Noted college basketball analytics site EvanMiya, run by Evan Miyakawa, released its 2023-24 freshman rankings on Tuesday.
The rankings sorted the freshman class by their Bayesian Performance Rating, and Duke star Jared McCain finished 18th.
The first-year Blue Devils guard is averaging 13.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. He currently sports a performance rating of 4.20, finishing just above Kansas’s Johnny Furphy.
The ranking also listed each freshman’s preseason ranking, and McCain was eighth before the season began.
The Kentucky Wildcats cleaned up in the rankings, with two players in the top three and two more within the top 25. Reed Sheppard, who was ranked 26th before the season began, led the rankings with a performance rating of 8.45. Teammate Rob Dillingham, a likely lottery pick, came in third with a 5.96.
Here are the top ranked freshmen at https://t.co/cegyfz96ax, along with how their rankings have changed since preseason: pic.twitter.com/tbnzZKhhO0
— Evan Miyakawa (@EvanMiya) February 20, 2024
Sheppard is averaging 12.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.6 steals per game for the Wildcats, and he’s shooting above 50% from the floor and from beyond the arc. Dillingham is producing 14.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game himself.
McCain is the second-highest freshman in the rankings behind UNC’s Elliot Cadeau in seventh.