Arizona Basketball: Top 5 Wildcat Freshmen of All-Time

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No. 1 Deandre Ayton

The GREATEST! At the No.1 spot is Deandre Ayton. How not?! What he accomplished during his one and only year as a Wildcat is unprecedented. If you’ve been following my previous articles or tweets about Ayton, this isn’t the first time I have mentioned this. All along, since day one, I have been a HUGE fan of Ayton and what he is capable of.

I was lucky enough to watch him play up close and personal during the Red and Blue game in October. Some of the plays he was making was jaw dropping. Watching this 7-footer run up and down the court was like something I’ve never seen before, EVER!!

He won so many awards this year it’s simply ridiculous. Ayton just received another one, the Karl Malone Award for the best power forward in college basketball:

For those that need a reminder of what he achieved this season, here you go:

• Averaged a double-double for the season. 20.1 points per game and 11.6 rebounds per game.
• Became the all-time leader in Wildcat history for double-doubles in a single season with 24 (previous record was set by Al Fleming with 12)
• Pac-12 Player of the Week, Pac-12 All-Freshman team, Pac-12 All-Defensive Team, Pac-12 All-First Team, Pac-12 Freshman and Player of the Year.

Those reasons and the skillset he brought as a freshman is why he is my choice for All-Time GREATEST Freshman to play at Arizona. The competition he faced each game his much different from when Elliott or any of the other Wildcats greats played. Yes, he was one of those “one and dones”, but he was able to walk the walk and talk the talk. Plus, as an individual, he was able to handle all the adversity and expectations with such maturity.

Relive his career high performance against the USC Trojans in the Pac-12 Tournament Championship game:

Ayton has the whole package. The impact he is going to have in the NBA is going to be immediate. Whether it’s the Phoenix Suns or another team that chooses Ayton (at the No.1 spot of course), he’s going to fill that franchise role. It’s not very often players like Ayton come around. As long as he stays healthy, he will have a long and successful NBA career.

Must Read: Arizona Basketball Recruiting: Four-Star Guard Commits to the Wildcats

Many great Wildcat freshmen have played and will continue to play for the Wildcats. The resume of Arizona Wildcat basketball speaks for itself. Regardless of what happens as of result of the on going FBI investigation, let us not forget the greats that have worn the red and blue. Bear Down!