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The 2025 NCAA Tournament begins Tuesday with First Four action from Dayton, so it's time to get familiar with who some of the best freshmen in college basketball are. Unless you have been living under a rock or casually tunning into the action for the first time this season, you probably are already familiar with Duke superstar Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Flagg has not only been the best freshman in the sport but also arguably the top overall player. Flagg is favored to win the Wooden Award, which annually goes to the top player in college basketball. Although Flagg suffered an ankle injury during Duke's win over Georgia Tech last week, he is expected to return for the NCAA Tournament.

Flagg isn't the only player you should be keeping tabs on. One player who should excite fans with his playstyle is Maryland big man Derik Queen. Queen is a projected first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and has been a key piece in Maryland's success.

Here are the top 10 freshmen playing in the NCAA Tournament.

1. Cooper Flagg, Duke

2024-25 season stats: 19.1 PPG | 8.3 RPG | 3.9 APG

Flagg entered the season as one of the most hyped-up recruits of the modern era and has exceeded that hype. Flagg's greatest strength while playing in high school was his defense, and the biggest question mark coming into the year was about what he could do offensively. Flagg has shown this season why he's an elite two-way player and more than worthy to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Flagg has improved his self-creation tremendously since arriving on campus while still impacting the game at a high level on the defensive end. A deep tournament run from Flagg could solidify himself as having one of the best one-and-done seasons in college basketball history.

2. Tre Johnson, Texas

2024-25 season stats: 19.8 PPG | 3.0 RPG | 2.8 APG

If you need a bucket, Johnson is your guy. The First Four should be appointment viewing simply because Johnson will be playing. As CBS Sports' Chris Hummer wrote earlier this month, there was legitimate fear Texas would miss the NCAA Tournament, which would also mean Johnson's March would be short-lived. Johnson led the SEC in scoring. He is easily Texas' best freshman since a guy by the name of Kevin Durant was on campus almost two decades ago. Johnson has been a stock riser since the start of conference play and has made a real case to go in the top five of this summer's draft. If Texas goes on a run, Johnson will be spearheading the way.

3. Derik Queen, Maryland

2024-25 season stats: 16.3 PPG | 9.0 RPG | 1.9 APG

Queen has all the makings to become a March Madness darling. Queen is a projected early-to-mid first-round pick. Part of why Queen is one of the most unique players in the sport is his blend of size and finesse. Queen has been incredible (and efficient) at the rim. Per Synergy, Queen is converting on 67.9% of his shots at the rim. Queen dropped a season-high 31 points in Maryland's last game against Michigan.

4. VJ Edgecombe, Baylor

2024-25 season stats: 15.0 PPG | 5.6 RPG | 3.3 APG

There aren't many people in college basketball who are more athletic than Edgecombe. The Baylor freshman has the potential to be an All-NBA defender at the next level, and those skills and athleticism have been on display throughout the 2024-25 season. If you need an example, look no further than his college debut against Gonzaga. Edgecombe threw down a powerful one-handed flush over Joe Few, the son of Gonzaga coach Mark Few, in the final moments of that game. Edgecombe has improved his shooting and shown why he's on track to be a top-five pick this summer.

5. Kon Knueppel, Duke

2024-25 season stats: 14.4 PPG | 4.0 RPG | 2.7 APG

Knueppel would be far and away his team's best NBA Draft prospect on most teams. That's not the case here because his teammate, Cooper Flagg, is the projected No. 1 pick in the draft. But, Knueppel should still be a lottery pick when it's all said and done. Knueppel stepped up big-time with Flagg out for the final two games of the ACC Tournament with an injury. Knueppel scored 28 points against Georgia Tech and finished with 35 combined during the next two games en route to a conference title. Knueppel has been efficient from all spots on the floor. He is shooting 47.2% from the field, 39.2% from the 3-point line, and 91.4% at the free-throw line. Flagg is Duke's best player, but Knueppel can help raise Duke's ceiling this tournament.

6. Kasparas Jakučionis, Illinois

2024-25 season stats: 15.0 PPG | 5.6 RPG | 4.6 APG

The last time Illinois produced a top-10 NBA Draft pick was in 2005, when Deron Williams was selected No. 3 overall. Five players have been selected in the top 10 out of Illinois, and there is a strong possibility that Jakučionis will be next. The 6-foot-6 guard is a crafty facilitator who has shown an ability to get to his spots with ease. He had a stretch earlier this season in which he scored 20 points in six consecutive games, but has scored over 20 only three times since. Turnovers have also been an issue for the star guard, with six(!) in back-to-back Big Ten Tournament games against Iowa and Maryland. A possibility of a Texas vs. Illinois matchup in the first round would see two of the top first-year players in the sport (Johnson and Jakučionis) go head-to-head.

7. Liam McNeeley, UConn

2024-25 season stats: 14.5 PPG | 6.1 RPG | 2.3 APG

If UConn is going to make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament, McNeeley is its x-factor. The Huskies are simply a different team when he plays. When McNeeley missed some time earlier this season with an injury, UConn struggled. In his second game back from injury last month against Creighton, McNeeley dropped 38 points on the road in a 70-66 win. 

8. Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma

2024-25 season stats: 17.0 PPG | 4.1 RPG | 4.1 APG

Fears' freshman season at Oklahoma has quite literally been a rollercoaster. The highs have been high, and the lows have been low. The good news for Oklahoma is that Fears is playing his best basketball when it matters. He dropped 31 points in a win over Missouri earlier this month and scored 28 in a heartbreaking loss to Kentucky in the SEC Tournament. The 3-point shooting (27.5%) is somewhat alarming, but Fears has shown he can get a bucket in different ways. Oklahoma will go as far as Fears takes them.

9. Jase Richardson, Michigan State

2024-25 season stats: 12.0 PPG | 3.2 RPG | 1.9 APG

The son of former NBA star Jason Richardson, Jase Richardson played an integral part in Michigan State winning the Big Ten regular-season title. Richardson has seen his role increase during the last month, which has resulted in him logging over 30 minutes in eight of MSU's last 11 games. Richardson is shooting 41.2% from the 3-point line on 3.0 attempts per night. Richardson is the exact kind of player every team needs to make a deep run in the tournament because he does the little things.

10. Asa Newell, Georgia

2024-25 season stats: 15.3 PPG | 6.8 RPG | 1.0 BPG

Newell arrived as one of the top recruits in Georgia history and helped the Bulldogs get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. Newell started all 31 games for Georgia this season and scored in double figures in 28. Newell has made 72.7% of his attempts (133 for 183) at the rim this season. Fun side note: Newell was high school teammates at Montverde Academy in Florida with Flagg, Queen and McNeeley.

More: Bossi's Best - Cooper Flagg is the National Freshman of the Year, headlines 247Sports' All-Freshman teams