DII men's basketball has a strong history of fabulous freshmen coming on the scene and taking over. It wasn't long ago that Northwest Missouri State's dynamic duo of Trevor Hudgins and Diego Bernard helped shape a dynasty with an undefeated championship run in 2019.
As we head into the heart of conference play, who are some of the freshmen to keep tabs on in DII men's basketball? Glad you asked.
DII MEN'S BASKETBALL 101:
5 freshmen to watch in DII men's basketball
(all stats through Saturday, Jan. 6)
Ethan Duncan, Lubbock Christian
The Chaps are off to a nice 10-4 start and Duncan has been a driving force for them. He's not only the best 3-point shooting freshmen in DII men's basketball — he's one of the top sharpshooters overall, hitting just about 47 percent of his shots. He went on a three-game tear to close December, scoring 63 points in three games and going 14-for-30 from downtown over that span. Lubbock Christian has a depth of scorers, and Duncan is second-best among them, averaging 14.6 points per game two months into his debut season.
Kieran Elliott, West Texas A&M
The 6-foot-6 guard is fitting right in with the Buffs' guard-heavy style of play. Simply put, he's doing a little bit of everything very well. Elliott recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds in an early season matchup against MSU Denver and has been rolling since. He's averaging 10.5 points per game on an impressive 59.6 percent shooting and rips down a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game, with more than three per game coming off the offensive glass creating second-chance points for a West Texas A&M team that loves to score. The Buffs always seem to find a freshman who makes an instant impact, and thus far, Elliott has been that player.
Rob Matos, Molloy
The diminutive 5-foot-9 guard is making a huge impression in DII men's basketball, leading all freshmen in scoring with 18.5 points per game. He scored nine points in his 2023-24 debut... and that was the last time he scored in double-digits this season. He has six games with at least 21 points and most recently set a career-high with his first 30-point game of his young career. He's not a one-man show either: Matos leads the Lions in assists as well.
Alex Romack, Colorado School of Mines
Anyone that pays attention to RMAC basketball knows it has become one of the tougher conferences to navigate. The Orediggers are off to an 11-3 start and still have the likes of MSU Denver, Colorado Mesa, Fort Lewis and Black Hills State ahead of them. Romack has been impressive in his debut season, and it isn't all about the points. Heading into the holiday break, Romack earned RMAC defensive player of the week honors as he is a rebounding force in the paint, averaging 8.0 per game, second-most among all freshmen. Don't be fooled, he's just defense — Romack averages more than eight points per game shooting a team-high 69.6 percent from the floor. He's started 13 of his 14 games, and his presence in the paint will help the Orediggers make a run for March if he keeps up his pace.
Blaise Wallace, Albany State (GA)
The Golden Rams aren't lighting the world on fire, but they are immensely improved from last year's 8-20 team, already with five wins with most of the season left ahead of them. Wallace has been a huge addition. Wallace leads all freshmen in rebounding, pulling down 10.5 per game, which was also a top-13 mark in all DII heading into the second week of January. He's playing the most minutes per game for Albany State (GA) and was second on the team in scoring after last weekend, chipping in 13.2 points per game. His six double doubles were a top-10 mark in DII men's basketball as well and the most among all freshmen. The Golden Rams may not make the tournament, but Wallace has been one of the best freshmen in DII in the early going.
5 more freshmen to keep tabs on:
- Terry Coner Jr., Oklahoma Baptist: The 6-foot guard isn't even a full-time starter but leads the Bison with 17.8 points per game on 51.4 percent shooting from the floor and 52.2 percent from 3.
- Trevor Frank, DBU: Frank has been a key reserve for a Patriots' team that has been in the top 10 for basically the whole season.
- Jordan Frison, Pittsburg State: Frison may be a smaller guard in the division, but his game has been huge thus for the Gorillas. Frison leads all freshmen in assists per game with an average of 5.2. That has become his calling card, as he closed out the first half of the season with his first career double double — setting the Gorillas' single-game mark with 13 assists — and he is also scoring 13.7 points and grabbing 4.8 rebounds per game while averaging nearly two steals per game as well.
- Caden Harris, Chico State: The Wildcats are nationally ranked and that's because they have a deep team. Harris is a key part of that depth as a 6-foot-6 hybrid guard/forward that has seen time off the bench and in the starting lineup. He's averaging 7.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
- Ta'Quan Williams, Post: Post has been a pleasant surprise in the early going and Williams has contributed solid minutes off the bench, averaging 9.4 points per game.
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