Slow Start: Some Ascending All-Americans Overcame Shaky Freshman Year

In a microwave atmosphere of instant expectations, Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky (1.8 points per game in 2011-12) and Syracuse's Rakeem Christmas (2.8 ppg in 2011-12) failed to generate national headlines in their freshman seasons before blossoming into All-Americans. They are textbook examples why fans shouldn't put too much stock in freshman statistics.

Kaminsky and Christmas aren't the only All-Americans who endured growing pains. They joined the following alphabetical list of players who averaged fewer than three points per game as a freshman before eventually earning All-American acclaim:

Eventual All-American	Pos.	School	Freshman Scoring Average
Cole Aldrich	C	Kansas	2.8 ppg in 2007-08
Lorenzo Charles	F	North Carolina State	2.2 ppg in 1981-82
Rakeem Christmas	F	Syracuse	2.8 ppg in 2011-12
Keith Edmonson	G	Purdue	1.3 ppg in 1978-79
Aaron Gray	C	Pittsburgh	1.7 ppg in 2003-04
Erick Green	G	Virginia Tech	2.6 ppg in 2009-10
Tom Gugliotta	F	North Carolina State	2.7 ppg in 1988-89
Roy Hamilton	G	UCLA	1.2 ppg in 1975-76
Jeff Jonas	G	Utah	2.8 ppg in 1973-74
Frank Kaminsky	C-F	Wisconsin	1.8 ppg in 2011-12
Ted Kitchel	F	Indiana	1.7 ppg in 1979-80
Bob Kurland	C	Oklahoma A&M	2.5 ppg in 1942-43
Tom LaGarde	C	North Carolina	2.2 ppg in 1973-74
Kenyon Martin	C	Cincinnati	2.8 ppg in 1996-97
John Pilch	G	Wyoming	2.4 ppg in 1946-47
Thomas Robinson	F	Kansas	2.5 ppg in 2009-10
Steve Scheffler	C	Purdue	1.5 ppg in 1986-87
Russ Smith	G	Louisville	2.2 ppg in 2010-11
Earl Tatum	G-F	Marquette	1.5 ppg in 1972-73
Kurt Thomas	F-C	Texas Christian	0.8 ppg in 1990-91
Al Thornton	F	Florida State	2.8 ppg in 2003-04
B.J. Tyler	G	DePaul	2.9 ppg in 1989-90
Scottie Wilbekin	G	Florida	2.4 ppg in 2010-11
Jeff Withey	C	Kansas	1.3 ppg in 2009-10

NOTES: Oregon's Wally Borrevik (1.8 ppg in 1940-41), Wisconsin's Gene Englund (2.3 ppg in 1938-39), California's Darrall Imhoff (0.9 ppg in 1957-58), Kansas' Dean Kelley (0.8 in 1950-51), Purdue's Bob Kessler (2.3 ppg in 1933-34), Notre Dame's Leo Klier (2.7 in 1942-43), Oklahoma A&M's Gale McArthur (2.96 ppg in 1948-49), Notre Dame's Bob Rensberger (1.5 ppg in 1940-41) and Stanford's George Yardley (2.9 ppg in 1947-48) averaged fewer than three points per game as sophomores when freshmen weren't eligible to play varsity basketball before becoming All-Americans. . . . Tyler became an All-American with Texas after transferring to his home state. . . . Withey originally attended Arizona.