Just a week ago, SEC coaches voted that Oklahoma guard Aaliyah Chavez wasn't the best freshman in the conference this season. A week later, she's being considered the best freshman in the entire country. Nothing has changed since then other than more proof of how wrong those coaches obviously were.
Chavez on Wednesday was announced as ESPN's National Freshman of the Year. The recognition came just a week after Vanderbilt's Aubrey Galvan was named SEC Freshman of the Year over Chavez in a decision fans immediately knew was completely absurd.
Aaliyah Chavez named ESPN's National Freshman of the Year
The Nation's Best Freshman 🏆
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) March 11, 2026
Aaliyah Chavez has been named ESPN's National Freshman of the Year!@AALIYAH2CHAVEZ // @ESPN pic.twitter.com/hLuNeV6z7a
After signing as the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class, Chavez has lived up to all the hype this season. Chavez leads the Sooners with 18.4 points, 4.2 assists and 32.3 minutes a game, plus averages 1.5 steals, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 turnovers as the Sooners head into the NCAA Tournament next week likely as a top-4 seed.
The last freshman to average 18.0 points, 4.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds a game while committing 3.0 turnovers or less in a season was UConn's Paige Bueckers, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft after leading the Huskies to a national title. Trae Young immediately predicted Chavez to be compared to players like Bueckers and Caitlin Clark, though, once she suited up in crimson and cream.
Those outstanding numbers had Chavez earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors a record eight times, compared to five for Galvan. Chavez was also All-SEC Second-Team as the only freshman to garner that recognition. That made the SEC coaches' decision even more mind-boggling after clearly realizing the type of season Chavez put together.
There could also still be more honors coming Chavez's way. The winner of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) National Freshman of the Year hasn't been announced yet, and Chavez appears to be the favorite. There are also All-American teams that will certainly include Chavez.
It's OK that Chavez isn't the best freshman in her conference. She's apparently too good for that. Chavez is the best freshman in all of college basketball.