College Hoops Barometer: Risers & Fallers

Previously, we profiled the Charleston Cougars and their foray into the Top 25 of the rankings.  They have since been joined by yet another unlikely addition to the AP Poll, the Florida Atlantic Owls.  FAU is 17-1 on the season, though its only blemish may foreshadow the relative strength (or weakness) of the squad.  The Owls suffered an early-season defeat to Ole Miss; the Rebels are currently in dead last in the SEC.  Nevertheless, FAU is currently 7-0 in Conference-USA.  The Owls have only been in Division I since 1993, and have one single, solitary NCAA Tournament berth (2002).  The Owls are led in scoring by a trio of sophomores; guards Alijah Martin and Johnell Davis, and center Vladislav Goldin.  At 7-foot-1, Goldin gives the Owls a monstrous presence on the interior.  Florida Atlantic has nine players who average at least 15 minutes per game; such depth will be extremely helpful in March and perhaps beyond.

Let's see how some other players and squads are handling conference play in this week's College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Jalen Wilson, F, Kansas – The Jayhawks lost a thrilling OT matchup with in-state rival Kansas State on Tuesday night, though Wilson did all he could in defeat. The 6-8 forward poured in 38 points, accounting for nearly half of his team's output.  Wilson also snagged nine rebounds, narrowly missing his ninth double-double of the season.  Wilson also swatted two shots for the third-straight contest.  Overall, Wilson is averaging career highs across the board, including 20.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.  Wilson leads the Big 12 in scoring and is second in rebounding.  He looks like the frontrunner for Big 12 Player of the Year right now.

Andrew Carr, F, Wake Forest – Tyree Appleby gets the pub for the Demon Deacons and Cameron Hildreth has been a stat sheet stuffer, but the recent stellar play of Carr up front is what has catapulted Wake Forest to a 6-2 ACC record.  Carr has notched double-doubles in back-to-back games; by contrast, he had just one double-double on the entire season prior to these two most recent contests.  In the game prior to these double-doubles, Carr posted a career-best 22 points in a win over Florida State.  Over those last three games, Carr is averaging 20.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.3 dimes, 1.7 steals and 1.7 rejections per contest.  It is clear that when Carr is at his best this season, so are the Demon Deacons.

Fardaws Aimaq, C, Texas Tech – Aimaq has finally made his long-awaited debut for the Red Raiders, and he has impressed despite limited action.  Aimaq is averaging 12 points and seven rebounds through two appearances with Tech.  In his previous two seasons with Utah Valley State, Aimaq put up staggering figures, averaging over 13.5 rebounds each year, while also managing close to 19 points per contest during his second campaign.  Aimaq has the chance to be extremely productive for the remainder of the season.

Tyson Walker, G, Michigan State – The Spartans were looking for points heading into the season, as their top three scorers from a year ago either graduated or waived eligibility.  Enter Walker, a complementary piece returning from last year following his transfer from Northeastern.  Walker currently leads the Spartans in scoring at 14.8 points per tilt.  He is tied for the team-lead in minutes along with forward Joey Hauser.  Walker put up 30 points in Michigan State's last game, almost half of his squad's total, in a hard-fought 64-63 loss to highly ranked Purdue.  Walker is also averaging 2.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, showing he can do more than just place the ball in the bucket,

CHECK STATUS

Tyson Degenhart, F, Boise State – "The Hartthrob" has the Broncos atop the Mountain West, as his game has taken a step forward as a sophomore.  Degenhart is averaging 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest.  Though veteran Marcus Shaver remains the catalyst for Boise State, Degenhart's versatility has added a unique element to the squad.  He came close to a triple-double in a matchup earlier this month with UNLV.  His outside shooting remains a work in progress, but it is clear Degenhart is a vital component of Boise State's success so far this season.  The Broncos are currently riding a five-game winning streak.

Bruce Thornton, G, Ohio State – The starting point guard for the Buckeyes has been battling a wrist issue for the majority of the season, and he apparently aggravated the injury during Sunday's loss to Rutgers.  Thornton has started all 17 games for OSU thus far this season, averaging 9.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per clash.  The freshman has been particularly impressive as a long-distance shooter, hitting 44.9-percent of his shots form beyond the arc.  Even if Thornton continues to gut out the wrist ailment, it will be interesting to see if his production is affected.

Harrison Ingram, F, Stanford – Ingram was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year last season and was named a Preseason All-Conference selection prior to his sophomore campaign.  Ingram has not necessarily had a poor second season with the Cardinal, though his numbers are slightly down from last year.  Ingram is averaging fewer points and rebounds, and his shooting figures have also taken a dip across the board.  The Cardinal is also having a horrendous season overall, which does not aid Ingram.  Stanford has lost all seven of its Pac-12 games this season.  Ingram leads the Cardinal in rebounding and dishing, while placing third in scoring, but it is safe to say his sophomore year has not gone as planned on the hardwood.

DOWNGRADE

Liam Robbins, C, Vanderbilt – Jerry Stackhouse's crew suffered a damaging blow when it was announced that Robbins would be sidelined for the next 4-6 weeks due to a sprained ankle.  The Minnesota transfer was enjoying his best season as a member of the Commodores, averaging 13.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 2.9 rejections per contest.  Only Florida's Colin Castleton is averaging more blocks per game.  Vandy has lost three of its last four contests, and will find it difficult to tread water without Robbins in the ultra-competitive SEC.  The Commodores will use a combination of big bodies to attempt to replace Robbins, including freshman Lee Dort.

Javon Small, G, East Carolina – The catalyst for the Pirates offense will be shelved for the foreseeable future due to an undisclosed issue.  Small operated as the floor general for ECU this season, managing 15.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.6 dimes per contest.  It is unclear at this juncture what has caused Small's inability to take the court, though the Pirates have lost five of their last six games.  Freshman Kalib LaCount will try to fill the void left by Small; LaCount tallied 11 points, two rebounds, five assists and two steals in a loss to South Florida on Sunday.

Juwan Gary, F, Nebraska – The 'Huskers have made the NCAA Tournament just once since the 2000 and stand a dismal 2-5 in the Big Ten thus far this season.  Losing the junior Gary will not help their cause either, as he will be sidelined indefinitely with a shoulder injury.  Gary was averaging 9.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest prior to sustaining the injury.  With backup Blaise Keita also nursing an ailment of his own, immense pressure will be placed upon leading scorer and rebounder Derrick Walker.  The senior has been one of the few bright spots for Nebraska, averaging 14.1 points, 7.7 boards and 3.2 dimes per tilt.