How top recruits from the 2016 class fared in their college basketball debuts
The 2016-17 college basketball season tipped off Friday night with its first regular-season games, and many of the nation’s top freshmen — going by last spring’s recruiting rankings — were made their collegiate debuts.
Four of the Top 25 recruits from the class of 2016 were in Rupp Arena, seeing their first action in UK’s 87-64 victory over Stephen F. Austin. De’Aaron Fox led the way for the Wildcats freshmen, going for 12 points, 12 assists and three steals in 30 minutes on the court. His 12 assists were the most ever by a player making his UK debut, besting Kyle Macy’s previous record of 10.
Check out the chart below to see how UK’s other five-star freshmen and the rest of the top recruits from the 2016 class fared in their college debuts. (Chart will be updated throughout the weekend).
Wenyen Gabriel finishes a lob from De'Aaron Fox! #BBN pic.twitter.com/I1Y2nU9pNK
— KSTV (@KSTV_Sports) November 12, 2016
Ben Roberts: 859-231-3216, @BenRobertsHL
College debuts for the Top 25 recruits from the 2016 class
Rk | Player (school) | Results | MP |
1 | Josh Jackson (Kansas) | 9 points, 6 rebounds in 103-99 loss to Indiana | 27 |
2 | Harry Giles (Duke) | DNP (knee injury) | 0 |
3 | Lonzo Ball (UCLA) | 19 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds in 119-80 win over Pacific | 34 |
4 | Jayson Tatum (Duke) | DNP (foot injury) | 0 |
5 | Markelle Fultz (Washington) | Sunday at 7 p.m. vs. Yale (ESPN) | |
6 | De'Aaron Fox (Kentucky) | 12 points, 12 assists, 3 steals in 87-64 win over Stephen F. Austin | 30 |
7 | Dennis Smith Jr. (NC State) | 11 points, 5 assists in 81-79 win over Georgia Southern | 36 |
8 | Jonathan Isaac (Florida State) | Saturday at 1 p.m. vs. Charleston Southern | |
9 | Bam Adebayo (Kentucky) | 5 points, 1 rebound in 87-64 win over Stephen F. Austin | 15 |
10 | Thon Maker (NBA) | Selected with No. 10 pick in 2016 NBA Draft | 0 |
11 | Malik Monk (Kentucky) | 10 points (1-for-6 threes) in 87-64 win over Stephen F. Austin | 20 |
12 | Miles Bridges (Michigan State) | 21 points, 7 rebounds in 65-63 loss to Arizona | 37 |
13 | Frank Jackson (Duke) | 18 points, 4 assists in 94-49 win over Marist | 25 |
14 | Wenyen Gabriel (Kentucky) | 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals in 87-64 win over Stephen F. Austin | 18 |
15 | Marques Bolden (Duke) | DNP (leg injury) | 0 |
16 | Terrance Ferguson (Australia) | Skipped college to play professionally overseas | 0 |
17 | Jarrett Allen (Texas) | 16 points, 12 rebounds in 78-73 win over Incarnate Word | 36 |
18 | TJ Leaf (UCLA) | 22 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists in 119-80 win over Pacific | 37 |
19 | Omari Spellman (Villanova) | Ruled academically ineligible for 2016-17 season | 0 |
20 | Josh Langford (Michigan State) | 5 points in 65-63 loss to Arizona | 12 |
21 | Lauri Markkanen (Arizona) | 13 points, 6 rebounds in 65-63 win over Michigan State | 34 |
22 | Rawle Alkins (Arizona) | 3 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists in 65-63 win over Michigan State | 26 |
23 | Mustapha Heron (Auburn) | 10 points, 3 rebounds in 83-66 win over North Florida | 19 |
24 | Sacha Killeya-Jones (Kentucky) | 0 points, 3 rebounds in 87-64 win over Stephen F. Austin | 9 |
25 | Omer Yurtseven (NC State) | Must sit out first nine games of the season | 0 |
MP-Minutes played | (Rankings from 247Sports composite)
This story was originally published November 11, 2016 at 9:30 PM with the headline "How top recruits from the 2016 class fared in their college basketball debuts."