Freshmen sensations Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Julius Randle have taken the collegiate hoops scene by storm this season, and the trio continues to showcase their multifaceted skill sets to NBA scouts with each passing game.
NBA Draft 2014: Marcus Smart shines over fab freshmen on Tuesday night
Jabari Parker, Julius Randle and Andrew Wiggins all continue to impress as well.
Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports
It’s likely that Wiggins, Parker and Randle will jockey for position all season long. The No. 1 pick may very well come down to fit with whichever teams is lucky enough to get the first pick. Regardless, it’s becoming clear there’s more than enough talent to go around in the 2014 draft.
Oh, and the draft goes beyond just talent in the freshman class. Australian export Dante Exum and Oklahoma State sophomore guard Marcus Smart — who went off on Tuesday — will be right there in the mix as the top five teams line up for what is sure to be one of the best drafts in years. Not to mention, freshmen Aaron Gordon of Arizona and Joel Embiid of Kansas have no plans of missing out on the party.
Parker does it all
With a stellar line of 21 points, nine rebounds, six blocks, two assists and one steal against ECU, Parker showed that he can change a game in a variety of ways. To compare him to LeBron James based on his ability to fill up the stat sheet isn’t fair, but his coast-to-coast, 1-on-5 dunk off was particularly James-esque:
His ceiling is off the charts, and he showed in one sequence just how diverse his skill set is.
Randle continues torrid pace
The double-double machine kept rolling on Tuesday against UT Arlington as Julius Randle collected 22 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Guard James Young scored a game-high 26 points, but all eyes remain on Randle and the strong start to his career.
Randle has had a double-double in all five games he’s played for Wildcats. He’s averaging 20.3 points and 14.3 rebounds per game and is shooting 61.9 percent from the field.
Wiggins’ quiet is still plenty good
With 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists on 4-of-9 shooting from the field, Wiggins didn’t wow anyone, but still helped the second-ranked Jayhawks make quick work of Iona. He was perfect from the free throw line, though he struggled from beyond the arc, going 1-for-4.
Kansas beat Iona 86-66, so not much was needed anyway.
Don’t forget about Marcus Smart
In case it slipped your mind, Marcus Smart is pretty darn good. The sophomore guard went for 39 points and five steals in No. 7 Oklahoma State’s 101-80 blowout win over No. 11th Memphis, and it was Smart’s show from the start as he sailed past his previous career-high of 28 points.
Smart is overshadowed a bit at times by the firepower that exists in this year’s freshman class, but the star guard would’ve potentially been the top pick in the draft had he come out last season.
Gordon scores 12 in win over Rhode Island
Gordon, a 6’9 freshman forward for the Wildcats, scored 12 points on 5-fo-12 shooting from the field and added seven rebounds and two blocks in Arizona’s87-59 win over Rhode Island.
Gordon is now averaging 13.3 points and 9.5 rebounds a game for the No. 5 Wildcats.
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