College basketball has been in action for nearly two weeks, and thus far the year of the freshmen has not disappointed. Now more than ever, teams are relying on young men who are less than a year removed from their high school career to not just come in and contribute right away, but in many cases assume a lead role on teams expected to compete for a national title.
Now that we've seen some of these big-name youngsters in some meaningful action, we're handing out some very early progress reports. What have they done well? What needs improvement? And of course, a tentative grade so far.
Lonzo Ball, UCLA
What he's doing well
- Shooting
- Running in transition
- Finding teammates for easy buckets
The style of play UCLA has grown into this season, particularly in such a short amount of time, has been amazing to watch. Having a true point guard in Ball has revolutionized the way the Bruins run what was once a pretty stagnant offense, and Steve Alford is letting Ball loose transition, where they have excelled.
As of Tuesday, the Bruins have the fourth-highest offensive percentage in the country, thanks in large part to Ball, who has shot the lights out at 61 percent from the floor and 43 percent from 3-point range. UCLA ranks in the top 15 in 3-point percentage nationally, and he's been a huge key in that success -- either by doing it himself, or setting up his teammates for open shots as the defense understandably gravitates to him.
What needs work
- Communication
- Decision making
Sometimes Ball's aggression gets him in trouble in the open floor. Some of his passes look they were shot out of a cannon, and at times can be difficult to handle for his teammates running the break. Similar to another former UCLA standout, Russell Westbrook, he can get going so quickly sometimes that even his teammates have a hard time keeping up with him. He has nine turnovers on the year through 4 games, which isn't a horrible mark at all, but you can see that there is some growth to be made in terms of picking his spots to really attack -- though I'm sure Alford will live with a few effort mistakes for all that Ball offers as a playmaker.
Progress Report: Ball has impressed me this season, needless to say. He's a big-time athlete and a force in the open floor, and his shooting has been beyond what I expected. In fact, I'd like to see him look for his shot more on the perimeter. Alford has used him in some sets off the ball as the 2-guard, which has gotten him better looks in the half court. He's been the most complete player I've watched this season.
Grade: A
De'Aaron Fox, Kentucky
What he's doing well
- Using speed to run the floor
- Aggressive point guard mentality
- Defense
Fox has been the best true point guard this season for the Wildcats, and he's had the highest usage percentage of any Kentucky player according to KenPom.com, which should tell you what you need to know about his importance to this team. When he's out in space, with his quickness, it's nearly impossible to stop him. And on the defensive end that quickness shows up just as much, particularly on the ball, where he is maybe the biggest pest in the country.
Oh, and the kid has some serious bounce, too:
What needs work
- Shooting accuracy
- Looking for his shot
Kentucky has so many great players that Fox doesn't have to shoot the lights out, but he can't be someone that defenses can lay off of either. So far he's shooting a little over 37 percent from the field, and he's taken just nine 3-pointers, making one. Obviously that's a horrible percentage from deep, but the sample size is the bigger problem. At this point, we can't say whether Fox can be a reliable shooter, because he simply hasn't provided enough evidence either way.
Shoot more. Shoot better. Easy, right?
Progress Report: Fox's perimeter struggles aside, he is a force in transition and when slashing to the rim, where he is much more aggressive looking for his shot in the lane. He has been one of the best point guards in the country, no doubt -- and is probably the most important piece to the Kentucky puzzle. At times whne he drives the lane, I think he'd be better served kicking out to an open teammate, but that's nitpicking at this point in the season. He's been really good. He can flat out fly in the open court. A reliable mid-range jumper is the next step.
Grade: B+
Miles Bridges, Michigan State
What he's doing well
- Being an athlete
- Playing strong
- Defense
Bridges has been a walking highlight reel for Tom Izzo's Spartans and the most important player for the young Flintstones. In his college debut he posted 21 points and seven boards against Arizona. He's leading the team through four games at 16 points and over nine boards a night. His 230-pound frame has given him the ability to bully his way to the rack in every way imaginable, and when he makes up his mind he wants to get a bucket, he's been nearly unstoppable, shooting 46 percent from the field.
Add to that his ability to knock it down at a 33 percent clip from 3-point range as a stretch forward, and he's been the most consistent player for his team so far.
What needs work
- Decision making
- Composure
- Consistency
When Bridges gets hot, his confidence can sometimes play against him. He's shown a tendency to hit heat-check mode and throw up ill-advised shots, which I suppose isn't a huge deal as you can't hit heat-check mode until you're first hot, so fair game.
But the turnovers are a problem. Nine in one game vs. Kentucky and over four per game for the season. Also, I'm seeing his offensive struggles bleed into his defensive effort. He was just 2 for 11 from the field, along with those nine turnovers, in that 69-48 loss to Kentucky, and he wasn't near the same player just from a general impact standpoint in that game.
Progress Report: Bridges is shouldering quite a load for Michigan State. Transfer Eron Harris hasn't developed into the scorer he was at West Virginia, which has only increased Bridge's responsibility. No doubt he has been one of the most fun players to watch this season, and he's already got a nice highlight reel that NBA scouts will (and probably are) already drooling over.
Check out the aforementioned debut vs. Zona:
Unfortunately, Michigan State doesn't have a No. 1 scorer to rely on, and while Bridges is an incredible athlete, relying on him as the go-to guy will likely come with some inconsistencies.
Grade: B+
Lauri Markkanen, Arizona
What he's doing well
- Effort
- Versatility
- Being 7-foot
- Shooting
For starters, he's seven feet and shooting 38 percent from three, 56 percent from the fields, and ... wait for it ... 96 percent from the line. And he's scoring just under 20 a game. Crazy numbers. Crazy athleticism. Soft touch around the rim and in the mid-range.
Markkanen has really good floor awareness and a basketball IQ that allows him to naturally find the open spot on the floor. Every time I watch him he's diving like a swan all over the court. I love his effort and the gritty attitude he brings to the floor for the Wildcats.
What needs work.
- Rim protection
- Production in the paint
- Physicality
OK, so he's seven feet and can shoot, but he struggles in the areas you would assume seven footers would dominate, in the paint. He has just two blocked shots on the year and isn't changing many others. He weighs in at 230-pounds, but could still stand to add some meat to his frame that would help him down low. At times he can get bullied, and so far, he just hasn't been the kind of consistent paint presence that will make teams think twice about attacking.
Report: He could definitely stand to improve his post game, and don't get too caught up in his impressive numbers just yet -- he scored 26, 22 and 17 against Cal State Bakersfield, Sacred Heart and Northern Colorado, respectively. Not exactly the kind of competition he'll be facing in the Pac-12.
That said, he can play, and he's shown that, giving Arizona the boost it's needed with Allonzo Trier still on the shelf. He was a productive part of the Wildcats' thrilling season-opening win over Michigan State.
Grade: B
Markelle Fultz, Washington
What he's doing well.
- Ball-handling
- Slashing offensive attack
- Shooting
Fultz, a real contender to be the No. 1 pick in next year's NBA Draft, has showcased the complete arsenal for a Washington team that is putting up over 95 points a game this year. Fultz is averaging 27 points per game including a 35-point outburst in a win over Cal-State Fullerton last Thursday. He's shooting 67.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from three, and when he's locked in defensively, he can impact the game in ways that few can. He's already had a couple track-down blocks in transition in LeBron James fashion. His ability to create plays affects every part of the game.
What needs work
- Aggression/poise balance
- Defense
Fultz's ability to make things happen can be taken too far at times. Sometimes when he drives the lane, I've noticed he doesn't feel the kick out right away when it's there, too often taking the extra dribble and getting into a spot where he's over-attacked and sucked the rhythm out of a play.
At the same time, I've also noticed him deferring too much at times. I'm not sure if it's just his natural playing style or not, but at times he seems to play a little too relaxed, letting the offense get stagnant for stretches. He and Washington are best when he has the ball in his hands and is creating for himself and others, and finding that line is going to be a big part of his development.
Report: Fultz has been the best player on a team that will need to outscore its opponents to win this season. Washington can light up the scoreboard with Fultz running the point, but they haven't been able to stop anyone. Fultz has possessions where he's all over the place on defense, and others where it looks like he'd rather be googling his NBA draft stock. Overall, though, Fultz is the guy for Washington, and for the most part he's played like it so far.
Grade: B+
Josh Jackson, Kansas
What he's doing well.
- Defense
- Play-making
Jackson's trajectory continues to rise with each game, as outlined here by our Matt Norlander. He seemed to be a bit standoffish to start the season against Indiana, but when he's aggressively attacking the rim, he's one of the most dangerous playmakers in the country, as he showed against UAB on Monday evening.
So far, Jackson is scoring over 14 points a night on better than 56 percent shooting, so the numbers look in pretty decent to start -- though his 47-percent mark from the free throw line has to come up in a major way.
What needs work.
- Shooting
- Composure
- Confidence
Jackson is an emotional player who feeds off the highs (and lows) of the game. He controlled it against UAB, but he's emotional approach has led to some pretty silly fouls; he fouled out against Duke at a critical point in the game. That Duke game, which KU won on a Frank Mason III dagger, shoed a lot of good things about Jackson. Yes, he got in foul trouble, and yes, you could see his emotions getting to him, but he was able to come back into the on a few occasions, after long stretches on the bench, and be immediately aggressive and productive.
As far as his shooting, he's up to 33 percent from 3-point range on the season, but I don't think he's shooting the ball enough to get into any kind of decent rhythm. He's taken the third-most shots this season behind Devonte' Graham and Frank Mason III, but he still looks hesitant at times.
Report: Jackson has shown improvement from game-to-game this season already, but overall I think his freshman season has got off to a somewhat disappointing start. His shot isn't broken, but it's not exactly something I expect will be consistently relied upon this year. That said, his confidence in his shot continues to rise. That's half the battle for this freshman, who feeds off his emotions as a major part of his game.
Grade: C+
Frank Jackson, Duke
What he's doing well
- Well, he's healthy
- Scoring
- Poise
Right now, simply being on the court is Jackson's biggest contribution to a Duke team that is riddled with injuries. He took over for the Chase Jeter, who went down (ankle) in Duke's win over Penn State last Saturday, and has been one of the most consistent scoring threats for the Blue Devils, who are notably missing Harry Giles, Marques Bolden and Jayson Tatum.
Jackson, one of the lesser-heralded of Duke's stacked freshman class, is the Blue Devils' second-leading scorer at 15.8 per game, and he's stood tallest in the biggest situations, knocking down what appeared to be a game-tying three against Kansas at Madison Square Garden before Frank Mason III hit his aforementioned a dagger to seal the game for the Jayhawks.
What needs work
- Defense
- Distributing
Jackson is classified as a point guard, but he plays off the ball just as much. When he does control the offense, I think it gets stuck more often than not, and he has more of a shoot-first, pass-second mindset. He's been excellent at creating for himself and being aggressive, but I'd like to see him look to find teammates off his penetration. Duke has plenty of spot-up shooters, starting with Luke Kennard and Matt Jones.
Report: Overall I think Jackson has been one of the biggest surprises for Duke so far. Even though he was a five-star prospect headed to Duke, he was, as mentioned, maybe the fourth-most heralded signee in their recruiting class. He's been Johnny on the spot so far, and he's helped anchor a Duke team that has shown just how good it is even in the absence of all these stars.
Grade: B
Malik Monk, Kentucky
What he's doing well
- Shooting
- Slashing
- Athleticism
John Calipari says Monk is one of the most athletic players he's ever coached, though he maybe gets overlooked at times with all of Kentucky's stars. That wasn't the case when he sunk seven threes in the Cats' 69-48 win over Michigan State.
Monk is scoring over 15 points a game, second on the team, and is shooting better than 38 percent from deep. He's a high-flyer with a bad attitude, and he can be a lot of fun. When he's on the top of his game, he's not afraid to go full Jimmer Fredette heat check.
What needs work
- Defense
- Consistency on offense
Monk's offensive skill set has been pretty limited to deep shots, perhaps in part because Kentucky just has so many weapons and that's his role right now. He's been a pretty streaky shooter so far, that 38 percent from deep in large part a product of that one game vs. MSU. Kentucky would benefit from him being more aggressive and driving to the rim.
Progress Report: Monk's stock is sky high this week after setting the Champions Classic on fire and earning SEC freshman of the week honors along the way. Bottom line: He needs to be more consistent for Kentucky for them to reach their ceiling. Here's his 3-point averages per game:
- 17%
- 33%
- 63%
- 25%
His ceiling is incredibly high if he can continue to churn out 23-point performances like he did against Michigan State. But he needs to zero in on being more consistent.
Grade: B-
Bam Adebayo, Kentucky
What he's doing well
- Using his size
- Rebounding
When you're as big as Bam, sometimes all you need to do is put your size to good use. He's been rebounding on offense at an elite level with nearly four O-boards per game, and he's second on the team with seven blocks.
What needs work
- Offensive production
- Rim protection
Adebayo doesn't have the offensive weaponry to wow you; he isn't developed enough to create for himself down low. He only took three shots vs. Michigan State. Perhaps that will come, but I think he's pretty limited with what he can do for the Wildcats on that end of the floor. He's been good -- but not great -- when defending down low. His size is a huge plus, but he's not agile enough to defend outside of the paint.
Report: Adebayo is big, strong and a defensive stalwart that meshes well with this team. He has a pretty specific niche and he fills his role very well. As the season moves on, John Calipari will have him in excellent shape with his way of getting big men to perform to their talent level, you can count on that. He has a lot of room for improvement on offense and if he can put things together there, he'll improve his grade here at CBS Sports, as well as his NBA Draft stock -- you know, whichever is more important to him.
Grade: C+