Record games in three freshmen debuts

After the first day of college basketball's regular season, our first look at top-notch freshmen did not disappoint. Three extremely intriguing young talents put their best foot forward with historic debuts that have made them names to watch as the season progresses. Even if they were just single-game performances, headlines like these grabbed attention in their first real look at college action and certainly gave them a leg up on most draft boards. Let's take a look at these three performances and how they could impact the stock of some of the names in the 2025 draft.

Derik Queen began his college career with a stunning performance, finishing with 22 points and 20 rebounds. His 22 points were the most by a Maryland freshman in his debut since Joe Smith scored 26 points in 1993. Queen's scoring not only cemented his place in Terrapin history, but his 20 rebounds were also the most by a Maryland debut in the program's history. This was also the first debut with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds since college basketball legend Michael Beasley's debut in 2007. It was an absolutely dominant performance and provided a great preview of how effective he will be as the year progresses could.

While Queen was clearly the best player in this matchup, there is more to his game than that, as he was a very solid connecting playmaker before moving to Maryland. He finished that game with just one assist, which came with an impressive passing pass for an easy layup on the other side. He remained consistently in attack mode throughout the game as he had a clear advantage in central defense. However, as he faces tougher competition, his passing vision should continue to shine more consistently.

Tre Johnson scored 29 points in his Texas debut, surpassing Kevin Durant as the Longhorns' record holder for most points scored in his freshman debut. He shot the ball very efficiently, shooting 10 of 20 from the field and 5 of 10 from three-point range. Although Texas ended up losing to Ohio State by a final score of 80-72, Johnson appeared to be the best player in the game and should continue to impress as he is obviously the Longhorns' first option to score this season. Aside from his scoring, Johnson also recorded five rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block. Many evaluators consider him a top prospect, but if he shows this level of versatility beyond just scoring, he should continue to rise up draft boards.

While the one-game schedule of his playing style could change as the season progresses, big scoring nights seem to be a sure bet. Johnson attempted eight more shots in this game than the second-most by a Longhorns player, so it looks like he will continue to be one of the top freshmen shooters in the country.

Will Riley made his way onto the draft radar by scoring 31 points, a debut record for Illinois rookies, on incredibly efficient shooting. He shot 10 of 13 from the field and 5 of 6 from three-point range. That was a stunning performance, and while it seems remarkably difficult to replicate that level of efficiency all season, his burst onto the scene has skyrocketed his draft stock. As one of the younger prospects in this class, he still has a lot of room for improvement, which only makes this debut even more impressive. In addition to his great scoring performance, Riley also recorded seven rebounds, three assists and one block in his 25 minutes of play.

Heading into the season, Riley had a wide range of draft picks, but now appears to be quickly establishing himself as a lottery-level talent. While he is currently listed as a forward primarily due to his 6'3″ height, he plays more like a guard and has been very impressive with the ball in his hands. He may not always be the main initiator on offense, but he is certainly capable of calling the shots when needed and excels when it comes to advancing the ball in transition, where he can easily score points for himself and his team teammates can achieve.

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