College Hoops Barometer: Risers & Fallers

The biggest surprise of the college basketball season thus far comes out of Greenville, S.C. That's the home of the mighty Furman Paladins, who are ranked in the top 25. I honestly had to look up what a Paladin was (sorry, Dungeons & Dragons is only cool when played by the kids in "Stranger Things"). For those like myself who were previously uninformed, a Paladin is essentially a knight. By any name or definition, though, the Paladins have become a Cinderella story months before the NCAA Tournament even tips. Furman is 11-0 with wins over defending champion Villanova and Final Four participant Loyola-Chicago.

Furman hasn't been in the NCAA Tournament since 1980, and it has never been ranked until now. That's 106 years of Paladin basketball, in case you were wondering. Furman visits LSU just before Christmas is what could signal an end to the undefeated start, but it's been a wild ride so far for junior guard Jordan Lyons, senior forward Matt Rafferty, and the rest of the Furman faithful.

Let's take a look at some other movers and shakers in this week's College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Yoeli Childs, F, BYU - Childs has been playing like a man possessed lately. He recently scored 31 points in three-straight games for the Cougs, shooting nearly 65 percent from the field over that span. Childs is averaging a double-double on the year as well, spurred by a five-game streak of such outputs to begin the 2018-19 campaign. BYU may have a hard time competing in the WCC with Gonzaga looking like a juggernaut at the top of the conference, but Childs has already staked himself to an early lead for West Coast Conference Player of the Year. He leads the conference in both scoring and rebounding at this time.

Christian James, G, Oklahoma - James took a backseat to the Trae Young Show last season, but the senior is blossoming in his final year with the Sooners. James is averaging career highs across the board, including 19.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists for OU. For all of Young's tantalizingly long treys, he shot just 36 percent from long distance last season. By contrast, James is hitting 43.3 percent of his shots from downtown this year. While proving an efficient scorer, the 6-foot-4 James has also not been afraid to mix it up on the boards. In fact, he's posted double-doubles in each of the last two outings for the Sooners. The loss of Young has been a gain to James, the undisputed leader of the squad now.

Jordan Nwora, F, Louisville - Nwora has made huge strides between his freshman and sophomore campaigns, becoming an integral part of this Louisville squad. The 6-8 forward has gone from complementary bench player to leading scorer for the Cardinals. Nwora did nearly all he could in Louisville's loss to Indiana last. Nwora posted career highs with 24 points and 14 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. He followed that up with 22 points in Louisville's most recent win over Lipscomb. It was his sixth 20-point outing in 10 games for the Cardinals. With no other Louisville player averaging even double figures, Nwora figures to get plenty of shots up as new coach Chris Mack attempts to turn the program around.

Armoni Brooks, G, Houston- Brooks apparently shares the same mantra as Trae Young and Steph Curry, i.e., "My range is when I enter the gym." The sharpshooter with "limitless" range lets loose nine treys per game, connecting on 43.4 percent of them. The 6-3 junior got stronger in the offseason and made it his business to help out on the glass as well. He's averaging 9.4 rebounds over the last five games, and 7.1 boards per game overall on the year. The leading scorer for the undefeated Cougars along with Corey Davis Jr., Brooks has been attempting to score in different ways and elevate his offensive game. That may still be a work in progress, but Brooks remains deadly from long range, and is hoping to help Houston make its first Sweet 16 since the days of Phi Slama Jama, after losing in the Round of 32 just a season ago.

CHECK STATUS

Dazon Ingram, G, Alabama - A balky back forced Ingram to exit Alabama's last game early. The injury is not considered serious, but the versatile Ingram's status should be monitored in the short term. Ingram does a little bit of everything for the Tide, averaging 8.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per contest as a junior. Though once upon a time he was the state of Alabama's Mr. Basketball, Ingram has not quite lived up to the lofty expectations, particularly when it comes to scoring. He's taking less than four shots per game this year. However, he has a found a way to affect the game in other avenues. Ingram does lead the team in assists, is fourth on the team in rebounding and is still one of six players averaging at least eight points per contest for Alabama.

Ebuka Izundu, C, Miami - Miami is missing several key contributors from last year's team. The 'Canes were a tournament squad a season ago but lost both Lonnie Walker and Bruce Brown to the NBA, and Ja'Quan Newton to graduation. Add in the NCAA probe into fellow forward/center Dewan Hernandez, and it should come as no surprise that the team has struggled early on this season. Miami has lost four non-conference games in a row, including matchups with Ivy League foes Yale and Penn. Izundu has been one of the few bright spots, though, averaging 12.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.9 swats per contest The senior is finally playing big minutes, perhaps unexpectedly due to the continued suspension of Hernandez, whose named popped up in the recent FBI case involving shoe companies and some pay-for-play schemes. Izundu is making the most of his opportunity, including two double-doubles thus far this season. He is second in field goal percentage, fifth in rebounding and sixth in blocks in the ACC. With freshman forward Deng Gak lost for the season as well, Izundu should continue being productive.

Lindell Wigginton, G, Iowa State - Keep an eye out for the return of Wigginton, a dynamic, versatile guard for the Cyclones who sprained his foot after the first game of the season and has not seen the floor since that time. Wigginton averaged 16.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game as a freshman, and that may be just the starting point for the talented point guard. The Cyclones have been integrating some new pieces this season, including Virginia transfer and leading scorer Marial Shayok. Freshman Tyrese Haliburton did just dish out 17 assists in ISU's most recent contest, and fellow freshman Talen Horton-Tucker is averaging 15.4 points per game as well. It will be interesting to see how the minutes will be divided up upon his return, but Wigginton is simply too talented to keep on the bench for long, and his return will give the Cyclones a bevy of riches in the backcourt.

Nick Ward, F/C, Michigan State - The junior big man is nursing an ankle injury, which may or may not keep him sidelined in the short term. Ward's statistics this season are on par with his numbers from his first two seasons with the Spartans, though he has just one double-double in MSU's first 10 games. Ward remains an integral part of the Spartan squad, and his injury is not considered serious, but coach Tom Izzo could choose to be exercise caution, particularly with Kenny Goins and Xavier Tillman rebounding so well.

DOWNGRADE

Kihei Clark, G, Virginia - Clark suffered a broken bone in his left wrist last week and recently underwent surgery to remedy the injury. In fact, apparently Clark broke the bone more than a week ago but played in the subsequent contest, noticing some pain while dribbling. Further investigation found the problem and set Clark for corrective measures. A defensive stalwart, the freshman had started the last three games for the Cavaliers and was averaging 5.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.9 dimes per tilt in his first season at Virginia. The 5-9 point guard will likely be replaced by Alabama transfer Braxton Key.

A.J. Reeves, G, Providence - The second-leading scorer for the Friars will miss at least the next month due to a foot injury. Reeves had been averaging 14.2 points per contest, and was particularly deadly from long range. The freshman was shooting an impressive 45.3 percent from downtown prior to the injury. The Friars will need to rely even more heavily upon versatile junior Alpha Diallo, who leads the team in points, rebounds, assists and steals. Isaiah Jackson and David Duke should also see increased opportunities as long as Reeves is sidelined.

Jahvon Quinerly, G, Villanova - It has been anything but a fairytale freshman season for Quinerly, who was initially committed to Arizona but ended up at Villanova due to the FBI pay-for-play investigation. A highly touted 5-star recruit from New Jersey, Quinerly has seen his playing time dip rapidly from the beginning of the season, largely falling out of the rotation of coach Jay Wright. Quinerly then expressed frustration on social media about his lack of playing time. He has since apologized, but between the off-court issues and the inability to get on the court, it is safe to say Quinerly will be thrilled to see the calendar turn to 2019.

Romello White, F, Arizona State - White was an impressive specimen as a freshman, but he has taken a step back as a sophomore. Though he did record a 19-point, 14-rebound stat line two weeks ago versus lowly Texas Southern, he has otherwise posted rather pedestrian numbers thus far for the Sun Devils. Of course, the presence of freshman sensation Luguentz Dort and San Diego State transfer Zylan Cheatham certainly could have something to do with White's lack of progression. Both Dort and Cheatham tend to dominate the ball, with Dort shooting and Cheatham dishing. In addition, both players are taking away some rebounds from White as well. As such, White is averaging just seven points and 5.9 rebounds this season; both numbers are down from a season ago. ASU is continuing to work on meshing together early on in the 2018-2019 campaign, so it remains to be seen where White's productivity will be once Pac-12 play begins in earnest.