This article is part of our College Hoops Barometer series.
This week's article asks the hard-hitting questions. Would Lavar Ball and Donald Trump make better adversaries or tag-team partners? What is Rick Pitino doing in his spare time? How can Kansas be so continually great at basketball and so continually abysmal on the gridiron?
And did you know there's a mini Greek Freak roaming around the Atlantic 10? At 6-foot-10, 200-pounds, there's nothing small about Kostas Antetokounmpo, a redshirt freshman at Dayton. The younger brother of NBA MVP candidate Giannis, Kostas is averaging just 4.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, but is only beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. The exploits of his brother will make Kostas a highly scouted phenom this season.
Whose stock is rising, and who is down in the dumps? Let's take a look in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer.
UPGRADE
Trae Young (G)
Young has made mincemeat of the opposition through two cupcake matchups to begin the year. The freshman point guard is averaging a double-double with 18.5 points and 11.5 assists per contest. Oddly enough, his shot has been a tad off to begin the season, as he is hitting under 40 percent from the field. His shooting prowess was arguably his top asset heading into the collegiate ranks. Still, the sample size is painfully small, and Young remains a dynamic scorer with an exceptional feel for the court and the ability to find open shots for his teammates consistently.
Shamorie Ponds (G) 
We already knew the sophomore Ponds
This week's article asks the hard-hitting questions. Would Lavar Ball and Donald Trump make better adversaries or tag-team partners? What is Rick Pitino doing in his spare time? How can Kansas be so continually great at basketball and so continually abysmal on the gridiron?
And did you know there's a mini Greek Freak roaming around the Atlantic 10? At 6-foot-10, 200-pounds, there's nothing small about Kostas Antetokounmpo, a redshirt freshman at Dayton. The younger brother of NBA MVP candidate Giannis, Kostas is averaging just 4.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, but is only beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. The exploits of his brother will make Kostas a highly scouted phenom this season.
Whose stock is rising, and who is down in the dumps? Let's take a look in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer.
UPGRADE
Trae Young (G)Young has made mincemeat of the opposition through two cupcake matchups to begin the year. The freshman point guard is averaging a double-double with 18.5 points and 11.5 assists per contest. Oddly enough, his shot has been a tad off to begin the season, as he is hitting under 40 percent from the field. His shooting prowess was arguably his top asset heading into the collegiate ranks. Still, the sample size is painfully small, and Young remains a dynamic scorer with an exceptional feel for the court and the ability to find open shots for his teammates consistently.
Shamorie Ponds (G)
We already knew the sophomore Ponds could score, but he is showing more versatility to begin his second season with the Johnnies. Ponds is averaging 7.3 rebounds and four assists through four contests, both improvements from his freshman campaign. The boards are particularly noteworthy, considering Ponds stands at just 6-1. The Preseason All-Big East Second Teamer has been flexing his muscles, and still scoring over 17 points per game. The Big East is stacked with talented guards (Marcus Foster, Trevon Bluiett, Markus Howard, Jalen Brunson just to name a few), but Ponds is right up there with that group in terms of all-around impact.
Moritz Wagner (F) 
The 6-11 junior from Germany is averaging nearly a double-double through four contests this season. Aided by the departure of D.J. Wilson to the NBA, Moritz is one of the few big men on the Michigan roster, and he has been reaping the rewards of extended minutes early on this year. He is averaging 16 points and nine rebounds per game. That includes two double-doubles to begin the season, and most recently a 24-point barrage in a losing effort to LSU. Wagner should continue to benefit from heavy minutes for the foreseeable future.
Romello White (F) 
White finally made his much-anticipated debut after being ruled ineligible last season as well as missing the season opener this year. In three games since that time for the Sun Devils, White has looked every bit the part of a dominant recruit. He has two double-doubles in those three contests, and a 25-point effort sandwiched in between those outputs. The ferocious White is shooting an absurd 70.4-percent from the field. His standout play on the interior could give the otherwise guard-heavy Sun Devils a potent inside-outside combo as they head into Pac-12 play.
CHECK STATUS
Tyus Battle (G)
Battle has been filling it up to begin his sophomore campaign, and even has a highlight reel dunk to his credit already on the young season. Battle is averaging 23 points per game for the undefeated Orange, shooting an impressive 53.3-percent from the field, including 42.9-percent from downtown. While Battle is also averaging 1.5 steals per game, he hasn't had much production in the other statistical categories, making him a bit of a one-trick pony. He's a scorer first and foremost, but a more well-rounded approach will serve to elevate his game even further.
Mohamed Bamba (C) 
Bamba, the uber-talented freshman big man from Harlem, New York, missed a game last week due to a concussion. He showed no ill effects Saturday against lowly Lipscomb, tallying a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while also swatting five shots. Bamba did collect four fouls in just 19 minutes, though, and it will be interesting to see if he has foul problems as the level of competition increases. Nevertheless, he is undeniably a special talent on the defensive end, with plenty of room to expand his offensive repertoire.
Tacko Fall (C) 
Fall missed the first two games of the season due to a hip injury, but managed 15 minutes off the bench in Saturday's triumph over William & Mary. The 7-foot-6 center accumulated 13 points and seven rebounds, hitting all five of his shots from the field. The Knights are likely to be careful with Fall until AAC play ramps up and he gets back into game shape, though he did not miss a beat in his return to the court. Fall averaged 10.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore last season.
Angel Delgado (F) 
Big things are expected from the Pirates this season, and Delgado is one of the chief reasons why. He was a double-double machine last season, racking up 27 such outputs as a junior. Delgado picked up right where he left off a season ago, collecting three double-doubles to begin his senior campaign. However, the streak was snapped due to a calf ailment in his last game. The injury appears to be minor, though is certainly worth monitoring for such a productive player. If Delgado is forced to miss any time, expect fellow senior forward Desi Rodriguez to pick up the slack.
DOWNGRADE
Michael Porter Jr. (F)
Mizzou must be feel snakebitten, as they landed arguably the No. 1 recruit in the land for this season, only to see Porter need back surgery. He will undergo a miscrodiscectomy of the L3-L4 vertebrae of the lumbar spine and miss the entire 2017-2018 campaign. To add insult to injury, Porter is still likely to turn pro and be a lottery pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. As such, his Missouri career may be over before it ever started. Well, technically he played two minutes in the season opener before suffering the injury. Regardless, a once-promising season for the Tigers could now be lost. Expect upperclassmen Kevin Puryear and Kassius Robertson attempt to fill the huge void left by Porter's absence.
Cameron Johnson (F) 
Johnson missed the season opener with a neck injury, only to suffer a torn meniscus of his knee that required surgery. Johnson will be sidelined for at least the next month. The Heels were already operating without Kennedy Meeks and Justin Jackson to begin the season, as both players jumped to pro ball. Johnson, a graduate transfer from Pittsburgh, was expected to provide some much-needed depth and production in the frontcourt. With Johnson on the shelf perhaps until January, the Heels will be forced to rely upon last year's NCAA Tournament hero Luke Maye even more. Maye is off to a hot start this season, averaging 19.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and three assists per contest.
Dorian Pickens (G) 
A senior leader for the Cardinal, Pickens has missed three-straight games due to a foot injury. It remains to be seen how long the 6-foot-5 shooting guard will be sidelined. Pickens averaged 12.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists as a junior. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Cardinal have dropped two of the three games in which Pickens has not suited up. For the time being, Stanford will rely on the freshmen backcourt tandem of Daejon Davis and Isaac White, while forward Reid Travis will be asked to shoulder even more of the scoring burden.
LaMarr Kimble (F) 
The Hawks have been dealt a crushing blow as Kimble re-injured the same foot from a season ago and will require surgery. He will miss the entirety of the season. Kimble was a dynamic performer for St. Joseph's prior to going down last February, averaging 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and four assists. He played 37 minutes per game for St. Joe's as a sophomore. Without Kimble, senior Shavar Newkirk carry an even heavier load and be asked to attempt to repeat his averages from a season ago. Newkirk managed 20.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists during the 2016-2017 campaign. Forward James Demery should also see some extra looks as well.
