Young Shall Lead Them: Noel Joins List of Freshmen Finishing First in Nation
February 14th, 2013 - 22:25
There is considerable doubt that Nerlens Noel will be the first pick in this year's NBA draft after the Kentucky freshman incurred a season-ending knee injury. He impacts a game on defense but is one-dimensional with virtually no deft moves on offense.
Memo to recruiting gurus and patronizing analysts who deceived the public regarding Noel's overall prowess: He is more like small-college sensations Manute Bol, George Johnson, Caldwell Jones, Elmore Smith and Marvin Webster than genuine ultimate big-timers Lew Alcindor, Wilt Chamberlain, Patrick Ewing, Artis Gilmore and Bill Russell.
Will Noel even bother with limping to class the remainder of this semester and just focus on rehab? The likely "one and done" is expected to finish first nationally in blocked shots per game, joining the following chronological list of freshmen who led the country in a major statistical category:
| Season | Freshman NCAA Leader | School | Category | Statistic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-75 | Bernard King | Tennessee | Field-Goal Shooting | 62.2% |
| 1975-76 | Sidney Moncrief | Arkansas | Field-Goal Shooting | 66.5% |
| 1983-84 | Steve Alford | Indiana | Free-Throw Shooting | 91.3% |
| 1985-86 | Jim Barton | Dartmouth | Free-Throw Shooting | 94.2% |
| 1987-88 | Kenny Miller | Loyola of Chicago | Rebounding Average | 13.6 rpg |
| 1988-89 | Alonzo Mourning | Georgetown | Blocked Shots Average | 5 bpg |
| 1990-91 | Shawn Bradley | Brigham Young | Blocked Shots Average | 5.2 bpg |
| 1992-93 | Jason Kidd | California | Steals Average | 3.8 spg |
| 1994-95 | Keith Closs | Central Connecticut State | Blocked Shots Average | 5.4 bpg |
| 1996-97 | Joel Hoover | Maryland-Eastern Shore | Steals Average | 3.2 spg |
| 2001-02 | Jason Conley | Virginia Military | Scoring Average | 29.3 ppg |
| 2001-02 | T.J. Ford | Texas | Assists Average | 8.3 apg |
| 2003-04 | Blake Ahearn | Southwest Missouri State | Free-Throw Shooting | 97.5% |
| 2003-04 | Paul Millsap | Louisiana Tech | Rebounding Average | 12.5 rpg |
| 2006-07 | Mike Freeman | Hampton | Field-Goal Percentage | 67.8% |
| 2007-08 | Michael Beasley | Kansas State | Rebounding Average | 12.4 rpg |
| 2007-08 | Devin Gibson | Texas-San Antonio | Steals Average | 3.3 spg |
| 2009-10 | Hassan Whiteside | Marshall | Blocked Shots Average | 5.4 bpg |
| 2011-12 | Anthony Davis | Kentucky | Blocked Shots Average | 4.65 bpg |
| 2012-13 | Nerlens Noel | Kentucky | Blocked Shots Average | 4.5 bpg |