A few weeks ago I wrote that it was hard to remember a time when Kansas did not have a marquee freshman in the lineup. But with Naadir Tharpe playing sparingly, and Ben McLemore and Jamari Traylor ineligible, there were no ultra-talented Kansas freshmen on the court for the first semester.

Kansas typically has more than its fair share of talented freshmen, and here is a look back at the statistical best and worse from 2001-02 to 2010-11.

Top Statistical Performers For Kansas Freshmen

Notable: Aaron Miles, 2001-02, ORtg 101.3

Miles’ 33% assist rate was tops among Kansas freshmen over the last decade. (Elijah Johnson also posted a 33% assist rate his rookie year, but Johnson played substantially fewer minutes.) Miles also had the top free throw percentage at 79% among first year players, narrowly beating Mario Chalmers and Xavier Henry. But Chalmers and Henry got to the line more frequently than Miles, so their free throw shooting was a little more impressive.

Notable: JR Giddens, 2003-04, ORtg 114.4

It is easy to dismiss Giddens because he struggled as a sophomore, had some off-court troubles, and ultimately transferred. But you cannot overlook what he did in his first season. Giddens made 74 three-pointers, more than any other Kansas freshman in the last ten years.

Notable: Cole Aldrich, 2007-08, ORtg 106.7

Aldrich rarely played in his first season, but his breakout performance in the NCAA tournament was the surprise bonus that helped propel Kansas to the 2008 National Title. And Aldrich’s 28% defensive rebounding rate was the best by a Jayhawk rookie in the last decade. (Current Jayhawk Jeff Withey actually posted a higher defensive rebounding rate as freshman, but he only played 45 minutes, so I am giving Aldrich credit for the defensive rebounding mark.)

#5 Wayne Simien, 2001-02, ORtg 116.0

Simien’s performance is all the more impressive when you consider that he missed five games due to injury early in his freshman season. Even without a chance to pad his stats against some easy opponents, he burst on the scene. In his debut against a ranked Wake Forest team, he posted a double-double. His 14% offensive rebounding percentage as a rookie was dominant, and his 20% defensive rebounding rate was also terrific. Because of his better efficiency stats and better rebounding numbers, I gave him a narrow edge over Julian Wright for the top-five.

#4 Darrel Arthur, 2006-07, ORtg 107.6

When you consider what a high volume shooter he was when he was on the floor, Arthur’s efficiency rating might be the most impressive on this list. The 2006-07 team was loaded, but when Arthur stepped on the court, he demanded the ball and he was going to score. Arthur was another strong offensive rebounder, and the Jayhawk’s best freshman shot blocker in the last decade. Arthur blocked 56 shots in his first season with the team.

#3 Mario Chalmers, 2005-06, 105.5 ORtg 105.5

Unlike some of the other debuts on this list, Chalmers was not a dominant offensive player from the start. But his defense helped him to earn more and more playing time. Chalmer’s 6% steal rate was not only the best among freshmen, it was the best streal rate for any Kansas player in the last decade. And by the end of the season, Chalmers developed into an outstanding offensive player. Chalmer’s 27% assist rate in his first season bested players like Sherron Collins and Tyshawn Taylor; Chalmers made 48 threes during his freshman campaign; and Chalmers got to the line regularly. By the time the Big 12 tournament rolled around, Chalmers earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award.

#2 Brandon Rush, 2005-06, ORtg 104.9

Rush showed his offensive capability much sooner in his freshman year. He was dominant in the Maui invitational and kept that roll going all season. In the last decade, Rush and Xavier Henry are the only two Kansas freshmen to start every game. Rush was the total package. He shot 47% from three point range, rebounded more like a post-player than a wing, and while his 11% assist rate was not elite, it was impressive for a small forward. Rush also played the most minutes of any Jayhawk freshman in the last 10 years.

#1 Xavier Henry, 2009-10, ORtg 113.8 

With 27 points in his first game (a Jayhawk freshman record for the opening game of the season), and 31 points in a December game against La Salle (four short of Danny Manning’s all-time freshman team record), Xavier Henry certainly debuted with a bang. It was difficult to give him the edge over Brandon Rush’s season long effort, but Henry got a few more open court baskets thanks to his impressive 3% steal rate, made 19 more three pointers, and committed fewer turnovers than Rush. This gave Henry a better ORtg on the season, and I give him the nod as the more efficient player. But the stat that probably propels Henry to the top of this list was his ability to get to the line and finish. Henry’s 90 made free throws was the most made free throws of any Kansas freshman in the last ten years.

First Year Flops

#5 Thomas Robinson, 2009-10, 87.9 ORtg

Robinson got to the free throw line at a higher rate (FTA/ FGA) than any other freshman in the last decade, but because of his struggles at the line, he should not be praised for that accomplishment. Robinson made only 40% of his free throw attempts in his rookie season and opposing teams figured out that the best way to keep Robinson from scoring was to foul him and send him to the line. This limited his efficiency rating and kept him from earning more minutes. But he was far from a complete flop. His 17% offensive rebounding rate was fantastic, and his block rate was also quite good. And Robinson bumped his ORtg up to 108.9 in his sophomore campaign.

#4 Josh Selby, 2010-11, ORtg 94.6

In fairness to Selby, he did not get many cupcake games to pad his stats early in the year, and then he was injured late in the year. But Selby shot just 38% on his two point attempts, turned the ball over 25% of the time, and was simply not a dominant passer. His decision to turn pro seemed misguided and he was only a second round draft pick in this year’s NBA draft.

#3 David Padgett, 2003-04, ORtg 99.4

Despite being listed as a top-10 recruit nationally, Padgett turned the ball over on 25% of his possessions, and was not particularly adept at getting to the free throw line. Padgett was also slow and often out of position defensively, which led him to have the most fouls per game of any Jayhawk in his rookie season.

#2 Sasha Kaun, 2004-05, ORtg 84.8

Because of his poor free throw shooting and turnovers, Kaun posted the worst ORtg of any Kansas recruit ranked in the Top 100. Kaun shot only 33% from the charity stripe and turned the ball over on 28% of his possessions. But Kaun improved his ORtg to 106.0 in his sophomore year.

#1 Russell Robinson, 2004-05, ORtg 85.0

Robinson shot only 41% from the floor and 29% on threes, which was miserable enough. But he also turned the ball over on 33% of his possessions. Only his decent assist rate kept his ORtg above that of Kaun. But because Robinson handled the ball so much more often, I viewed his freshman season as more harmful. Like Kaun and Thomas Robinson, Russell Robinson made an incredible leap in efficiency in his sophomore campaign, proving that some players get better with time.