It’s no secret that this year’s freshmen class in college basketball has exceeded expectations. Every night, it seems like someone is setting some sort of record or career high. Last month, it was Arkansas star Darius Acuff who had the highest-scoring game by any first-year player in the sport.
Last week, Washington star big man Hannes Steinbach, a potential lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, inched closer to breaking a record that has been held for 15 years. Steinbach recorded his 18th double-double of the season against Wisconsin, which tied him with Ohio State star Jared Sullinger for the most double-doubles by a Big Ten freshman this century.
“He came out with a different intent,” Washington coach Danny Sprinkle said after the win over Rutgers. “You could tell he was playing with force from the jump. When he does that he’s very, very hard to guard. He’s very hard to keep off the boards.”
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Steinbach’s 16 rebounds hauled in against Rutgers came just days after he recorded his fewest rebounds (three) of the season against Maryland. He is averaging 11.1 rebounds per game, which ranks No. 4 among all Division I players.
Let’s jump into our rankings and get to our CBS Sports/USBWA Freshman of the Week for the 2025-26 college basketball season.
Freshman of the Week: Hannes Steinbach, Washington
Welcome back to the Frosh Watch, our weekly ranking of the ten most impressive freshmen in college basketball. For the 11th season in a row, CBS Sports has once again teamed up with the United States Basketball Writers Association and its Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award to present this every-Tuesday feature. Each week, we’ll start by announcing the national Freshman of the Week honoree. The cycle for FOTW runs Tuesday-Monday.
Steinbach, a former four-star recruit in the 2025 recruiting cycle by 247Sports, is one of the best rebounders in the sport this season. Steinbach has 18 double-doubles and counting, which is tied for second among all Division I players. This past week, the Washington star finished with 24 points and 16 rebounds against Rutgers and 22 points and 11 rebounds against Wisconsin.
With two games remaining in the regular season, Steinbach will have a chance to break the record held by Sullinger as soon as Wednesday against USC.
Previous Freshman of the Week winners
- Nov. 11: Koa Peat, Arizona
- Nov. 18: Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville
- Nov. 25: Cameron Boozer, Duke
- Dec. 2: Cameron Boozer, Duke
- Dec. 9: Hannes Steinbach, Washington
- Dec. 16: AJ Dybantsa, BYU
- Dec. 23: Shelton Henderson, Miami
- Dec. 30: Ebuka Okorie, Stanford
- Jan. 6: Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
- Jan. 13: Braylon Mullins, UConn
- Jan. 20: Cameron Boozer, Duke
- Jan. 27: Keaton Wagler, Illinois
- Feb. 3: Bryson Tiller, Kansas
- Feb. 10: Alijah Arenas, USC
- Feb. 17: Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville
- Feb. 24: Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
Frosh Watch: Ranking top 10 freshmen
1. Cameron Boozer | F | Duke
Stats: 22.5 PPG | 10.0 RPG | 4.0 APG
Even when Boozer starts slow, he still finds ways to punish teams. On Monday night, NC State elected to throw a heavy dose of zone defense against Duke’s stout frontcourt. It didn’t work. Boozer can do everything: Score, pass, rebound, etc. Even when a team like NC State throws the kitchen sink at him and doesn’t allow him to score during the first 10 minutes of the game, Boozer still managed to finish with 26 points and nine rebounds. Last week: 1
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2. AJ Dybantsa | F | BYU
Stats: 24.9 PPG | 6.8 RPG | 3.7 APG
Dybantsa continues to put up big numbers despite his team losing three of its last four games. Dybantsa scored 20 points in a loss to West Virginia days after going for 29 against UCF. With star forward Richie Saunders out for the season due to a torn ACL, Dybantsa has been asked to carry more of the load on the offensive end. He has certainly delivered. Last week: 2
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3. Darryn Peterson | G | Kansas
Stats: 19.7 PPG | 3.8 RPG | 1.5 APG
The conversation around Peterson hasn’t changed. When he plays, his talent and shotmaking are undeniable. Peterson was the reason why Kansas was able to keep the game close (briefly) against Arizona last weekend. Before the game against Arizona, he had just five assists in his last eight games. Peterson dished out three assists against Arizona, his most in almost a month. Last week: 3
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4. Darius Acuff Jr. | G | Arkansas
Stats: 22.0 PPG | 3.0 RPG | 6.2 APG
When it looked like Acuff’s streak of games with at least 20 points was going to be snapped against Texas A&M, Acuff turned it up in the second half to finish with 22 points, five rebounds and seven assists in the win. However, days later, his streak came to an end after he finished with 17 points in a blowout loss to Florida. The last time Acuff scored less than 20 points was Jan. 20 against Vanderbilt. Acuff should win SEC Player of the Year. Last week: 4
5. Caleb Wilson | F | North Carolina
Stats: 19.8 PPG | 9.4 RPG | 2.7 APG
Wilson has now missed five games and will be out vs. Clemson on Tuesday after fracturing his non-shooting hand vs. Miami on Feb. 10. Wilson has been one of the best first-year players in the sport and has worked himself into the conversation to be a top-five pick this summer. Wilson’s 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game lead the Tar Heels. UNC has gone a respectable 4-1 without the dominance of Wilson and faces Clemson and Duke to close the ACC slate. Last week: 5
6. Keaton Wagler | G | Illinois
Stats: 18.3 PPG | 5.0 RPG | 4.3 APG
Wagler finished with 23 points, four rebounds and three assists in a loss to Michigan last week. Wagler is currently on a 21-game streak with at least 10 points. The last time he scored under 10 points was against UConn. Last week: 6
7. Kingston Flemings | G | Houston
Stats: 16.4 PPG | 3.9 RPG | 5.2 APG
Flemings did a little bit of everything in Houston’s win over Colorado. He finished with just 11 points but dished out eight assists, his most in over a month. Flemings uses his speed to touch paint and get to his spots whenever he pleases. Last week: 7
8. Brayden Burries | G | Arizona
Stats: 15.2 PPG | 4.6 RPG | 2.6 APG
Burries played a huge role in Arizona’s win over Kansas by finishing with 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. The Arizona star scored 11 points on Monday in the Wildcats’ win over No. 6 Iowa State. With the win, Arizona won the Big 12 regular-season title outright. Last week: 9
9. Mikel Brown Jr. | G | Louisville
Stats: 18.2 PPG | 3.3 RPG | 4.7 APG
Brown is coming off his worst outing after a very hot stretch. He played just 21 minutes and finished with five points in a loss to Clemson, which was the fewest points he has scored in a game this year. Before that, Brown had five consecutive games with at least 19 points. Last week: 8
10. Ebuka Okorie | G | Stanford
Stats: 22.7 PPG | 3.7 RPG | 3.5 APG
Okorie is averaging 22.7 points per game this season and is on track to finish as the ACC’s leading scorer. Okorie ranks No. 5 among all Division I players in scoring. He is a special talent. Last week: 10
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