They are eager, talented and prone to mistakes. They can exasperate their coaches one minute with a mental blunder and delight them the next with a sensational deed.

Generally more receptive to instruction than their veteran teammates, freshmen have been making a greater imprint on college basketball in recent seasons as the defections of players who believe they are ready for the professional level become more commonplace, creating openings in the lineup.

In major Division I play, first-time collegians such as Baltimore's Carmelo Anthony (at Syracuse) are stepping in with big-time skills and having an immediate impact. They are learning through performing.

Locally, their roles have increased significantly as well, but for different reasons. Of the 29 freshmen on the eight area Division I rosters, excluding Maryland, 23 (or nearly 80 percent) are slotted into one of the top eight positions on their teams. Youth is clearly in full bloom.

The seeds for their opportunities were sown last season, when only one local team, UMBC (20-9), finished with a winning record. The other seven men's squads were a combined 49-153, and when the Retrievers were depleted by the transfers of three starters, positions were at stake everywhere.

Some returning players would have to earn their keep as coaches sought to upgrade the caliber of their teams by whatever means available, including via freshmen. As this season progressed, injuries to players above them in the pecking order gave the new faces even more chances.

"We needed a quick shot in the arm, an instant fix," said Mount St. Mary's retiring coach Jim Phelan, who suffered through his worst of 49 seasons (3-24) in 2001-02. "Necessity forced it on us. We focused our recruiting locally and tried to come up with the best freshmen we could find. And we found some good ones."

Such as starting point guard Chris Sumner from the Washington Catholic League and regular shooting guard Landy Thompson (Archbishop Spalding), the top area freshman scorer and the team's leading scorer at 15.3 points a game, second in the Northeast Conference. And key reserves Charles Cook, a pure shooter, and forward Kiel Butler, both from Prince George's County.

At Coppin State, coach Fang Mitchell began a purge last January of six players he felt weren't compatible with his system and disciplinary methods, leaving him only three notable holdovers.

Now, three freshmen, point guard Raheem Scott, off guard Deke Thompson and forward Darron Bradley, are almost always in the opening lineup. The exception was when Bradley was nursing a shoulder injury.

"I looked into where our program was, and we needed a new influx of talent," Mitchell said. "We were fortunate to get mature people who understand what we're here to do. We're in good shape now.

"If I have seniors not playing up to the program's needs, then I'll go with freshmen. They'll have a long-lasting effect. They have been receptive, especially if you look at the wars we put them through early," he said, referring to a meat grinder of a pre-league schedule on the road.

Towson coach Michael Hunt realized the move into the Colonial Athletic Association last season would require higher-level players and "people with character who could understand that there would be some hard knocks, kids who have been knocked down already and got back up again."

He recruited accordingly, and Hunt has been encouraged by the zeal of the freshmen - but frequently disappointed with the play and approach of his upperclassmen.

"Our freshmen show up early, stay late and do a good job in the classroom and on the campus. These five give us a solid foundation."

Forward Lawrence Hamm is one of the front-runners for the CAA Rookie of the Year Award, and center Jacob McCartney has started every game. Cilk McSweeney, Andrius Petkunas and Stephen Warner receive noteworthy playing time, and Petkunas started four times. In the nine-team CAA, only four freshmen start.

A different direction

At UMES, coach Thomas Trotter decided to go the junior college route in an attempt to beef up an 11-18 record. It didn't work. The Hawks were winless until Jan. 13, and Trotter has taken a different tack.

"We went with the older guys first, but freshmen were making shots from Day One. Aaron Wellington was always outplaying people in practice," Trotter said. "Nobody but Tee [Trotter, the coach's son] could score early. We needed Aaron in there, and he's a rare kid you can get on. He's got a tough skin."

Wellington now ranks in the top 20 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in scoring average at 12.6, and another freshman, Bubby Brown, has taken over at the point to further relieve the pressure from the younger Trotter, who can concentrate more readily on his offense.

At Loyola, coach Scott Hicks has started three freshmen at various times, including Charlie Bell, who's orchestrating the attack after the departure of three-year point man Damien Jenifer.

"We didn't have a point guard, so we brought in different people to get some depth there," Hicks said. "We're dealing with a generation where players expect instant gratification, big minutes or starts right away. The opening was there.

"I'm excited for next year. We'll have almost everybody back [one senior]. We're going to win as many as we can now and be ready for that with all these young players."

Stocky forward P.J. Hatcher broke into UMBC's regular lineup after injuries dogged veterans Eugene Young and Andre Williams. Another newcomer, John Zito, might have earned some starts but for a nagging ankle problem.

"I think the bad-year situation was a big factor in the area," UMBC coach Tom Sullivan said. "Towson and Coppin both decided on youth movements. But even without that, you want to make sure your freshmen are getting a lot of work.

"The problem is that most kids feel they're ready. But they see only the good things, not the mistakes. And there is a whole group of people around them telling them how good they are. You need kids who can keep that in perspective."

Forward Ronald Timus is labeled "the most athletic player I have" by Morgan State coach Butch Beard, "but I'm trying to make him a basketball player, not just an athlete. It's like putting them into the frying pan, but the more time you get them, the better."

Beard said some freshman lessons must come in practice, where many of his players have to master two positions. "Timus can probably be as good as he wants to be, but, like all freshmen, it's up to him how much he makes of it."

When Howard University made the NCAA tournament 12 years ago, Beard had a freshman starter. "You never have reservations about putting them out there if they're ready and they accept their role in the system," he said. "If players aren't getting it done by the time they're seniors, they're not going to. So, you put your hopes and prayers on the youth."

Even at the Naval Academy, where the intense demands of the plebe year and a huge cadre of seasoned players seemed to weigh heavily against a first-year hopeful, guard David Hooper has cracked the main rotation and is averaging nearly 18 minutes.

"He is kind of extraordinary, extremely focused," coach Don DeVoe said. "In Patriot League play, the two guards who started the year were shooting about 15 percent and we needed any kind of guard help. He is one of our best long-range shooters."

Playing time on the rise

With NCAA Division I scholarship limitations at 13, several freshmen who previously might have accumulated a lot of bench time at major schools have filtered down to mid-majors or smaller Division I members to obtain their grants.

That means playing time, a key consideration in the selection of a college, is more likely to rise for players at smaller schools. Academics, the campus, the coaching staff, a successful history by the team, friends, other players and location were cited as reasons for school selection, but youngsters primarily are motivated by the possibility of playing quickly.

San Diego State, Temple, Duquesne, Kent State, La Salle, Bowling Green, East Carolina, Miami (Ohio), Wake Forest and Florida State were among the schools mentioned as having recruiting them by the 23 currently playing noteworthy local roles.

"Basically, playing time is determined by how hard you work," UMBC's Hatcher said. "You have to earn the opportunity. Coach Sullivan didn't promise me any time. It's just a blessing being a starter."

Said Coppin's Scott: "I didn't really expect to start. I figured I'd come off the bench. But with all the players gone, I thought I had a chance."

Added Scott's teammate, Bradley: "They kicked off a couple players while I was here on visits. So, I figured if I came to work, I'd be all right. I needed a coach like this [Mitchell]. If I had a laid-back coach, I wouldn't be as intense myself."

For now, growing pains

While the freshmen learn and mature, the area Division I college teams take their lumps. The top overall record belongs to Mount St. Mary's (7-9), while only Coppin State (4-3 MEAC) is on the winning end in its conference. The eight schools are a combined 35-102, including 16-44 in league play.

"Coach Hunt was upfront about everything, and I knew it was rebuilding time," Towson's McCartney said. "I wanted to be part of it, and I knew I'd be playing a lot. It just felt right."

Hamm, who leads the Tigers in rebounding (5.7) and is their second-leading scorer (9.1), added: "If I worked hard, I thought I might start. It sounded like an up-and-coming program, and since my dad lives in Silver Spring, he'd be able to see me play."

"Here," the Mount's Sumner said, "it was made clear the opportunity was there if I proved I was capable of doing it. When Landy [Thompson] told me he was interested, that sealed the deal. I would be in a backcourt with somebody I knew. It has worked out better than I imagined."

Thompson affirmed that the partnership with Sumner was appealing and "when they told me two senior guards were leaving, I felt pretty confident [about playing]. And Coach Phelan has been around so long and is so well-rounded, I felt he had the best chance to make me better."

So, the precocious have intersected with opportunity. Local Division I basketball is in a greening process.

"If freshmen are good enough like Fred Carter was, they make an immediate impact," Phelan said, referring to the former NBA player who was one of his top players at Mount St. Mary's. "There is no holding them back."