PPG: 15.8 | APG: 2.9 | 3-PT %: .382
By Jay Bilas
Special to ESPN.com
Because the college game has gotten younger, more freshmen are
playing leading roles for their teams, and some are real impact players.
Who's the best freshman? Arguments can be made for Duke's Jason Williams
and Carlos Boozer, Cincinnati's Dermarr Johnson and Kenny Satterfield,
Florida's Donnell Harvey, UCLA's Jason Kapono or Stanford's Casey Jacobsen.
But, it's not that simple. Each player listed above has a strength
which stands out above the rest. Duke's Williams is the most explosive and
the best point guard in open court situations. Johnson is the most gifted
offensive weapon. Harvey is the toughest, hardest-working and most
physical. UCLA's Kapono is perhaps the smartest and savviest, and Jacobsen
is the top pure scorer.
But two freshmen really stand out to me: Arizona's Jason Gardner
and North Carolina's Joseph Forte. And Forte is a special player.
Point guards get notice because of the importance of the position, but it would be a mistake to ignore the impact and skills of Forte. The
DeMatha product scores with ease, and can shoot with range or take it off
the bounce. Just as important, he looks to score and really pursues shots
by working off screens and running the court.
Forte leads his team in scoring, shoots a good percentage and defends well for a freshman. He's
got a toughness to his game that belies his youthful look, and he has a
great on-court demeanor. Forte is quiet on the court, but plays with
tenacity. He is confident without being cocky, and he is very competitive.
Two years ago, DeMatha coach Morgan Wooten told me I would really appreciate Forte's game
when I saw him. "He's really special", Wooten said.
Wooten was right. Forte is a special player, and will be a great one.
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PPG: 13.4 | APG: 5.3 | 3-PT %: .427
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
Here's what Jason Gardner was asked to do at Arizona: start at the
point, become an instant leader, spearhead a defensive effort and, oh yeah,
don't lose big-time matchups nearly every game.
Gardner has answered every challenge thrown at him since he arrived to replace Jason Terry. The only player to simply beat Gardner was
Connecticut's Khalid El-Amin. Losing to El-Amin and the Huskies was respectable. Falling to USC and New Mexico weren't bad
losses, either.
Gardner wasn't given much help, either. His primary reserves -- Ruben
Douglas and Lamont Frazier -- aren't available. Douglas transferred to New
Mexico. Frazier got hurt and is done for the season. His backcourt mate,
Gilbert Arenas, may be one of the top freshmen in the Pac-10 but he has just
as much experience as Gardner -- none.
When Mike Bibby started as a freshman at Arizona, he had the
pleasure of passing to Miles Simon, Michael Dickerson, Bennett Davison and
A.J. Bramlett. Gardner had experience returning in Michael Wright and
Richard Jefferson inside and transfer Loren Woods. But Gardner has made sure
that Arenas hasn't missed a step by getting him the ball in positions to
succeed.
Arizona is a contender for the national title because of Gardner's
impact at the point. Had he not come in with toughness and composure, the
Wildcats would be going through the same kind of growing pains that UCLA is
experiencing. Instead, the Wildcats have weathered the defections, the
injuries and even the brutal schedule.
Gardner's production (13.4 points and 5.3 assists) may not be the
best stats for the freshman of the year. But his impact on a team that can
contend for the national title can't be put into numbers. Bibby took the
Wildcats to the national title in his freshman year, a season earlier than
Arizona was expected to contend. Gardner could be doing the same thing if he
can continue to play with poise and passion in March.
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