all of the top freshmen made their college debuts this week. Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins finished with a quiet 16 points, Kentucky’s Julius Randle went for 23 points and 15 boards, Duke’s Jabari Parker showed his efficiency, and Arizona’s Aaron Gordon registered a double-double.
We got a chance to talk to a few NBA guys and also college coaches in attendance about their thoughts on what they saw. We’ll start with the Kentucky Wildcats and their star-studded class -- since that’s where I was Friday night.
Julius Randle, F, Kentucky Wildcats
He finished with 23 points and 15 rebounds in the win over UNC-Asheville. Played with energy but missed some point-blank shots. Did almost all of his damage in the paint and went to the line 13 times, making 11.
“His body, his shoulders are so big. You know it, but it’s different when you see it in person. There’s just not much you can do about him. He’s so strong and so quick off the floor. He goes hard. He’s a man. He needs to do a better job finishing through contact. But he’s so big and strong that you expect him to dominate. What people are going to forget is that he’s still just a kid.”
Andrew Wiggins, F, Kansas Jayhawks
Played 34 minutes and finished with 16 points, three rebounds, two assists and three steals against Louisiana-Monroe. The positive was that he knocked down a couple of shots from deep (2-of-4 from 3-point range), but he tended to stand around a lot. Wiggins will need to be more aggressive as the season goes along, and he’ll also need to use his length and athleticism to rebound at a higher rate.
“Great athlete, no way he’s the top pick in the draft. Julius Randle is better. There’s just way too much hype. His skill level is average. He made a few shots but plays straight up and down and doesn’t have any playmaking skills. Everything has to be a straight-line drive. Right now, he’s the third- or fourth-best player for Kansas. He’s long and athletic but has a long way to go.”
Jabari Parker, F, Duke Blue Devils
Parker and his teammates blew out Davidson, and the 6-foot-8 forward showed his efficiency. Parker was 8-of-10 from the field, hit all three of his long-distance attempts and finished with 22 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes.
“He is a matchup nightmare, especially when they play him at the 5. He’s bigger and stronger than I thought he was. He made his jumpers and came off screens and made a 3. That forces you to play up on him, and then he just abuses you going to the rim. He’s got very good athleticism. He has to get better defensively and will. He rebounded well and can handle the ball like a guard. He has to learn how to bring it every play and needs to get a little better with his back-to-the-basket moves.”