Ranking the Top 10 College Hoops Freshmen: Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa Battle for Top Spot

Both forwards are averaging 23 points per game and pushing for the No. 1 seed in the 2026 NBA draft.

Duke forward Cameron Boozer drives against Louisville forward Khani Rooths. / Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2025 high school class entered college basketball with plenty of aplomb. Yet somehow, this loaded class has exceeded expectations early on, with the stars at the top showing out in the biggest moments and new names emerging as the faces of college teams by the day. 

With all eyes on this class, Sports Illustrated is regularly ranking the best of the best of this loaded group of freshmen. The ranking is college basketball-centric and not necessarily an indication of players’ pro prospects.

With nonconference play in the rearview mirror and top prospects stepping into the rigors of league schedules, here’s the latest update of who’s topping this once-in-a-generation class. 

1. Cameron Boozer, F, Duke 

Previous: No. 1 | Stats: 23.0 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 4.2 apg

Duke’s undefeated season came to an end after Texas Tech rallied past the Blue Devils before Christmas, and the Blue Devils’ first ACC performances have not been impressive. But Boozer still earns the nod for the top spot among freshmen for now because of his ridiculous productivity. If the season ended today, he’d be the first player in the 21st century to average at least 23 points, nine rebounds and four assists per game. 

2. AJ Dybantsa, F, BYU

Previous: No. 3 | 23.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.8 apg

Dybantsa has narrowed the gap substantially after an otherworldly December when he looked like one of the best prospects to hit college hoops in recent memory. In seven games since the start of December, he’s averaging 27 points, eight rebounds and five assists on 64% shooting from the field. He continues to make a very strong push for the No. 1 spot in mock drafts, particularly as Darryn Peterson struggles to get fully healthy with lingering cramping and leg issues. 

3. Kingston Flemings, G, Houston

Previous: No. 4 | 15.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 5.0 apg

Flemings is making a real push to be the first point guard off the board in June’s NBA draft with one strong performance after another. He plays a hyper-efficient brand of basketball that has seamlessly transitioned into high-level games, outdueling Darius Acuff and Arkansas in a key late-December showdown and starting Big 12 play strong with a game-high 19 points against Cincinnati then following that up with 23 points in a win over Texas Tech that included a nine-point outburst in the final two minutes in the Cougars’ rally. 

4. Caleb Wilson, F, North Carolina

Previous: No. 2 | 19.3 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 2.7 apg

Wilson had a streak of six straight games with 20-plus points snapped in an ugly loss to SMU over the weekend, but he continues to post monster numbers for North Carolina thanks to his athleticism and motor. He has already dunked 48 times in 15 games this season, on pace to become the first player under 7 feet tall since Obi Toppin to top 100 dunks in a season. 

5. Darius Acuff, G, Arkansas

Previous: No. 9 | 19.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 6.0 apg

Arkansas increasingly looks like a serious threat to win the SEC after taking down Tennessee in its conference opener, and Acuff is the biggest reason why. He’s on pace to be the first high-major freshman this century to average at least 19 points and six assists per game while shooting at least 40% from three, the driving force of an Arkansas offense that now ranks in the top 20 nationally in both three-point shooting and ball security. 

6. Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois

Previous: NR | 15.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.8 apg

Wagler has gone from having just two high-major offers out of high school to being a potential one-and-done lottery pick. Since the calendar flipped to December he has been as good as any guard in the country, averaging 18 points, five rebounds and six assists on 46% shooting from three in six games since then. His feel for the game and ability to get to spots despite lacking elite burst athletically pops on film. 

7. Ebuka Okorie, G, Stanford

Previous: No. 5 | 22.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.8 apg

Okorie’s scorching start to his college career has only accelerated of late, scoring 28-plus points in three of his last four games including a game-high 28 in an upset win over Louisville to open 2026. Okorie’s speed and ability to manipulate defenses with his change of direction and handle are elite, and he has already emerged as one of the best scorers in college basketball as an 18-year-old. 

8. Brayden Burries, G, Arizona

Previous: NR | 14.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.4 apg

After scoring in double figures just once in his first five college games, Buries has tallied 10-plus in nine straight including a 28-point outburst against Alabama. Burries is shooting the ball with a ton of confidence right now, but what has been most impressive of late has been his efficiency scoring from inside the arc. In his last seven games, Burries is shooting a ridiculous 71% from two. 

9. Koa Peat, F, Arizona

Previous: No. 6 | 14.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.9 apg 

Burries’s torrid stretch of late allowed him to jump Peat as Arizona’s top freshman, but there’s room for both in the top 10 given they’re contributing to the nation’s No. 1 team. Teams have been able to adjust and limit Peat offensively due to his lack of shooting ability, but he’s still a positive contributor even without scoring as prolifically as a short-roll playmaker with an elite motor. 

10. Hannes Steinbach, F, Washington 

Previous: NR | 18.3 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 2.0 apg 

Steinbach continues to stack up hyper-productive outings, with three straight games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Huskies. While his athletic limitations may cap his ceiling somewhat as a pro, he’s proving to be a legitimate college star who gives the Huskies a chance on most nights in the Big Ten. 

Five on the rise

• Killyan Toure, Iowa State: Toure might be the best perimeter defender in the country. He’s been a perfect schematic fit for T.J. Otzelberger’s ball-pressure-driven system. 
• Isaiah Johnson, Colorado: The Los Angeles native scored 20 points in his college debut and has been off to the races ever since, shooting better than 50% from the field and 40% from three to emerge as Colorado’s most dynamic scoring option. 
• Amari Allen, Alabama: Allen is the perfect multi-positional wing to complement Alabama’s outstanding backcourt, adding value as a rebounder, playmaker and cutter who has consistently stuffed the stat sheet. He has eight or more rebounds in four of his last five games. 
• Jamier Jones, Providence: Other than Wilson, no freshman has more dunks than Jones, who just had the best game of his college career with a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double in a road win at St. John’s. He certainly earned the right to talk some smack postgame.  
• Chance Mallory, Virginia: Generously listed at 5' 10", Mallory is Virginia’s Energizer Bunny. He flies around defensively and is a terror for opposing teams in transition, a key part of Virginia’s 12–2 start. 

Injury report

• Darryn Peterson, Kansas
• Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville

Mid-Major Standout: Leroy Blyden Jr., G, Toledo

No freshman made a better entrance into conference play than Blyden, who shredded Western Michigan for 36 points in the Rockets’ MAC debut. Toledo head coach Tod Kowalczyk has a long history of discovering underrecruited gems, and Blyden looks next in line. He’s a shifty scoring guard with elite off-dribble scoring ability.

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