Freshman year.

Good times.

Just thinking about the whirlwind that was my first year in college makes me both reminiscent and groggy.

I had to worry about keeping up with classes, meeting girls, making new friends, what I could and could not do in the Griesedieck complex, making sure my laundry stayed reasonably under control (still working on that one) and so on.

So believe me when I say that my understanding of the development of the freshmen on the men’s basketball team is somewhat skewed. I know what it was like to be a freshman in college and I know my experience was diametrically opposed to those of the freshmen athletes on this year’s team.

That being said, how have these young players (I like to call them “Billikids”) grown on the court?

To get a good sense of where this team is headed, look no further than the play of starting point guard Kwamain Mitchell.

He started off with all the explosiveness and excitement that Coach Rick Majerus saw when he recruited Mitchell. He also just happened to create his fair share of turnovers (not to mention assists) with that sort of play.

Over the course of the season, Mitchell has greatly improved his assists to turnovers ratio and is beginning to put points on the board with his ability to drive to the basket. This ability to penetrate the lane has also created scoring opportunities for senior leaders like Kevin Lisch, Tommie Liddell III and Barry Eberhardt, as well as freshmen teammates. The offense now flows through Mitchell.

Although Mitchell’s performance has improved drastically this season, he is not the only player with a lot of upside. Willie Reed, who became a fan favorite almost immediately, has begun to assert himself more in the paint and his athletic ability continues to dazzle.

Reed’s overall ball control still needs work (as with most young big men), but fans can certainly expect to continue to see the routine alley-hoop utilized. Whether or not Reed can add some muscle during the offseason will determine just how effective he can be inside.

Brian Conklin and Brett Thompson are becoming quite the rebounding duo. Conklin’s tenacity and athleticism, coupled with Thompson’s superior size and skill set have begun to stack up the minutes and boards.

As with Reed, Thompson’s hands still need some work and he hasn’t quite adjusted to the bigger bodies down low. Expect some great battles with Xavier’s big man Kenny Frease once Thompson improves his inside game. Conklin’s ferocious approach to his game evokes respect, but at this point it borders on raw. Refining those skills will make Conklin a force to be reckoned with.

As for Kyle Cassity, well, he just looks young. But this effects noa difference in his playing time. The point is, he plays with composure and level-headedness.

Some would argue that this reticence is a weakness. But his solid defense and ability to create for his teammates makes up what he lacks in scoring ability. Make no mistake, Cassity has shown flashes of scoring potential during the past couple games. If he can add a scoring element to his already impressive skill set, teams probably won’t be worrying about how old he looks.

With the development and improvement of the freshmen in mind, here are some notes about the rest of the season: For seniors Lisch, Liddell and Eberhardt, just eight games remain before the Atlantic 10 tournament and the possible conclusion of their SLU basketball careers. Lisch and Liddell have been steadily climbing the all-time SLU statistical charts. Eberhardt is coming off of the most productive game of his career in which he scored 26 points in a win at Fordham on Saturday. Can Eberhardt repeat that sort of performance?

Regardless of how and when this season comes to a close, the seniors deserve a significant amount of respect for the time and effort they have given the SLU basketball program. They might make the move to life beyond college basketball soon, but they have certainly created a lasting impression.

Hopefully the Billikids will build off of a solid performance at Dayton, their first road win at Fordham and their win over Duquesne.

Joe George is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences