This article is part of our College Hoops Barometer series.
Will anyone be able to beat the Kentucky Wildcats? That's the question everyone is dying to have answered. A quick glance at the schedule shows little resistance for the majority of the season. The Southeastern Conference is underwhelming this year, as last year's SEC Champion, the Florida Gators, are in rebuilding mode and have limped to a 4-4 start. The rest of the league is equally unimpressive, as the other 12 teams already have at least two losses before conference play even begins. The non-conference slate appears to be the only place where the vaunted Wildcats could slip up. The game to circle on the schedule is Dec. 27 at Louisville. The Cardinals have the size with Montrezl Harrell and Chinanu Onuaku to contend with the bigs of the Wildcats, along with the toughness of Wayne Blackshear and the backcourt prowess of Chris Jones and Terry Rozier. Now, that's not to say that the Wildcats will fall to the Cardinals, but that contest, on the road, could be the most difficult test for the No. 1 Wildcats during the regular season.
Let's look at the rest of the scene on the hardwood in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer.
UPGRADE
Bryce Dejean-Jones, G, Iowa State - Coach Fred Hoiberg turned the Cyclones into major contenders last season with the transfer of DeAndre Kane from Marshall. The Mayor has done it in again this year, getting Dejean-Jones on board from UNLV. The senior guard has been scorching of late, averaging 24.5 points per game over his last two contests. The senior swingman nearly had a triple-double on December 2 against Lamar with 12 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. In total, Dejean-Jones is averaging 17.1 points, 6.9 boards and 3.3 assists per game. Perhaps most impressive has been his efficiency and improved shot selection. Dejean-Jones is hitting a blistering 56.8 percent of his shots from the field, including 41.7 percent from downtown. He has also hit 26-of-29 free-throws to begin the year. The Cyclones are a force to be reckoned with, and Dejean-Jones is one of the main reasons why.
Kevon Looney, F, UCLA - Looney is also a double-double threat each and every time he steps out onto the floor. The 6-foot-9 freshman has six double-doubles in his first nine collegiate games, with a 20-point, nine-rebound effort also mixed in. He is managing 14.1 points and 11.2 rebounds per game for the Bruins. While Looney is clearly a beast on the glass, his shot selection could use a little work. He is hitting 47.9 percent from the floor despite his strong presence in the post. Still, the upside is tantalizing for Looney, who should only improve as the season progresses. The freshman is already fifth in the nation in rebounding.
Juan'ya Green, G, Hofstra - Green may not be a household name playing on Long Island for the Pride, but he could be a name to know come tourney time. Green started his career at Niagara, a school known for pouring out scorers, where he averaged 16.5 points per game as a freshman in 2012-2013. Green then transferred to Hofstra and sat out last season due to NCAA rules. He's back on the college hoops map and making an impact, leading the Pride to a 7-2 record with losses only to power conference squads in USF and NC State. This season, Green is averaging 18.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. He nearly posted a triple-double in Hofstra's last game at Coppin State with 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Hofstra could be a darkhorse in the Colonial Athletic Association under the direction of Green.
Justin Sears, F, Yale - Sears was the difference maker in Yale's stunning upset of defending champion UConn last Friday. Sears notched his fourth double-double of the season, accumulating 12 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in the 45-44 win over the Huskies. Sears had eight double-doubles all of last season, so he is primed to surpass that total, as the Bulldogs have not even began Ivy League play yet. He posted double-doubles in both games against archrival Harvard last season, and Yale will need similar outputs from the 6-foot-8 junior if the Bulldogs are to knock off the current champs. On the year, Sears is averaging 14.8 points and 9.1 boards per contest.
CHECK STATUS
Jabari Bird, G, California - An impact freshman from a season ago, Bird had his ups and downs last year. He started off strong but then hit a lull during the middle of the season, before finishing the year strong in the NIT for the Bears. He averaged 8.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game as a freshman. A year older and wiser, Bird had been better through the early part of his sophomore campaign this season. Bird was averaging 11.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game before injuring his left foot. Though the injury is not considered, it comes at a poor time for Bird, who appeared to just be hitting his stride for Cal. Bird was shooting 49.1 percent from the field and a stellar 40.9 percent from three-point land prior to the injury. However, he has already missed the last two games, and was seen in a walking boot following Cal's last contest. It will be interesting to see how long Bird remains sidelined, as well as if the injury will limit him upon his return.
Nic Moore, G, SMU - The catalyst for coach Larry Brown's Mustangs, Moore injured his knee Monday against UC Santa Barbara. Moore is not only the leading scorer for SMU at 14.1 points per game, but also the leading disher. The 5-foot-9 sophomore was averaging 5.1 dimes per tilt prior to the injury. It remains to be seen if the injury is serious, or if Moore will miss any time. Luckily for the 'Stangs, they do not play again until December 17. Moore would be almost impossible to replace, as he was shooting over 50 percent from the field, more than 47 percent from three-point range, and had connected on 23-of-24 free-throws to begin the season.
Wes Clark, F, Missouri - The Tigers were a team in flux to begin the 2014-2015 campaign, and their situation just got a whole lot messier, as Clark was suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. Clark was leading the team in playing time, as he was on the court for 32 minutes per game prior to the suspension. Clark had parlayed those opportunities into averages of 9.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per tilt. Curiously, he was held out of the game against Southeast Missouri State, and was supposed to be suspended for the Oklahoma game on December 5. However, Clark ended up seeing the floor for 19 minutes during that contest. Monitor Clark's usage in the near future, as he may still be in the doghouse even though the suspension apparently lasted only one game.
Shaqquan Aaron, F, Louisville - As if the stacked Cardinals needed any more help, the freshman Brown is set to make his collegiate debut on December 20 following a nine-game suspension imposed by the NCAA. It was alleged that Aaron's family received impermissible benefits during the recruiting process. Aaron is a lanky swingman who can penetrate as well as score from the outside. A superior passer who has superb ball skills for 6-7, Aaron will likely come off the bench for coach Rick Pitino, but could work his way into the starting lineup before the year is finished.
DOWNGRADE
Kenny Gaines, G, Georgia - Gaines suffered a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder Sunday against Colorado, and will be sidelined indefinitely. On the bright side, the Bulldogs do not play again until Dec. 21, so with no timetable given, it is unclear if Gaines will miss any time at all. However, the most likely scenario is that he does not play again until the calendar turns to 2015. The junior was averaging 11.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 dimes per contest prior to the injury. Gaines is also shooting a career-best 47.8 percent from the field. Look for Charles Mann to pick up the slack in the backcourt for the Bulldogs in the absence of Gaines.
Spike Albrecht, G, Michigan - The cruel joke spreading around the sports world following Michigan's embarrassing losses to NJIT and Eastern Washington: "Is Brady Hoke coaching the basketball team too?" The reference to the recently fired football coach certainly hits too close to home for Wolverines fans, who were forced to endure two excruciating losses after a promising 9-1 start to the year. Albrecht has perhaps been unfairly cast as one of the villains, though he is limited athletically and hardly should be a featured player for UM. Yet the fact that the little-used backup point guard from the Final Four squads of the last two seasons is averaging over 27 minutes per game belies a larger problem for the Wolverines. Michigan has been unable to replenish the squad after losing the likes of Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway, Jr., Nik Stauskas and Mitch McGary to the NBA. The transfer of Jon Horford to Florida certainly did not help matters either. Caris Levert is the lone star left. Meanwhile, Albrecht did not score a point in the 42-40 loss to Eastern Washington, and fouled out of the 72-70 defeat to NJIT.
Jabril Trawick, G, Georgetown - Trawick has been one of the more maddening players over his collegiate career. He has not quite lived up to his lofty potential, though he has played fairly big minutes for the Hoyas in each of the last two seasons. Injuries have also stunted his growth and progress, and his senior campaign looks to be no different. Trawick suffered a knee injury during Georgetown's last game against Kansas, and had to be helped off the floor. His status is unknown at this point in time. Trawick was averaging 7.4 points, 3.4 boards and 2.3 assists per game prior to the injury. Trawick broke his jaw last season in the middle of the year, though returned to nearly lead the Hoyas to the NCAA Tournament. In Trawick's place, the Hoyas will once again lean on D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, who nearly had a triple-double in the game against the Jayhawks.
Kadeem Jack, F, Rutgers - Jack hasn't been horrible for the Scarlet Knights, but he has some curious statistics thus far during his junior season. The 6-9 big man is shooting just 38.2 percent from the field. His shot selection has been suspect, to say the least. Jack is also averaging an alarming 3.4 turnovers per game, numbers usually reserved for a point guard. He nearly had an unconventional triple-double against New Hampshire in his last game, notching eight points, 10 rebounds and seven turnovers. He has also battled foul trouble in most contests. On the positive side, Jack is still averaging 11.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. However, his game remains raw, and the Scarlet Knights have no choice but to play him heavy minutes. As a result, the growing pains will likely continue.
