The freshmen class as a whole in college basketball this season is something special — and that was the expectation coming in.

A group led by Cooper Flagg was as deep as its been in recent years. While Flagg made the easy decision to attend Duke, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey decided to team up at Rutgers and bring excitement to Piscataway, NJ.

Through the first three weeks of the season, the first-year players are making a major impact for their teams and around the country. The question is, who is at the top?

There is a case to be made for Harper.

Harper, who is the younger brother of former Rutgers star Ron Harper Jr., has been putting up a historical start for the Scarlet Knights. He is currently third in the nation in scoring with 23.8 points per game.

Harper earned his second Big Ten Freshman of the Week award on Monday after totaling 122 points in three games last week. He became the first freshman in two decades to score 35 or more points in two consecutive games. He put up 30.5 points per game last week as Rutgers competed in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.

Harper has scored 20 or more points six times in eight games this season. He is shooting 51.1% from the field and 79.3% from the free throw line. Harper is also averaging 4.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists per contest. He has shown an ability as a do-it-all point guard on the offensive end of the floor. At 6-foot-6, Harper is a legitimate chance to be taken in the top three of the 2025 NBA Draft.

Rutgers is off to a 5-3 start with a blemish of a loss to Kennesaw State last Sunday. There are high hopes for Rutgers and it is because of its dynamic duo of freshmen.

Flagg has been the consensus No. 1 prospect in the upcoming draft. Flagg can shoot and handle the ball like a guard at 6-foot-9. Flagg might be taken first overall but there is a case to be made that Harper is the best first-year player early in the season.