BALTIMORE, Md. (Jan. 17, 2019) -- Within the collegiate world, a freshman is someone who's in their first semester. One shall continue to rise the ranks due to credits and other situations. Within the athletic side of the world, it gets rather complicated. 

In the era of stretching eligibility, transferring, being redshirted, and even getting masters degrees to continue athletic careers, it's certainly hard to tell if someone's really a freshman academically or just starting their athletic career in the collegiate ranks.

But for Sherwyn Devonish-Prince Jr., the 6-1 guard from Bladensburg, Maryland is a freshman on the court and in the classroom. And he's not a novice. During his first season so far, he's made an impact and has proved to be a crucial piece to Coach Todd Bozeman's game plan for the season. 

Almost halfway through the season, he's averaging 11 points per game, 2.1 assists, 2 rebounds and is shooting almost 34% from the floor. The two-time MEAC Rookie of the Week selection currently ranks No. 4 nationally in free throw percentage (92.4%). His free throw percentage is rare and scary for his opponents. 

Speaking of scary, when hearing of his name back in his hometown of Prince George's County, opponents tried to stop him and fans filled gyms to watch him. During his career at Bladensburg High School and Wise High School, Devonish-Prince Jr. made a name for himself in the prep ranks. During his senior season, he was named to the All-PG County 4A All-team and a second-team all-met selection. He averaged 18.6 ppg during that season as Wise only lost five games the entire season. 

His commitment was a joy to many who knew of his legendary status in the PG County ranks.  

"He is as complete a freshman point guard that we have signed at Morgan State," said Coach Bozeman. "He can run a team, make teammates better, score in a variety of ways, and he can defend. He has definitely been well coached."

And for those who didn't know of him, he made his presence known on the first night of the season. Against defending national champion Villanova on national TV, he scored 13 points and grabbed two rebounds. Seems small, but the bright lights and the tough opposition did not stop him from producing. He continued to do so, especially during the Towson game. 

Morgan State started slow but exploded for 46 points in the second half. His ability to take contact and create shooting opportunities was a huge reason of why he scored 19 points, and why MSU walked out on top. A few weeks later, he went on to score 22 points against Cal State Northridge and 17 points against Lincoln-Pa. He made 100% (11-11) of his free throws during the Lincoln-Pa. contest as well. 

He makes his team better, he spreads the ball around and is calm during the tight moments of games. There's still a lot of basketball that's left to be played this season but his impact is huge. 

Devonish-Prince Jr. is a freshman but his classification does not determine his current skill set or stat lines. Same goes for fellow freshmen Isaiah Burke and Malik Miller. Miller is one of the league's top offensive rebounders (ranked No. 6 in MEAC and is shooting 43 percent from the field. Burke is consistent as well. He scored 17 points against Villanova and has tallied just north of 17 minutes in the 12 games he has played. 
 
They are not your normal freshmen and Morgan State has a couple of potential stars on their hands because of it. When given an opportunity, these three stars compete, no matter the opponent or size. They are not scared to get physical and are very in tune with their basketball IQ's. Their performances and potentials just show how basketball is changing. Players are playing more often and have a wide array of resources at hand to improve their game. It's not just about one season anymore, every day counts. For this trio, they will continue to make every day count.

ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 100 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu. 

The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Morgan State University a National Treasure in 2016, in the latest significant effort towards preserving the rich cultural legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The National Trust and Morgan State University have partnered to develop a preservation plan that stewards the many historic buildings on campus, while planning wisely for the university's future.
To learn more about the Morgan State University National Treasure, visit www.savingplaces.org.