This article is part of our Freshman Haze series.
When I started writing the Freshman Haze, lo, those many years ago, I thought the title related to the ritual demeaning of underclassmen. Little did I realize that the haze part of the title could be used to describe the feeling after watching game after game of college basketball. Perhaps if we wipe away the haze, we will see the light. As in years past, each week I will look at seven freshmen who are making waves in the fantasy college basketball circuit. This week, we have seven first-year players who are off to fast starts. Will it last?
Tyler Dorsey, guard, Oregon Ducks
One of the tenets of my DFS 101 article was that injuries are key. They are also a key to freshmen getting playing time. Dylan Ennis went down with a left foot injury, so the Ducks were left without starting point guard. Dorsey, a 6-fot-4 guard, was slated to start at shooting guard, but he moved over to take over the ball handling duties. So far, so good. Dorsey opened with 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in the opening win over Jackson State, then put up 12 points, six rebounds and five assists in the win over Baylor on Monday. He should get as many minutes as he can handle while Ennis is out (likely until Christmas) and should slide over to shooting guard when Ennis returns.
Jerome Robinson, guard, Boston College Eagles
It is always interesting to see freshmen pop out after only
When I started writing the Freshman Haze, lo, those many years ago, I thought the title related to the ritual demeaning of underclassmen. Little did I realize that the haze part of the title could be used to describe the feeling after watching game after game of college basketball. Perhaps if we wipe away the haze, we will see the light. As in years past, each week I will look at seven freshmen who are making waves in the fantasy college basketball circuit. This week, we have seven first-year players who are off to fast starts. Will it last?
Tyler Dorsey, guard, Oregon Ducks
One of the tenets of my DFS 101 article was that injuries are key. They are also a key to freshmen getting playing time. Dylan Ennis went down with a left foot injury, so the Ducks were left without starting point guard. Dorsey, a 6-fot-4 guard, was slated to start at shooting guard, but he moved over to take over the ball handling duties. So far, so good. Dorsey opened with 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in the opening win over Jackson State, then put up 12 points, six rebounds and five assists in the win over Baylor on Monday. He should get as many minutes as he can handle while Ennis is out (likely until Christmas) and should slide over to shooting guard when Ennis returns.
Jerome Robinson, guard, Boston College Eagles
It is always interesting to see freshmen pop out after only getting a sentence or two in Blue Ribbon. Boston College had a lot of available minutes and it looks like the 6-5 Robinson is going to use some of them well. He opened the season with 19 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals in a win over St. Francis (New York). The Terriers are not a great team, but little was expected of the Eagles this season. If Robinson can continue to score in the backcourt next to Eli Carter, the Eagles could cause problems for opponents.
Dwayne Bacon, guard, Florida State Seminoles
Bacon, on the other hand, got plenty of ink in Blue Ribbon and he has looked like an excellent scorer in the early going. The 6-7 guard has started next to Xavier Rathan-Mayes in the Seminoles' backcourt and provided 25.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals through two games. Like BC, Florida State has played a couple of small schools to start (Jacksonville and Nicholls State), so "Bakes" has not seen much resistance. Other than Florida and maybe Iowa, the Seminoles do not have much on the non-conference slate, so Bacon should keep sizzling.
D.J. Hogg, guard/forward, Texas A&M Aggies
The Aggies have an excellent recruiting class coming in this season and I will profile center Tyler Davis in the near future. For now, I had to put Hogg after Bacon. The 6-8 forward has come off the bench in the first two wins for the Aggies. He scored 20 points in the opener, including five three-pointers, then hit another three long-range shots in the win on Monday over Southeastern Louisiana. It helps that Jalen Jones is on academic suspension for the first four games of the season (due to participation in summer scrimmages), but Hogg should be a perimeter option for the Aggies for the rest of the season.
Ryan Mikesell, forward, Dayton Flyers
Like Hogg, Mikesell, a 6-7 forward, is getting minutes because the starter has been suspended. Dyshawn Pierre made waves by getting suspended after an investigation into a sexual assault, but he then sued the school to get reinstated. Pierre can apply for reinstatement on Dec. 20, and Mikesell looks like he will take advantage of the extra playing time. He scored 21 points in the opener against Southeast Missouri State with five three-pointers. Mikesell fell off to just three points in the win over Alabama on Tuesday, but he should get plenty of opportunities in the non-conference slate.
Rickey Brice, center, North Texas Mean Green
Freshmen center are like fantasy gold in many leagues. Brice opened some eyes in his debut by going for 12 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out after 17 minutes against Jarvis Christian. He fell off to five points, five rebounds, and three blocks in 18 foul-plagued minutes in his second game against Texas College. Against these small schools, he has been able to use his 7-0, 260-pound frame to demolish opponents. Even against most Conference USA opponents, Brice will be the biggest player but it remains to be seen if he can stay out of foul trouble.
Jordon Varnado, forward, Troy Trojans
If Varnado's name looks familiar, it is because his brother Jarvis was a shot blocker extraordinaire at Mississippi State before bouncing around the NBA for a few seasons. The younger Varnado is just 6-6 (unlike his 6-9 brother), but looks like has has a more polished offensive game. Through two games, he has averaged 23.5 points and 10.5 rebounds. His debut came against South Florida (26 points, 10 boards), which has a decent frontcourt. With 33 field-goal attempts in his first two games, Varnado should continue to be the focus of the Trojan offense.
