Trae Young is College Basketball’s Latest Phenom

Oklahoma’s most recent star has emerged.

Kelly Ross — USA TODAY Sports Images

What a time to be alive, Sooners fans.

It only seemed like yesterday when everyone in Norman was cheering on quarterback Baker Mayfield for winning the Heisman and leading his team to the College Football Playoffs as the №2 seed. Well in reality, that happened roughly 2 weeks ago and Sooners’ fans all over the country continue to be excited as the sports scene rolls on to their basketball program, led by the electrifying play of freshman point guard, Trae Young.

Photo: Timothy J. Gonzelez, AP

After a little more than a month into the college basketball season, Trae Young has undoubtedly proven that he is the best and most exciting player in the entire country. From a statistical standpoint, Young is currently averaging an astounding 28.8 points per game, 8.9 assists per game, 3.6 rebounds per game on 47% field goal completion and 37.5% from beyond the arc. In wins against #25 and #3 ranked USC and Wichita State, Young put up 29 points, 9 assists and 29 points, 10 assists, respectively. What’s even more crazy was his most recent game against Northwestern State, where he put up 26 points and tied an NCAA Division-one record with an unreal 22 assists.

Who remembers former Oklahoma star Buddy Hield’s breakout game against the Kansas Jayhawks in 2015? Here’s a reminder:

Although it ended in a loss for the Sooners, this game served as the catalyst that helped raise Hield’s draft stock to where he was drafted sixth overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2016 NBA Draft. Oklahoma has had successful NBA prospects in its history, including Blake Griffin and Buddy Hield, but what is the scouting report looking like for Trae Young right now?

Young has two things that NBA teams absolutely love when scouting players, shooting and scoring. His offensive contributions are reminiscent of one Damian Lillard while he also possesses the potential to be an elite passer in the NBA level. Who knows, that could help propel him to, dare I say it, the top-5 of an already top-heavy draft? Young already has the shot diversity to help his draft stock go higher than it already is and he has played insanely well against ranked opponents (i.e. Wichita State). His ball handling is also one of the best in the entire NCAA and he can continue to get better with his high motor and agility. Young does lack the defensive versatility and explosiveness that you would like to see in an NBA athlete, but I mean, Stephen Curry had a similar scouting report when he was declaring for the draft out of Davidson.

During the pre-season, the best players projected to go in the top of the 2018 NBA draft were in some order: Luka Doncic, Marvin Bagley, Deandre Ayton, Mohammed Bamba, and Michael Porter Jr. These are all obviously very fluid situations as the season goes on depending on if injuries are a factor, as it has been with Porter Jr. Regardless, Young has came on to the scene as an exciting young prospect who can help a team by adding another scoring option on offense.

Ultimately, I look forward to the remainder of the season for Young and the Oklahoma Sooners. I want to see how Young will fare during Big-12 play, specifically against Kansas, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech, and West Virginia. But more importantly, Young can solidify his draft stock if he can continue to maintain his motor consistently, especially when the big dance comes around in March.Young has the right mentality. Take everything one day at a time, and it’ll all work out.