By Jeff Borzello

Welcome back to “Following the Frosh.” For now, we’re just tracking the top 20 players in the class of 2011 according to Scout.com, but beginning next week, we’ll have our own top 10 rankings, along with some sleepers and other noteworthy performances.

Freshmen are still going strong across the country. Several of the five-star prospects continue to post impressive numbers for successful teams, and only one or two seem to be fading after a strong start.

1. Anthony Davis, Kentucky: 12.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 4.3 bpg
His matchup against John Henson on Saturday should be great. It’s a major test for Davis, as Henson can match his length.

2. Andre Drummond, Connecticut: 8.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.9 bpg
Drummond continues to make more of an impact on the inside for the Huskies. That free-throw form is hideous, though.

3. Austin Rivers, Duke: 14.4 ppg, 2.1 apg
There are still plenty of people pointing out the negatives about Rivers (me included), but he continues to score. 

4. Quincy Miller, Baylor: 15.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.4 apg
Miller’s numbers dropped a bit in the past week, but he still will pose a matchup problem for most defenders in the Big 12.

5. James McAdoo, North Carolina: 6.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg
McAdoo is instant offense off the bench for the Tar Heels on the inside. Has nabbed three steals twice this season. 

6. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky: 12.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg
Gilchrist continues to fill up every category on the stat sheet. Will help defend Harrison Barnes on Saturday.

7. Brad Beal, Florida: 16.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg
Beal won the SEC Rookie of the Week award, after averaging 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in two wins for the Gators. 

8. Marquis Teague, Kentucky: 11.7 ppg, 4.0 apg, 3.3 TO
Teague looked better last week when it came to decision-making. His assists are up and turnovers down. Will continue to get better.

9. LeBryan Nash, Oklahoma State: 10.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg
Didn’t score or grab a rebound against Virginia Tech on Friday. Needs to work hard on a consistent basis to reach his potential.

10. Adonis Thomas, Memphis: 10.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg
It was an up-and-down week for Memphis in Maui, and Thomas exemplified that. Had 19 in a win, and 10 points total in two losses.

11. Myck Kabongo, Texas: 8.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 5.2 apg
Kabongo’s numbers look good, but he needs to stay under control and create offense better. Looked passive down the stretch vs. NC State.

12. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia: 13.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg
Caldwell-Pope is a volume shooter, plain and simple. But he needs to improve his accuracy if Georgia is going to win in the SEC.

13. Cody Zeller, Indiana: 14.8 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.7 spg
Zeller finally missed a few shots last week, but the Hoosiers continue to roll. Zeller had 16 and eight in the 16-point win over Butler.

14. Branden Dawson, Michigan State: 8.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg
Dawson has been effective when he gets chances, shooting 60 percent from the field and rebounding well. Still figuring out his role.

15. Khem Birch, Pittsburgh: 5.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.3 bpg
Birch had one of the better weeks of any freshman. Out of nowhere, he averaged 11.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks in two wins.

16. Josiah Turner, Arizona: 6.6 ppg
Turner reached double-figures for the first time this season, against San Diego State. As a point guard, he needs more than one assist, though. 

17. Wayne Blackshear, Louisville: Injured
Scheduled to return in December or January. Cardinals need the depth.

18. Jabari Brown, Oregon: 6.0 ppg
Still looking for his next spot, after leaving the Ducks’ program.

19. Tony Wroten, Washington: 12.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2.2 spg, 4.4 TO
Wroten has been one of the better all-around freshmen this season, but he needs to cut down on his turnovers and make better decisions.

20. Rakeem Christmas, Syracuse: 4.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg
Only played seven total minutes against Virginia Tech and Stanford, not producing much after starting. Will provide five fouls and defense.

Photo: US Presswire

By Jeff Borzello

We’re only two weeks into the season, but we’re beginning to see some trends with the elite freshmen in the country. While it’s still early, we can start to look at which players are getting rotation minutes and which players are producing. For now, we’re going to keep looking at the top 20 players in the class of 2011 according to Scout.com. After a few weeks, though, we’ll start making our own “Freshman of the Year” rankings and also throw in some surprises too.

1. Anthony Davis, Kentucky: 12.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 4.5 bpg
Still coming around on the offensive end, and did struggle with only three points against Penn State.

2. Andre Drummond, Connecticut: 5.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg
Drummond had his best game of the season against Maine, going for 11 points, 14 boards and four blocks.

3. Austin Rivers, Duke: 13.3 ppg
Rivers has been highly scrutinized this season for his body language, but the young man can fill it up.

4. Quincy Miller, Baylor: 18.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg
Might not put up the same numbers when Perry Jones returns, but Miller is tough to guard right now.

5. James McAdoo, North Carolina: 6.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg
He doesn’t get a ton of minutes, but McAdoo can be counted on to produce in an efficient manner.

6. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky: 12.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg
Gilchrist does a little bit of everything from handling the ball to making things happen defensively.

7. Brad Beal, Florida: 14.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg
It’s a battle among the Florida perimeter players to get shots, but Beal’s smooth jumper had made plenty of appearances.

8. Marquis Teague, Kentucky: 10.8 ppg, 2.8 apg, 4.5 TO
Teague has had some trouble taking care of the ball this season, but he is supremely talented and will figure it out.

9. LeBryan Nash, Oklahoma State: 12.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg
Nash was overshadowed last week by Cezar Guerrero’s heroics, and his shooting has been erratic so far.

10. Adonis Thomas, Memphis: 12.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
The Tigers have only played one game, and Thomas was efficient and impressive against Belmont.

11. Myck Kabongo, Texas: 12.3 ppg, 6.3 apg
Kabongo has shown off his unbelievable speed, but he needs to play more under control and finish better.

12. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia: 13.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg
Caldwell-Pope is not afraid to shoot, but his 3-point accuracy has been inconsistent. When he’s hot, look out.

13. Cody Zeller, Indiana: 15.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3.3 spg
Zeller’s steal numbers are outstanding for a player his size. Shooting an unbelievable 82.6 percent from field.

14. Branden Dawson, Michigan State: 9.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg
Dawson will be a role player throughout the year, but he’s still figuring out that role. Matchup problem for most.

15. Khem Birch, Pittsburgh: 1.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Has played just nine minutes total in the last two games. He has potential, but he’s not ready just yet.

16. Josiah Turner, Arizona: 5.8 ppg
Has shown flashes, but his immaturity has overshadowed his talent so far. Has been inconsistent offensively.

17. Wayne Blackshear, Louisville: Injured
Blackshear is still scheduled to return in December or January after his right shoulder injury.

18. Jabari Brown, Oregon: 6.0 ppg
Brown abruptly left the program before the Ducks’ game against Southeast Missouri State. No longer on the roster.

19. Tony Wroten, Washington: 12.5 ppg, 3.5 apg, 4.0 apg
He needs to knock down shots more consistently and cut down on turnovers. 10-for-25 from the charity stripe.

20. Rakeem Christmas, Syracuse: 6.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
Christmas has actually surpassed my expectations for him. Good test on Wednesday vs. Virginia Tech.

Photo: AP

By Matt Norlander and Jeff Borzello

We're going to be tracking the play of the elite freshman--and the ones who aren't ranked highly, but come out of the woodwork nonetheless--this year. We couldn't contain ourselves, so here's our first look at the newbies' first games. We'll come back to this list and recap/update how they're doing nearly every week throughout the season. And again, there will definitely be some first-year guys who burst onto the scene. We'll keep you abreast of their trend lines, too.

We've taken the top 20 according to Scout.com. As the year goes on, we may create our own top 20 of sorts, yet still keep eyes on all of these young guys, too.

Borzello peeked in on the top 10; Norlander took the 11-20 guys.

1. Anthony Davis, Kentucky — 23 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks vs. Marist
The nation's top prospect (right) had the debut everyone expected. He also shot 10-for-13 from the floor -- and did it in only 23 minutes.

2. Andre Drummond, Connecticut — 0 points, four rebounds vs. Columbia
Playing with a mask, Drummond came off the bench but didn't make an impact offensively. Still acclimating to the college game.

3. Austin Rivers, Duke — Averaged 15.5 points and 3.5 assists in two games
His change in body language and attitude from game one to game two was more important than statistics. 

4. Quincy Miller, Baylor — 17 points, four rebounds vs. Texas Southern
It will be interesting to see once Perry Jones III returns, but Miller is the go-to-guy offensively for the Bears. 

5. James McAdoo, North Carolina — Four points, three rebounds vs. Michigan State
McAdoo showed flashes of his potential in his 17 minutes. Will be productive as the sixth man going forward.

6. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky — 15 points, seven rebounds vs. Marist
John Calipari moved Kidd-Gilchrist into the starting lineup and it paid off. Also made plays on the defensive end.

7. Brad Beal, Florida — 14 points, three assists vs. Jackson State
Beal struggled from behind the arc, going 1-for-6 from deep, but he was able to create shots for himself and teammates.

8. Marquis Teague, Kentucky — 16 points, four assists vs. Marist.
Will be one of the nation's most explosive point guards throughout the season, and a pest for opposing point guards.

9. LeBryan Nash, Oklahoma State — 13 points, five rebounds vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Right off the bat, Nash is the first option for the Cowboys' offense. Struggled shooting the ball in the opener.

10. Adonis Thomas, Memphis — Starts season on Wednesday vs. Belmont
Thomas is likely to start, but with so many options and so much depth, his output could be somewhat limited.

11. Myck Kabongo, Texas — Plays Sunday night vs. Boston University. We’ll update this post once that game goes final.

12. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia — Fifteen points, four rebounds, two fouls vs. Wofford.
The freshman started and led the Bulldogs in scoring. Considering he got 33 minutes, this was a bright early sign.

13. Cody Zeller, Indiana — Sixteen points, 10 rebounds, three steals, two blocks vs. Stony Brook.
Zeller’s expected to bring Indiana to a higher level this year, even if that level isn’t necessarily the NCAA tournament. Zeller looked really good against at slug-it-out Stony Brook team.

14. Branden Dawson, Michigan State — 10 points, seven rebounds vs. North Carolina.
What a way to open your college career: on an aircraft carrier against the No. 1 team in the country. Dawson did well.

15. Khem Birch, Pittsburgh — Two points, three rebounds vs. Albany.
Birch came off the bench. He took only one shot (and missed) in 17 minutes of play.

16. Josiah Turner, Arizona — Averaged 3.5 points and two assists in two games.
We have the benefit of looking at Turner after two games, last Monday and Wednesday vs. Valpo and Duquesne. He’s yet look comfortable.

17. Wayne Blackshear, Louisville — He’s out until December with a shoulder issue, remember.

18. Jabari Brown, Oregon — Seven points, six turnovers, two rebounds vs. Vanderbilt.
Brown went against the second-best team of any freshman on our list (only Dawson at Michigan State took on a tougher foe). The six turnovers, Ducks fans have to hope that’s a one-time thing.

19. Tony Wroten, Washington — Eighteen points, seven rebounds, three assists vs. Georgia State.
Among the best all-around performances from any guy on this list. Wroten ready to be the next electric UW guard?

20. Rakeem Christimas, Syracuse — Six rebounds, five points in 20 minutes vs. Fordham.
Christmas is the guy replacing the ever-solid Rick Jackson down low. Plenty disagree on his impact ability this year. It takes time for big men to adjust to that zone concept—Christmas played acceptable, all things considered.

Photos: AP