We are almost at February, which means the DII men's basketball championship is inching closer. As many teams begin to build their selection resume, several freshmen are seeing theirs grow as well, helping to lead turnarounds and potential tournament bids.
Some of these rookies are leading their teams in points, while others are spark plugs, doing the dirty work in the paint or orchestrating the offense with assists. All have helped their teams improve their position from a year ago as March nears. Let's dive into some of the best freshmen of the first half of the season.
9 DII men's basketball impact freshmen
(Note: All stats and records through Sunday, Jan. 18)
Lazerek Houston
Lazerek Houston, Central Missouri. Houston was the only freshman to make the Bevo Francis Top 100 watch list, so that tells you plenty. The Mules are 14-6 with about two months to go one year after finishing 15-15. Houston has been a steady force, second in the MIAA in scoring at 20.3 points per game. He shoots 45.9 percent from the floor and 27 percent from 3-point land. He’s also second in the MIAA with a team-high 105 assists. Never mind a freshman, Houston has been one of the best overall players in DII.
Jacob Daniels, Lander. The Bearcats are in first place in the PBC, and their 6-foot, freshman point guard has been a key component to that success. Daniels is one of the top assist men among all freshmen, dishing out 5.1 dimes per game, the top mark in the PBC. He’s also part of the Bearcats’ balanced offensive attack, which features four players averaging double figures in scoring. For his part, he contributes 12.8 points per game on 50.3 percent shooting. He also leads the team and is third in the PBC with 1.8 steals per game. Daniels has made an instant impact as Lander looks to get back to the bracket after missing out last year.
Ayden Goll
Ayden Goll, Wheeling. The Cardinals were 11-18 last year and are currently sitting at 10-5. The 6-foot-1, redshirt freshman guard has been lighting it up, second in the MEC in scoring at 18.3 points per game. Goll already has three 20-point games and two 30-point games, with a career-high 35 coming recently on Jan. 14. That night he shot 50 percent from the floor while going 5 for 9 from 3. Goll is also tied for first in the MEC with 4.7 assists per game, being the cog that makes the Cardinals’ engine go.
Rashawn Inglemon, Anderson (SC). The 6-foot guard joined the Trojans lineup on opening night and are having one of the best seasons in program history. Their undefeated start was just halted, but at 15-1, the Trojans earned their first top-5 ranking in program history. Inglemon is leading the team in scoring, dropping 17.1 points per game on 49.5 percent shooting. He’s also second in DII with 60 3-pointers made, and in the top 10 in the division shooting 46.5 percent behind the arc. Inglemon has been a big addition and the boost the Trojans needed.
Marco Pavlovic.
Marko Pavlovic, Missouri Western. The Griffons are in the hunt in the MIAA, and while no one may catch Washburn, they are hoping to return to the tournament for the first time since 2021. The 6-foot-9 forward has been a big help, providing a steady force off the glass and from the floor. He’s averaging 11.2 points per game on 58.4 percent shooting, a top-5 mark in the MIAA. He’s also third in the MIAA in rebounding, averaging 8.1 per game, while also leading the team in blocked shots (24). With Central Missouri and Washburn coming up, the Griffons will need Pavlovic to play his best yet.
Jordan Edwards, Ashland. The Eagles are in a tight race with Walsh for the G-MAC and have won five of their last six. If they want to keep winning, Edwards' hot start to his career is a must. The 6-foot-3 guard is a well-rounded player, contributing solidly across the board. He averages 10.6 points per game while chipping in 5.1 boards, second-most on the team. Edwards also dishes out, leading the G-MAC with 5.9 assists per game while averaging more than one steal per game. He needs to take better care of the ball, but that will come; if he keeps up everything else, he'll be a much-needed weapon down the stretch.
Ryder Bradley
Ryder Bradley, St. Edward’s. The Hilltoppers are 16-4 and still smack in the middle of a very deep Lone Star Conference. Bradley, a 6-foot-2 rookie guard, has been a spark plug since opening day, but has taken his game to the next level since the 2026 portion of the schedule opened. Bradley has scored at least 10 points in each of the six games of January, all while shooting a much improved 55.9 percent from the floor during that span. For the season, he is posting nightly averages of 13.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and a team-high 3.7 assists and 1.6 steals.
Dame Givner, Slippery Rock. The Rock is 13-5, improving from last year's 15-14 finish. Their 6-foot-1 rookie guard has been pacing the turnaround, leading the team in a slew of categories. He is tops in points scored with 16.5 per game and has sunk the most 3s with 30 while shooting a very nice 38.5 percent from behind the arc. While he also chips in 3.9 rebounds per game, he leads the team in assists (57) and steals (27). They lost two tough ones in a row, but if The Rock wants to keep rolling, they'll need their freshman superstar healthy and raring to go.
Will Fowler.
Will Fowler, Converse. The Valkyries will need a miracle run to make the tournament, but thus far, they look like a much better team than their 12-18 finish a season ago. Fowler, a 6-foot-2 guard, has been a key piece in the turnaround. Fowler leads all DII freshmen, dropping 20.9 points per game on 49.7 percent shooting. He also leads the team in assists (57) while adding 2.9 rebounds per game. He has been red-hot since the calendar turned to January, recording 37 and 34 points in his first two games out of the gate and averaging 26.8 points through five January games.
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