Those are well and good, but I prefer to see how they will perform as the level competition rises. Some players sink, but many figure things out. Some players even surprise.
Each week in the Haze, I will profile seven first-year players who are making some noise (and some that have failed to fulfill the hype). Many fantasy college basketball leagues require a freshman, so I hope that this column will once again become required reading. This week's seven many concentrates on schools in the east with a nice surprise from the Pac-12.
Isaiah Whitehead, guard, Seton Hall Pirates
One of the first games I watched this season was Seton Hall against Mercer because I wanted to see Whitehead, the first McDonald's All-American to join the Pirates since 2000. The 6-foot-4 guard from Brooklyn did not play well in the opening game win, but he appears to be finding his role as a starter for coach Kevin Willard's team. He has taken over as the team's lead offensive facilitator with 17 assists in his last three games. Whitehead added 18 points in the win over Illinois State. The downside is that Whitehead is turning the ball over 4.2 times per game. He is also hitting just 22.2 percent of his 3-pointers.
Angel Delgado, forward, Seton Hall Pirates
While Whitehead is learning his role with Seton Hall, Delgado knows what he is supposed to do every time he gets on the court: grab rebounds. Fortunately, the 6-9 forward from the Dominican Republic is very good at hauling in missed shots. He is averaging 9.8 boards and has two double-doubles in his last three games. Delgado has the size and athleticism to be an impact defender. He has blocked six shots in five games. Like Whitehead, Delgado has negatives to his game: he has made just 22.7 percent (5-of-22) of his free throws.
Chris McCullough, forward, Syracuse Orange
Jerami Grant and C.J. Fair left Syracuse early to try out for the NBA. Grant could make some noise with the Philadelphia 76ers (in fact, he may be their best player) while Fair is in the D-league. Their departures opened up things for McCullough, a 6-10 forward from the Bronx. While he came to school with a reputation that he sometimes coasted on the court, McCullough has been hitting the boards. He has provided 15.3 points and 8.5 rebounds through five games. The Orange freshman is coming off his best game with 14 points and 13 rebounds in the win over Holy Cross on Nov. 28.
Melo Tremble, guard, Maryland Terrapins
While we continue to adjust to Syracuse in the ACC, Maryland has left the conference for the Big 10. Maryland is kind of in the Midwest, isn't it? Tremble, a 6-2 guard, had one of the best games by a freshman in the early season with 31 points in the Nov. 24 win over Arizona State. He has shown the ability to score both from the perimeter (44.8 percent on 3-pointers) and by attacking the rack (7.0 free throws attempted per game with a conversion rate of 90.5 percent). With Dez Wells out for a month with a broken wrist, Tremble has the opportunity to take over the Terrapin offense.
Jakob Poeltl, forward, Utah Utes
The Ute rotation seemed to set with players such as Delon Wright, Brandon Taylor, Jordan Loveridge, and Jeremy Olsen. Add in center Dallin Bachynski and there didn't seem to be much room for freshman contributors. Bachynski and Olsen are coming off the bench and watching the Austrian seven-footer go to work. Poeltl has been doing damage in limited minutes, including 24 points (10-of-10 from the field) with 12 boards and five blocks in 27 minutes in the Nov. 28 win over North Dakota. He is averaging 12.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks to be one of the nicest surprises of the early season.
Eric Paschall, guard, Fordham Rams
For a team that hasn't won more than 10 games in the last five years and hasn't reached the NCAA tournament since 1992, Fordham has been a nice source of fantasy players. For four years, Fordham hosted Chris Gaston. Last year, Jon Severe came on the scene (17.3 points), but he has been quiet as a sophomore. Paschall is leading the Rams with 16.0 points and 5.0 rebounds. The 6-6 freshman from Dobbs Ferry, New York opened the season with 31 points and 10 rebounds in the Rams' lone win against NYIT. He also had 25 points in the Nov. 29 loss to Maryland-Eastern Shore and looks to be a high-usage player.
Peyton Aldridge, forward, Davidson Wildcats
Aldridge did not get much ink the preseason from Blue Ribbon. When a Davidson grad in one of the Big Chief leagues (who has won multiple championships) made a big trade offer for Aldridge, I knew something was up. The 6-7 freshman has not disappointed with 12.0 points and 6.8 rebounds. He actually had his best game in the Wildcats' lone loss to North Carolina on Nov. 22. He had 25 points and nailed six 3-pointers. The Ohio native forms part of what could be a strong A10 offense with Jack Gibbs (15.8 points) and Tyler Kalinoski (14.6 points).
