Fizer averaged 16 and 7 as a freshman.I think I'm on board with this, at least from the freshmen I've seen personally. Fizer was a very different player and the team was bad that year (12-18). I was a little kid when Grayer was a freshman so can't really speak on him. He put the ball in the hoop for sure, although points were probably easier to come by in a Johnny Orr offense than an Otz one.
Lindell Wigginton averaged 17, 4, and 3 as a freshman.
Curtis Stinson averaged 16, 6, and 5 as a freshman.
Freddy averaged 12, 5, and 3 as a freshman.
Sullivan averaged nearly 12 a game on 45% 3pt shooting (Big 12 FOTY)
Tyrese Hunter averaged 11, 5, and 4 as a freshman (Big 12 FOTY)
Brackins averaged 11 and 5.
He have had some absolutely awesome freshman in our history. Players that were ready physcially and mentally right away. A lot of these guys were heavily focused on by the opponents defense, and we're not surrounded by All-Americans. Fizer was a stud from the jump, on a team that had no other options. Guys like Monte and Jake and Toure had awesome senior mentors to lean on. Guys like Stinson (and Blalock) and Tyrese Hunter did not.
I love Toure. I think we're so lucky to have him and I think there's a real chance we only have him for one year. But I do think it's hyperbolic to call him the best freshman in our history. I'm not remotely ready to call him that. Certainly feels like he might be the best defensive freshman in our history. I would have given that award to Tyrese Hunter before seeing Toure. I think folks forget how awesome Tyrese was during TJ's first year. He had absolutely no PG help at ALL. Even won to send NCAA tournament game. He was an awesome defensive player in TJ's system. A shame he left.
