Six college basketball freshmen who impressed this summer and could surprise in 2025-26
The Athlete College Basketball Headline...
Trevin Jirak, center and Tate Sage, guard, Iowa
In late July, I took a trip to Iowa and instantly fell in love with Jirak’s game. The one thing first-year Hawkeyes coach Ben McCollum did not have last year at Drake was a pick-and-pop big man, something his best offenses have typically featured. Jirak, at 6-11, is that and so much more. He’s going to excel in the two-man tangos with Iowa’s guards that are so common in McCollum’s offense, with endless ball screens and dribble handoffs. Jirak makes quick decisions, has excellent hands and understands spacing.
“When he starts to understand the offense, he is so smart,” McCollum said.
What’s exciting for McCollum is that he’s never coached a big man like this at previous stops, Drake and Division II Northwest Missouri State. “We don’t get 6-11 guys at that level,” he said.
McCollum’s eye for under-the-radar players helped him build a four-time Division II national champion and then win the Missouri Valley in his lone season at Drake. Jirak fits the mold. He ranked 192nd in the class according to 247Sports, and he initially committed to Northern Iowa. Jirak is a lifelong Iowa fan, so when McCollum, who recruited him at Drake, got the job, Jirak made the correct assumption that he’d want him at Iowa.
Sage, a 6-7 guard, could be the type of player McCollum sneaks away with and leaves everyone else wondering why he didn’t end up at a higher level. He initially committed to Drake last fall.
Sage was unranked by 247Sports after averaging 13.1 points per game his senior year at Weatherford High in Oklahoma, where he won the state title after back-to-back runner-up finishes. His high school team went 110-12 in his four years.
“He doesn’t put up like a ton of numbers, but he wins a lot,” McCollum said. “The thing with his game is it translates levels, meaning he’s really athletic and he’s just such a good shooter that he’s great at playing off people. He’s a good passer and all that stuff, and then he won in high school.
“So naturally, your numbers aren’t going to be 25 points a game, because that’s not his game. But it also is why he can translate quicker, because he doesn’t change roles as much.”
It could take some time for Jirak and Sage to see the payoff. McCollum typically plays a tight rotation, and it’s hard for freshmen to crack Big Ten rotations. Unlike the others on this list, these two may not be instant contributors. However, within a few seasons, they’ve got the potential to play important roles for a winning team.
Hot Damn, Now I am really a bit more upbeat about the coming men's basketball season
www.si.com
