So, I am going to make an effort to be more positive on here and as a result I thought I would post regarding one of the bright spots on this year's team. Hunter Maldonado has really put together a solid freshman season. He still has a long way to go obviously, but he has been very steady for a true freshman and I have been impressed with his game.
I have mentioned before how Hunter's performance compares with some other recent players who had solid freshman seasons (Adams, Nance, James) and I thought I would take a bigger picture look at how true freshmen have fared at UW.
I will start with a disclaimer, which is that I am not saying Hunter will become the player that many of the names on this list turned out to be, but I think it is interesting how he compares.
To compare, I looked at all of the true freshman (I will comment on some RS frosh later) that have played more than 15 mpg for UW since we joined the MWC. I think it says something about a player when they can be a key contributor for a MWC team as a true freshman. Here is the list of players that have played more than 15 mpg as true freshman for UW and their freshman stats in that period:
99-00: Marcus Bailey - 7.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 57% FG, 37% 3PT
01-02: Jay (Jason in those days) Straight - 28 mpg, 9.2 ppg, 3.3 apg, 39% FG, 29% 3PT
03-04: Mikel Watson - 19.8 mpg, 5.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 32% FG, 28% 3 PT
05-06: Brandon Ewing - 35 mpg, 13.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 43% FG, 30% 3PT
06-07: Eric Platt - 19 mpg, 6.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 39% FG, 39% 3 PT
07-08: Mikhail Linskens - 16 mpg, 4.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 43% FG, 38% 3PT (I wish I didn't have to include him, kind of ruins my list)
09-10: Desmar Jackson - 21 mpg, 11.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 51% FG, 21% 3 PT
09-10: Amath Mbaye - 20 mpg, 5.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 46% FG
11-12: Larry Nance - 18 mpg, 4.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 46% FG
12-13: Josh Adams - 29 mpg, 6.6 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 35% FG, 23% 3 PT
15-16: Justin James - 17 mpg, 5.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 42% FG, 35% 3 PT
17-18: Hunter Maldonado - 22 mpg, 5.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 40% FG, 30% FT
There were a few that competed as RS Freshmen:
08-09: Adam Waddell - 19.5 mpg, 5.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 55% FG
08-09: Afam Muojeke - 30 mpg, 13.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 46% FG, 33% 3PT
14-15: Al Herndon - 15 mpg, 3.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 47% FG
Takeaways:
While there are a couple of duds on the list (Linkens and to a lesser extent Watson), the majority of players that were able to contribute at this level as true freshmen turned out to be very good MWC caliber players.
I have mentioned before how Hunter's performance compares with some other recent players who had solid freshman seasons (Adams, Nance, James) and I thought I would take a bigger picture look at how true freshmen have fared at UW.
I will start with a disclaimer, which is that I am not saying Hunter will become the player that many of the names on this list turned out to be, but I think it is interesting how he compares.
To compare, I looked at all of the true freshman (I will comment on some RS frosh later) that have played more than 15 mpg for UW since we joined the MWC. I think it says something about a player when they can be a key contributor for a MWC team as a true freshman. Here is the list of players that have played more than 15 mpg as true freshman for UW and their freshman stats in that period:
99-00: Marcus Bailey - 7.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 57% FG, 37% 3PT
01-02: Jay (Jason in those days) Straight - 28 mpg, 9.2 ppg, 3.3 apg, 39% FG, 29% 3PT
03-04: Mikel Watson - 19.8 mpg, 5.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 32% FG, 28% 3 PT
05-06: Brandon Ewing - 35 mpg, 13.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 43% FG, 30% 3PT
06-07: Eric Platt - 19 mpg, 6.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 39% FG, 39% 3 PT
07-08: Mikhail Linskens - 16 mpg, 4.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 43% FG, 38% 3PT (I wish I didn't have to include him, kind of ruins my list)
09-10: Desmar Jackson - 21 mpg, 11.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 51% FG, 21% 3 PT
09-10: Amath Mbaye - 20 mpg, 5.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 46% FG
11-12: Larry Nance - 18 mpg, 4.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 46% FG
12-13: Josh Adams - 29 mpg, 6.6 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 35% FG, 23% 3 PT
15-16: Justin James - 17 mpg, 5.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 42% FG, 35% 3 PT
17-18: Hunter Maldonado - 22 mpg, 5.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 40% FG, 30% FT
There were a few that competed as RS Freshmen:
08-09: Adam Waddell - 19.5 mpg, 5.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 55% FG
08-09: Afam Muojeke - 30 mpg, 13.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 46% FG, 33% 3PT
14-15: Al Herndon - 15 mpg, 3.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 47% FG
Takeaways:
While there are a couple of duds on the list (Linkens and to a lesser extent Watson), the majority of players that were able to contribute at this level as true freshmen turned out to be very good MWC caliber players.
