5 DII men’s basketball freshmen to watch this season

DII men’s basketball has a strong history of fabulous freshmen coming on the scene and taking over. It wasn’t long ago that Northwest Missouri State’s dynamic duo of Trevor Hudgins and Diego Bernard helped shape a dynasty with an undefeated championship run in 2019. 

As we head into the heart of conference play, who are some of the freshmen to keep tabs on in DII men’s basketball? Glad you asked.

DII MEN’S BASKETBALL 101:

5 freshmen to watch in DII men’s basketball

(all stats through Saturday, Jan. 6)

Ethan Duncan, Lubbock Christian

The Chaps are off to a nice 10-4 start and Duncan has been a driving force for them. He’s not only the best 3-point shooting freshmen in DII men’s basketball — he’s one of the top sharpshooters overall, hitting just about 47 percent of his shots. He went on a three-game tear to close December, scoring 63 points in three games and going 14-for-30 from downtown over that span. Lubbock Christian has a depth of scorers, and Duncan is second-best among them, averaging 14.6 points per game two months into his debut season. 

Kieran Elliott, West Texas A&M

The 6-foot-6 guard is fitting right in with the Buffs’ guard-heavy style of play. Simply put, he’s doing a little bit of everything very well. Elliott recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds in an early season matchup against MSU Denver and has been rolling since. He’s averaging 10.5 points per game on an impressive 59.6 percent shooting and rips down a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game, with more than three per game coming off the offensive glass creating second-chance points for a West Texas A&M team that loves to score. The Buffs always seem to find a freshman who makes an instant impact, and thus far, Elliott has been that player. 

Rob Matos, Molloy

The diminutive 5-foot-9 guard is making a huge impression in DII men’s basketball, leading all freshmen in scoring with 18.5 points per game. He scored nine points in his 2023-24 debut… and that was the last time he scored in double-digits this season. He has six games with at least 21 points and most recently set a career-high with his first 30-point game of his young career. He’s not a one-man show either: Matos leads the Lions in assists as well. 

 Alex Romack, Colorado School of Mines

Anyone that pays attention to RMAC basketball knows it has become one of the tougher conferences to navigate. The Orediggers are off to an 11-3 start and still have the likes of MSU Denver, Colorado Mesa, Fort Lewis and Black Hills State ahead of them. Romack has been impressive in his debut season, and it isn’t all about the points. Heading into the holiday break, Romack earned RMAC defensive player of the week honors as he is a rebounding force in the paint, averaging 8.0 per game, second-most among all freshmen. Don’t be fooled, he’s just defense — Romack averages more than eight points per game shooting a team-high 69.6 percent from the floor. He’s started 13 of…