In the era of positionless basketball, we rarely see big men defending below the basket and providing quick baskets while waiting for passes in the paint. They now provide picks and rolls beyond the free-throw line, and if they have the talent, shoot the ball from long range.
Entering 2024-25, eight freshmen have a height of 7-foot-2 and above. Three of those first-year players are campaigning in the SEC, two in the ACC, one from the Big Ten, one from the Big 12 and the other from the Big East.
Here are the top five tallest freshmen in the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Top 5 tallest college basketball freshmen who are playing in the 2024-25 season
#4 (tie) Assane Mbaye, Seton Hall
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The 7-foot-2 Senegal-born Assane Mbaye played his final two years in high school at The Patrick School in Hillside, New Jersey. As a senior, he helped Patrick School win 27 of 31 games.
Mbaye didn't play in Seton Hall's first game against Saint Peter's. He will have another opportunity on Saturday against Fordham.
#4 (tie) John Bol, Ole Miss
John Bol is a 7-foot-2 forward from Boma, South Sudan. He played in Overtime Elite in high school. As a senior, he averaged 10.6 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game and was selected in the 2024 McDonald's All-American game.
Bol debuted on Nov. 4 against LIU and played for seven minutes. He finished with two points, four rebounds and two blocks.
#4 (tie) Moustapha Thiam, UCF
Moustapha Thiam played well on the interior for UCF in its 64-61 season-opening shocker against No. 13 Texas A&M. Thiam played for 22 minutes and had two points, four rebounds and six blocks.
Thiam, however, was hobbled with foul trouble and committed his fifth with four minutes remaining.
#4 (tie) Samet Yigitoglu, SMU
Samet Yigitoglu played in various local and European circuits last season and helped his previous ballclub Sigortam Istanbul record a 28-6 mark in the Turkish second division.
He also played in the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship, where he tallied 12.7 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while shooting 66% from the field.
#4 (tie) Khaman Maluach, Duke
The five-star center chose Duke over other offers from UCLA, Kentucky and Kansas and had a good debut with the Blue Devils on Monday against Maine. Khaman Maluach played for 17 minutes and finished with six points on 3-of-3 attempts from the field, six rebounds, one assist and three blocks.
#3. Daniel Jacobsen, Purdue
Purdue has secured another highly-rated center in Daniel Jacobsen. The 7-foot-3 slot man was part of the USA U18 national team and earned a second-team All-Star 5 selection in the AmeriCup in Argentina.
Jacobsen had an impressive debut against Texas A&M Corpus Christi, scoring 13 points on 4 of 6 shooting from the field and 5 of 7 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed seven rebounds and recorded three blocks in 25 minutes of action.
#2. Trent Burns, Missouri
The 7-foot-5 big man had good numbers during his senior year in high school, averaging 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks with Good Vision Academy. He earned the Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-conference honors in his senior year.
Burns didn't play in the season opener for Missouri against Memphis on Nov. 4.
#1. Olivier Rioux, Florida
Olivier Rioux is a 7-foot-9 player who helped Canada win a bronze medal at the 2023 U18 FIBA AmeriCup. He also took part in the 2023 U19 World Cup, the 2022 U17 World Cup and the 2021 U16 Americas Championship, where he averaged 8.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.
The three-star prospect didn't play in Florida's first two games in the 2024-25 college basketball season.
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