Ranking the top 10 men’s college basketball Freshman of the Year contenders

The availability of Kansas’ Darryn Peterson has been the major storyline in college basketball this season, especially after the projected top pick in the 2026 NBA draft missed his team’s win over No. 1 Arizona in Lawrence last week.

But another program is now going to uncharted waters without its star freshman: North Carolina. The Tar Heels will be without Caleb Wilson, who fractured his left hand in a loss at Miami last week. On Monday, Hubert Davis said Wilson could return “soon,” even though the program’s official announcement about the injury listed him as out “indefinitely.”

Wilson retains his No. 4 spot in this week’s freshman rankings, but his eventual comeback could still impact the order, and UNC’s entire season, ahead of Selection Sunday.

While Cameron Boozer might be in a league of his own in the race for every national award, the movement in this week’s freshman rankings proves that the individual status of some of the most talented freshmen in years is not even close to being solidified.

Previous rank: 1

Biggest performance so far: 30 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals against Stanford on Jan. 17

The gap between Boozer and everyone else for No. 1 in these rankings — and No. 1 in any Player of the Year rankings — has not shrunk, even as Boozer’s stat lines have looked slightly more human in recent weeks. For Boozer, though, everything is relative. He still had 24 points and 11 rebounds against North Carolina; 17 points, 10 rebounds and four assists against Pitt; 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists against Clemson; and, this week, 22 points and 12 boards against Syracuse. Like we said, it’s all relative. He entered the week second among all freshmen in scoring, fourth in rebounds and inside the top 20 in assists and steals — doing it for a team ranked No. 3 nationally. It’s incredibly difficult to see him moving from the top spot the rest of the way. — Jeff Borzello

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Previous rank: 3

Biggest performance so far: 43 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists vs. Utah on Jan. 24

The loss of Richie Saunders to a season-ending knee injury will only put more weight on Dybantsa’s shoulders down the final stretch of the season. But a complete collapse — matchups against Arizona, Iowa State and Texas Tech remain on the schedule — could also make the road to Selection Sunday more daunting. Dybantsa seems built for the pressure, though. He has averaged 29.1 points and 4.5 assists in his past seven games, shooting 44% from the 3-point line. Dybantsa is evolving into one of the most complete players in the country. — Myron Medcalf

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Previous rank: 7

Biggest performance so far: 31 points, 7 assists, 1 turnover, 7-for-10 from 3-point range against Auburn on Feb. 14

Acuff has been sensational lately, playing himself into the top 10 of NBA mock drafts. He’s also making a genuine push for SEC Player of the Year honors, leading the league in both scoring and assists in conference games. Last weekend, he had arguably his best performance of the season, finishing with 31 points, seven assists and just one turnover, while making a season-high seven 3-pointers. In his previous six games entering the week, Acuff was averaging eye-popping numbers: 26.2 points, 6.5 assists, 1.7 turnovers — while shooting 50% from beyond the arc. — Borzello

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Previous rank: 4

Biggest performance so far: 24 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals vs. Kansas on Nov. 7

Following an epic 23-point effort in a win over Duke, Wilson fractured his hand in the next game, a loss at Miami. Now, Tar Heels fans will wait to see when the projected top-five draft pick will return. He has been responding to worried supporters on social media, making it clear in multiple posts that his season is not over. UNC may have to navigate the final weeks of the regular season — including matchups against Louisville, Clemson and Duke — as the nation awaits a possible return of one of America’s best talents. If he can make it back, Wilson could be one of the biggest comeback stories in college basketball. — Medcalf

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Previous rank: 5

Biggest performance so far: 46 points, 4 assists, 9-for-11 from 3 vs. Purdue on Jan. 24

Wagler continues to build off his breakout 46-point performance from late January. He has posted three more games of 22-plus points — including in last week’s loss to Wisconsin, when he finished with 34 points and seven assists and went 5-for-10 from 3. He’s averaging 21.5 points in Big Ten games, shooting 45.2% from 3-point range, to go with 4.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists. Wagler had to shoulder more offensive responsibility with Kylan Boswell out. With Boswell now back from injury, the star freshman should excel with less defensive attention. — Borzello

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Previous rank: 6

Biggest performance so far: 42 points, 6 assists vs. Texas Tech on Jan. 24

The Cougars won six games in a row before losing to Iowa State on Monday night. In that span, Flemings dished out 30 assists as Kelvin Sampson’s key playmaker. But in the two previous games entering Monday — when he scored 22 points — Flemings also went 4-for-22 from the field and committed five turnovers. For the first time in months, he looked like a freshman, instead of a seasoned guard, those brief stumbles validating what Sampson has preached all year: Flemings is still a teenager, with a lot to learn. — Medcalf

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Previous Rank: Unranked

Biggest performance so far: 45 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, 10-for-16 from 3-point range vs. NC State on Feb. 9

Brown had arguably the best three-game run of anyone in college basketball over the last eight days, easily deserving a spot back in the rankings after nearly two months out. The highlight performance: 45 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals on 14-for-23 shooting against NC State. He went 10-for-16 from 3 and 7-for-7 from the free-throw line. Then he followed that performance up with 29 points, 6 assists and 5 steals on 8-for-14 shooting against Baylor, going 4-for-5 from 3 and making all nine of his foul shots — and then he went for 29 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and shot 4-for-8 from 3 in a loss to SMU. It’s been a remarkable stretch: In those three games, he averaged 34.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.3 steals and shooting percentages of 60.0% from the field, 62.1% from 3 and 100% from the free-throw line. — Borzello

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Previous rank: 9

Biggest performance so far: 29 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists at Alabama on Jan. 24

It took a few months, but Ament finally looks like the five-star high school recruit the top programs were chasing last year. Rick Barnes has demanded more of his team’s top NBA prospect in recent weeks, and Ament has certainly delivered. He has averaged 23.5 points over the past seven contests, entering Wednesday’s game against Oklahoma. The Vols are also 6-1 over that stretch, a testament to what they’re capable of when the 6-foot-10 forward plays to his potential. The Vols are playing top-25 defense right now, they’re the No. 1 offensive rebounding team in America — and their young star is blossoming at the right time. — Medcalf

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Previous rank: 2

Biggest performance so far: 26 points, 3 assists, 11-of-13 FG in 23 minutes vs. Baylor on Jan. 16

Peterson hasn’t been at his best in recent weeks, essentially since his 26-point performance on Jan. 16. Sure, there have been a couple of absences: missing a win over Kansas State with a sprained ankle, missing the victory over then-No. 1 Arizona with flu-like symptoms. In fact, since that Jan. 16 game against Baylor, Peterson is averaging just 15.4 points and 2.8 rebounds on 42.4% shooting. He’s too good not to bounce back down the stretch of the season, but one can make the case that his previous two games have been his least effective. — Borzello

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Previous rank: 8

Biggest performance so far: 29 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals vs. BYU on Jan. 26

Although Arizona suffered its first loss of the season at Kansas last week, one thing was clear: Tommy Lloyd trusts Burries to have the ball in his hands down the stretch of a tight game. Burries’ 25 points in the 82-78 loss couldn’t help the Wildcats escape Lawrence with a win, but he did hit a flurry of tough shots to keep them alive. The 6-4 guard remains one of the most tenacious players in America. He has also become one of its best shooters (39% from beyond the arc in Big 12 play). — Medcalf