Freshmen aim to play outsized role
Louisville coach Jeff Walz got a preview two years ago of just how good the current national crop of freshmen were going to be once they started their college careers.
Walz coached the United States to a gold medal in the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup with an undefeated squad that included included Paige Bueckers (UConn), Caitlin Clark (Iowa), Cameron Brink (Stanford) and Haily Van Lith (Louisville).
“They were all just terrible players until I had a chance to coach them up,” he joked. “But seriously, they competed with each other, against each other. They’ve all had such good experience and international experience and played at a high level that they’ve been able to come into college and be impact players right away.”
Alook at some of the freshmen other than Bueckers expected to have an impact on March Madness.
Caitlin Clark (Iowa)
Iowa’s star led the Hawkeyes to the Big Ten title game and led the nation in scoring at 26.7 points per game.
Clark, who has hit 103 shots from 3-point range, said confidence and playing on a big stage have never been a problem.
“I think I’ve always kind of had that,” she said. That’s always been a part of my game. But I think my teammates have definitely helped as well. They’ve kind of given me the keys and shown that they trust me and I trust them as well.”
The Hawkeyes are a No. 5 seed and will take on Central Michigan on Sunday.
Hailey Van Lith and Olivia Cochran (Louisville)
Walz’s freshmen duo are both scoring about 11 points per game.
They each rank in the top six in both scoring and rebounding among freshmen in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Van Lith has three 20-point games this season and Cochran has put up four double-doubles.
“They’ve done a remarkable job of coming in right away and having an immediate impact on our program,” Walz said. “And for us, that was a must. We needed for them to have that kind of impact.”
The No. 2 seed Cardinals take on Marist on Monday.
Te-Hina Paopao (Oregon)
In this case, the absence of a freshman may have an impact on the tournament.
The Ducks’ point guard, an all Pac-12 selection, averaged 10.2 points and 4.4 assists in her 19 starts, but suffered a right foot injury in late February and has been sidelined since.
“If we can somehow get her back, by the grace of
God, what a lift that would be,” coach Kelly Graves said Monday. “But I don’t anticipate it will be this first weekend.”
The sixth-seeded Ducks, who have lost four of their last five games, take on South Dakota on Monday.
Charlisse Leger-Walker (Washington State)
Leger-Walker led her team to its first NCAA-Tournament in 30 years, averaging just under 19 points per game.
The native of New Zealand scored 20 or more points 12 times this season, more than any other player in the league.
“It’s been a great first season, for me personally and for the team,” she said after being named the Pac-12 freshman of the year. “Alot of learning curves and a lot of successes along the way. A lot of history this year as well, and it’s been really cool to be a part of.”
The ninth-seed Cougars face South Florida on Sunday.
Cameron Brink (Stanford)
Brink has been a force for the Cardinal in the paint, averaging 10.2 points a game while shooting 58.2% from the field. She’s also blocked 64 shots.
She’s scored 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked four shots in the team’s Pac-12 semifinal win over Oregon State, helping the Cardinal to a 14th league title.
“She’s a lot better than she was in November,” coach Tara Van Derveer said. ‘Seh didn’t get a summer to be on campus to train and work out. She learned our offense on Zoom. It took her a while to get the flow of things. She’s doing terrific.”
The top-seeded Cardinal take on Utah Valley on Sunday.