This article is part of our Freshman Haze series.
Snow pounded the eastern seaboard this weekend, which caused the postponement of a number college basketball games. There was no similar postponement of the Haze, though it was a little chilly here at first-year headquarters. Chilly would not describe the play of the seven freshman profiled herein. These players, mostly bigs, have come along and are now entered in the Haze pantheon. It is mainly a crew that were unaffected by the blizzard (with a Rhode Islander thrown in at the end for good measure). Keep your eye on these seven players as the season enters its final two months.
Thomas Bryant, center, Indiana Hoosiers
If you had Indiana and Iowa leading the Big Ten after three weeks of conference play, I'd call you a liar. The Hoosiers are a bit of a schedule phantasm because they have only played road games at Rutgers, Nebraska and Minnesota, and have yet to face Michigan State, Maryland, Michigan or Purdue. Still, the 6-foot-10 Bryant has proven to be worth the hype. He has averaged 11.7 points on 72.2 percent from the field and 5.3 rebounds to give the perimeter-oriented Hoosiers some balance. The Indiana schedule gets harder, so they will need their big man to continue to produce and stay on the court.
Benny Boatwright, forward, USC Trojans
Before their losing visit to Oregon this weekend, the Trojans were one of the nicest surprises of the Pac 12 with wins over Arizona and UCLA in the previous week. Like the Hoosiers, USC
Snow pounded the eastern seaboard this weekend, which caused the postponement of a number college basketball games. There was no similar postponement of the Haze, though it was a little chilly here at first-year headquarters. Chilly would not describe the play of the seven freshman profiled herein. These players, mostly bigs, have come along and are now entered in the Haze pantheon. It is mainly a crew that were unaffected by the blizzard (with a Rhode Islander thrown in at the end for good measure). Keep your eye on these seven players as the season enters its final two months.
Thomas Bryant, center, Indiana Hoosiers
If you had Indiana and Iowa leading the Big Ten after three weeks of conference play, I'd call you a liar. The Hoosiers are a bit of a schedule phantasm because they have only played road games at Rutgers, Nebraska and Minnesota, and have yet to face Michigan State, Maryland, Michigan or Purdue. Still, the 6-foot-10 Bryant has proven to be worth the hype. He has averaged 11.7 points on 72.2 percent from the field and 5.3 rebounds to give the perimeter-oriented Hoosiers some balance. The Indiana schedule gets harder, so they will need their big man to continue to produce and stay on the court.
Benny Boatwright, forward, USC Trojans
Before their losing visit to Oregon this weekend, the Trojans were one of the nicest surprises of the Pac 12 with wins over Arizona and UCLA in the previous week. Like the Hoosiers, USC has an established backcourt of Julian Jacobs and Jordan McLaughlin, so they needed a player like the 6-10 Boatwright to add some balance. The freshman forward spends most of his time on the perimeter and is making 37.1 percent of his three-pointers. He has been cold from outside of late and is just 7 of 27 (25.9 percent) in his last four games. Boatwright was able to match the athleticism of Oregon on Thursday and had a nice 23-point, 12-rebound game.
Aaron Holiday, guard, UCLA Bruins
In Saturday's loss at Oregon, UCLA did not get its usual production from its starting backcourt of Isaac Hamilton and Bryce Alford who combined for 20 points on 7-of-21 shooting (33.3 percent) from the field. To keep the game competitive, the team needed rely on its 6-1 freshman who came through a season-high 19 points, five rebounds and five assists. The younger brother of former UCLA star Jrue, Holiday hit tough shots and attacked the rim. He has scored in double digits in six straight games and is averaging 11.2 points and 3.9 assists.
Haanif Cheatham, guard, Marquette Golden Eagles
Cheatham started the season as a reserve, but coach Steve Wojciechowski quickly realized that the team needed the 6-5 guard's scoring punch. He helped the Golden Eagles win nine straight non-conference games and showed the ability to score inside and outside. Cheatham has continued to be effective even as Marquette has lost more games than it has won in conference play. The guard from Fort Lauderdale is averaging 11.0 points and has hit 43.3 percent of his 3-pointers. Cheatham is particularly effective when he attacks the basket because he takes creative angles.
Brandon Clarke, guard, San Jose State Spartans
We feature a Spartan for the second week in a row, so the San Jose State program may finally be heading in the right direction. The 6-7 freshman did not play much at the start of the season and only logged six minutes in the Nov. 27 win over San Diego. In his last four games, Clarke has earned more minutes and has averaged 12.8 points and 9.5 rebounds with a pair of double-doubles. He is converting 64.5 percent of his field goals, but is just 52.6 percent from the line. If Clarke and Ryan Welage can grow together, the team could be respectable in the future.
Derrick Griffin, forward, Texas Southern Tigers
Griffin follows in the footsteps of Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez as football players who are making an impact on the hardwood. The 6-7, 225, tight end was recruited by Texas A&M, but did not qualify academically. He did not play in November, but made his presence known in his first game with 19 points and 12 rebounds in the Dec. 2 loss to Mississippi State. He now has seven double-doubles and had a monster game on Saturday. In the win over Mississippi Valley State, Griffin posted 16 points, 17 rebounds, four assists and six blocks.
Marcel Pettway, forward, Bryant Bulldogs
Freshmen guards usually progress more quickly than big men because they are not at such a strength disadvantage to players in the post. Pettway is another small school forward who is doing plenty of damage in his first year. The 6-6 forward is averaging 11.2 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds. He has six double-doubles and has scored 20 points or more four times, including twice in his last three games. Pettway does not shoot from beyond the paint and that has helped him convert 58.4 percent of his field goals. Bryant is in the middle of the NEC pack (and have lost three straight home games), but more Pettway opportunities could help them get a leg up.
