This article is part of our Freshman Haze series.
Fantasy college basketball is back and with it the torrent of numbers has begun to spill. With just three days in the books, there are plenty of surprises and disappointments (hello, Kentucky!). Freshmen can provide some of the biggest surprises and in the initial Freshman Haze of the season, we will look at seven first-year players who had big performances in the opening weekend. While most people like to write "it is early, but…" we are going to take a more positive approach and write: it is early, and… Can these players be productive or were their early games a bit of a fluke?
Jaylen Newell (G)
When Lorenzo Romar was released from his contract, he took most of his shiny toys out the door with him (i.e. Michael Porter Jr.). Newell, a 6-foot-4 guard from Seattle, decided to stick around and see what coach Mike Hopkins would bring. He exploded out of the gates with a 32-point performance in the win over Belmont. He came back to earth on Sunday with just 10 points against Eastern Washington. It was a great sign that he did not force himself into the action: Newell took just five shots. He is going to keep getting big minutes and should be a productive freshman.
Zhaire Smith (G)
Early season blowouts are a reason why first-year players get extra playing time. In the opener, the Red Raiders handled South Alabama without much problem, so coach Chris Beard was able to rest his starting guards
Fantasy college basketball is back and with it the torrent of numbers has begun to spill. With just three days in the books, there are plenty of surprises and disappointments (hello, Kentucky!). Freshmen can provide some of the biggest surprises and in the initial Freshman Haze of the season, we will look at seven first-year players who had big performances in the opening weekend. While most people like to write "it is early, but…" we are going to take a more positive approach and write: it is early, and… Can these players be productive or were their early games a bit of a fluke?
Jaylen Newell (G)
When Lorenzo Romar was released from his contract, he took most of his shiny toys out the door with him (i.e. Michael Porter Jr.). Newell, a 6-foot-4 guard from Seattle, decided to stick around and see what coach Mike Hopkins would bring. He exploded out of the gates with a 32-point performance in the win over Belmont. He came back to earth on Sunday with just 10 points against Eastern Washington. It was a great sign that he did not force himself into the action: Newell took just five shots. He is going to keep getting big minutes and should be a productive freshman.
Zhaire Smith (G)
Early season blowouts are a reason why first-year players get extra playing time. In the opener, the Red Raiders handled South Alabama without much problem, so coach Chris Beard was able to rest his starting guards -- Keenan Evans and Niam Stevenson -- a bit more. Smith, a 6-5 guard, received some extra reps and put up 14 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 21 minutes. It was a productive game, but Beard will likely keep his starters on the court longer in more competitive contests. If Smith can get at least 21 minutes per game, he could be worth a look.
Marcus Garrett (G)
It is not a great sign for Mississippi State transfer Malik Newman that he had to come off the bench in the opener after a tough week of practice. Garrett was happy to step in and start against Tennessee State. He produced a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) in the easy win. The 6-5 guard may be a better fit next Devonte' Graham because of his defensive versatility. Garrett looks like one of those Kansas wings that can switch defensively and help on the boards. Because of his wealth of skills, he should continue to get plenty of minutes.
Jose Alvarado (G)
Despite leaving China with a loss to UCLA, the Yellow Jackets had some things to be happy about. They had a chance to win, center Ben Lammers (24 points, 10 boards) had a great game, and the team may have found its point guard of the future. Oh, and they were able to go to China. Despite playing without Josh Okogie and Tadric Jackson, the 6-0 Alvarado kept his team in the game. He finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, and may have taken a few steps ahead of Justin Moore in the competition for the starting point guard spot. If coach Josh Pastner's team is going to pull more surprises this season, it may be helped along by Alvarado.
Ethan Chargois (F)
The Mustangs opened the season without forward Akoy Agau (infection). In the team's opening two games, burly guard Ben Emelogu also got into foul trouble. SMU was thin in the frontcourt, but that presented an opportunity for the 6-9 Chargois. He took full advantage with 19.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in wins over UMBC and UL-Monroe. The forward attempted 10 3-point shots and made half of them. Agau will be back eventually and Emelogu will stay out of foul trouble (eventually), but Chargois has likely earned a starting spot for coach Tim Jankovich.
Justin Turner (G)
I had my eye on a Falcon freshman coming into the season, but it was 6-9 forward Derek Koch. He started, but contributed just two points and four boards to the pleasant win over Drexel on Friday. Meanwhile, Turner led the squad with 33 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. The redshirt freshman took twice as many shots as any of his teammates and provided three times as many assists. Granted, those ratios will not hold up, but the 6-4 guard clearly has the green light to shoot and will handle the ball. Sign him up!
Takal Molson (G) 
Molson is another freshman who came to school in the shadow of a higher profile recruit. D.J. Heath was rated as the highest-ranked recruit to be a Golden Griffin in 30 years. In the opening loss to Buffalo, Heath played two unremarkable minutes off the bench. Meanwhile, Molson started and scored 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting. The 6-5 guard hit three 3-pointers and helped Canisius keep the game close throughout. The shooting ratio indicates that he had a really good game, but that conversion rate is likely unsustainable. Keep an eye on Molson to see how he progresses.
