This article is part of our Freshman Haze series.
Happy holidays to the many readers of the Haze. While many of you are celebrating your holiday of choice, I would choose the start of conference play in college basketball as my holiday. In fact, you don't have to give anyone presents for the start of conference play because it is the present. Doesn't that sound like the best holiday?
This week's septet of first-year players starts at the top. People may nominate others for the top pick in the 2015 NBA draft, but I think things are pretty set in stone. Even if Jahlil Okafor gets hurt and the 76ers win the top pick, he'll still be the guy. I'm joking -- or not. The other freshmen may not be one-and-done like Okafor, but they are making waves in fantasy leagues.
Jahlil Okafor, center, Duke Blue Devils
It might seem presumptuous to put Okafor atop the 2015 NBA draft board, but there hasn't been such a smooth low post offensive option in some time. Granted, he is consistently matched up against smaller players, but that shouldn't take away from his fine 17.4 points on 65.2 percent from the field and 8.9 rebounds. Okafor had 20 rebounds against Elon (whose leading rebounder is 6-foot-7) on Dec. 15. His 51.1 percent from the line is a concern, but Okafor should cruise through his one year as a Blue Devil.
Jordan McLaughlin, guard, USC Trojans
If coach Andy Enfield is to recreate Dunk City at USC, he is going to need a solid point guard to push the tempo. It looks like the 6-1 McLaughlin may be just the guy. He leads the team with 5.4 assists and has at least five dimes in his past five games. The Trojans lost to Army in overtime on Dec. 13, but McLaughlin had a season-high 24 points. His efficiency (40.7 percent from the field, 33.3 percent on 3-pointers, 65.5 percent from the line) needs work. As the Trojans improve, McLaughlin should get higher percentage shots.
Xavier Rathan-Mayes, guard, Florida State Seminoles
Like McLaughlin, Rathan-Mayes is a freshman point guard who is making the most of his opportunity. The 6-4 Canadian was academically ineligible last season. Now that his academic house is in order, he is getting 30.8 minutes per game. He is averaging 11.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and a team-high 4.9 assists. His shooting touch may be rusty as he is connecting on just 22.9 percent of his three-pointers (and just 4-of-24, 16.7 percent in his last five games). The Seminoles will let him get through growing pains and hope his shooting slump ends soon.
Bryant McIntosh, guard, Northwestern Wildcats
Our third straight point guard, McIntosh was not supposed to start. Coach Chris Collins seemed likely to go with the light-shooting David Sobolewski, but the senior is backing up McIntosh. Like the other two first-year floor generals, McIntosh is struggling from the field by converting 38.5 percent of his shots. The good news is that he is making 37.1 percent of his three-pointers to score 10.0 points per game. He has scored in double digits in his last four games and has added 5.2 assists to his ledger.
Riley LaChance, guard, Vanderbilt Commodores
Finally, we move off the point for a Wisconsin native who is knocking down shots for the Commodores. LaChance is also playing big minutes (32.6 per game) and averaging 13.2 points. He had back-to-back 26-point games against Purdue and Western Carolina last week that included a combined eight three-pointers. On the season, he is converting 38.9 percent from long range and 48.4 percent from the field. Vanderbilt has been on the wrong end of the stick the past two seasons, but players like LaChance may give them hope for the future.
Daniel Hamilton, guard/forward, Connecticut Huskies
Hamilton comes from a family of basketball player brothers. The eldest, Gary, played at Miami. Jordan played at Texas and is now on the Utah Jazz. Isaac is at UCLA. The youngest Hamilton has filled in some of the gaps after the mass departures following last year's national championship. He is providing 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds from the Husky wing. Hamilton has scored in double digits in all but two games and had 11 assists in the Dec. 14 win over Coppin State (the Huskies lone win in the last five games).
Schadrac Casimir, guard, Iona Gaels
When a freshman drops 40 points, as Casimir did against Delaware State on Nov. 26, people take notice. In his early career, the Connecticut native has hit eight three-pointers in a game twice and is averaging 16.6 points for the Gaels. He is hitting a cool 50 percent of his field goals and 47 percent from long range (for 3.1 3-pointers per game). The 5-10 guard has had moments of inconsistency with a scoreless outing against North Texas and a three-point game against Arkansas. He should continue to be a solid complement to A.J. English, the country's fourth-leading scorer.
