College Hoops Barometer: Looking Toward the Tourney

Can you feel it in the air? The waiting is almost over. One of the greatest spectacles in all of entertainment is virtually upon us. No, it's not the return of the Ringling Bros. to an arena near you, but the dawning of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. So sharpen those pencils, brush up on team mascots, and prepare yourself to be amazed. The calendar has turned to March; let the madness ensue.

The next couple weeks, this article will transform, from the Bubble Watch to a Guide to Winning Your NCAA Bracket Pool. In this week's edition, we'll highlight some players who could have significant impacts on their school's ability to survive and advance.

UPGRADE

Taurean Prince, F, Baylor - Prince has a name more suited to a character on "Game of Thrones," but his improved play is one of the chief reasons for the rise of the Bears this season. Of course, increased playing time also has something to do with it, but Prince has still been able to take his game to the next level. Rico Gathers gets the pub for the Bears, and perhaps rightfully so. Gathers leads the nation in rebounding with 11.8 boards per game. However, Prince has proven a vital cog in the wheel for Baylor, averaging 13.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Prince has been particularly effective lately, scoring at least 20 points in four of the last seven games. The Bears are 22-8 overall, including 10-7 in the extremely competitive Big 12, so their tournament dreams are more than alive. It will be interesting to see the draw Prince and the rest of the Bears receive in the field of 68, though. Baylor is a superior rebounding team that does not shoot a high percentage from the field. Could a high-scoring, long-range draining underdog spoil the Bears' March picnic? Or would the Bears simply outmuscle weaker competition? Stay tuned to find out.

Joseph Young, G Oregon - Arizona is the class of the Pac-12, but Utah and Oregon aren't so far behind. The Ducks are 12-4 in conference play, 22-6 overall. As a result, they are assured of a berth in the Big Dance. Young is the leading scorer for UO and can really fill it up. In fact, the former Houston Cougar averages 20 points per game for the Ducks. The Ducks are 10-2 when Young scorers at least 20 points. However, his game has become more well-rounded as a senior. Known as mostly a scorer until this year, Young is averaging career highs in rebounds (4.5) and dimes (3.6) per tilt. In other words, as Young goes, so do the Ducks. His play will be an excellent barometer for the tourney hopes of Oregon.

Jordan Sibert, G, Dayton - The Flyers were the Belles of the Ball last season, crashing the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament before ultimately falling to the Florida Gators. Don't look now, but the Flyers are looking at a return engagement in 2015. Dayton sits atop the Atlantic 10 at 13-4, 22-6 overall. The Flyers returned almost their entire squad from a season ago, including their leader, Jordan Sibert. Dayton's leading scorer, Sibert has been on a mini-spurt recently. Over his last three games, the senior swingman averages 21.3 points per game. Coach Archie Miller's squad won't take anybody by surprise this time around, but the Flyers are battle-tested, have been there before, and can compete with any team on any given night.

LaDontae Henton, F, Providence - The Friars have been trying to prove for the entire season that they are a team that belongs. It's finally time to give Providence its due. Led by the potent inside-outside combination of Kris Dunn and Henton, the Friars have scratched and clawed their way into the Top 25 on more than one occasion this season. Their latest inclusion came after a stout 25-point, 15-rebound performance from Henton against Marquette on Sunday. The senior followed up that outburst with 21 points and seven boards at Seton Hall on Wednesday. The only team the Friars have not been able to beat over their last six contests is Villanova, and that is certainly no crime. The Wildcats are 28-2 this season and attempting to stake claim to a No. 1 overall seed during March Madness. The Friars, meanwhile, have flown under the radar, but will almost certainly be invited to join the festivities. Don't underestimate Henton and his running mate Kris Dunn; the Flyers already beat Butler, Notre Dame, Miami and Georgetown twice, this season.

CHECK STATUS

Rodney Purvis, G, Connecticut - Will the defending champs even make an appearance in the final field? They'll certainly need a boost from Purvis, who has shown flashes of what made him one of the top high school phenoms just two years ago. Purvis was named the Athletic American Conference Player of the Week after pouring in 28 points on 28 points on 9-of-16 shooting Sunday against SMU. The Huskies have won three consecutive games and are 17-11 overall and 10-6 in conference. Purvis didn't play last season, and freshman Daniel Hamilton, the team's other featured sidekick, was still in high school. Ryan Boatright has assumed the Shabazz Napier role for the Huskies, Hamilton and Purvis must continue to fill the stat sheet if the Huskies are to make a push toward the Promised Land.

Ralston Turner, G, NC State - Another ACC bubble team in the Wolfpack will need Turner to turn up the heat over the next week or so. Turner responded with 23 points Tuesday in a win at Clemson, connecting on 12-of-15 free-throws. The senior is a streaky shooter, but Turner has managed double figures in scoring in each of the last five games for the Wolfpack. Not surprisingly, N.C. State is 4-1 over that span. N.C. State has an extremely similar resume as Miami mentioned above; the Wolfpack is 18-12 on the year and 8-8 in the ACC. N.C. State also has a win over Duke, but also recently defeated North Carolina and Louisville as well. Those big wins will go a long way toward boosting N.C. State's stock on Selection Sunday. With Turner playing at a high level, the Wolfpack has proven it belongs. For N.C. State's sake, he better keep it up for at least another couple games.

Jordan Mickey, F, LSU - Mickey set the bar so high to begin this season, what has occurred in recent weeks must simply be called a regression to the mean. Mickey is still averaging a double-double on the season, but hasn't recorded a single such output in a game over the last five contests. Shooting woes could certainly be a factor, as the sophomore forward is hitting just 43.3 percent of his shots from the field despite most of his attempts coming in the post. Even Mickey's blocks are down, though, as perhaps the grind of the SEC season has drained him of his defensive powers. The Tigers are an intriguing squad due to their incredible athleticism; the likes of Mickey, Jarell Martin and Tim Quarterman can compete with any team in terms of raw talent. They were a Mickey three-pointer away from beating the vaunted Kentucky Wildcats earlier this month. However, the Tigers are coming off a curious loss to a subpar Tennessee unit, and are tied for fifth in the SEC. LSU is going to need a revitalized Mickey to make some noise this month.

Kethan Savage, G, George Washington - Savage hasn't had a bad season, per se, but he has been unable to take his game to new heights as a sophomore. Poor shooting has been the main reason, as Savage went from shooting 51.8-percent from the floor as a freshman to 38.6-percent as a sophomore. His long distance shooting in particular remains a work in progress, and is not even really a legitimate factor in his game. Still, Savage is averaging 11.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, largely due to his ability to slash to the hoop and draw contact, and his lack of fear of mixing it up with the bigs down low. His squad, the Colonials, will need more Herculean efforts to reach the Big Dance. GW is 19-11 on the season, including 9-8 in the competitive A-10. A win over UMass on Saturday would be a start in the right direction, but Savage and the Colonials may need more than that to achieve their goals. Savage missed the final two months of his freshman campaign due to a fractured left foot, so he's likely chomping at the bit at a chance to bring the Colonials back to prominence.

DOWNGRADE

Juwan Staten, G, West Virginia - Staten's value to the Mountaineers cannot be overstated. He is the catalyst for their offense, leading the squad in scoring and dishing. Staten found himself on the sidelines for West Virginia's last two games. Not surprisingly, the Mountaineers dropped both contests. Staten is nursing a knee injury that he first suffered against Texas on Feb. 24. While the ailment is not considered serious, the Mountaineers have obviously struggled without their floor general, and the injury comes at a crucial time. West Virginia is still jockeying for position in the Big 12, as well as for the NCAA Tournament overall. At 22-8 on the year, the Mountaineers are certainly going to be involved in the March mayhem in some way, shape or form. However, if Staten can't get healthy, their dreams of cutting down the nets take a huge hit. Monitor his status as the month wears on.

Yogi Ferrell, G, Indiana - Yogi has had two rather poor outings in a row for the Hoosiers, placing them perilously close to the NIT. Yogi has had a stellar season overall for Indiana, averaging 15.8 points, 3.3 boards and 5.0 dimes per contest. However, over the last two games, he is averaging just 11 points per tilt. Ferrell is shooting below 39 percent from the field over that span. The Hoosiers dropped both of those games, to Iowa and non-tournament contender Northwestern. As the veteran point guard, as well as the leading scorer and assist-maker, Yogi gets the blame when the offense isn't clicking on all cylinders. The Hoosiers still have time to right the ship, but Ferrell must get Indiana back on track, or risk derailing any hopes of the NCAA Tournament.

Cliff Alexander, F, Kansas - Alexander's freshman campaign hasn't quite lived up to expectations. The highly-touted phenom out of Chicago is averaging 7.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He has shown flashes of brilliance early on this year, punctuated by near back-to-back double-doubles against Oklahoma and Texas in mid-January. However, his minutes have taken a downturn in recent weeks, and he failed to register a single point in two of his last three games played for Jayhawks. However, the more pressing issue at this juncture is his current two-game absence from the squad due to a possible NCAA rules violation. With star forward Perry Ellis nursing a knee injury, Kansas has suddenly become razor-thin at the forward position. Though the Big 12 regular season crown is likely staying in Kansas once again, the conference tournament title is a different story all together. Likewise, a deep run in the NCAA version could be in jeopardy if Ellis and Alexander can't get back on the court in a timely fashion.

Angel Rodriguez, G, Miami - The Canes have been inconsistent this season, and as such are currently sitting on the outside looking in regarding the Big Dance. Unfortunately for Miami, an injury to their best player in Rodriguez does not add much confidence to The U's chances. A-Rod played just three minutes against North Carolina on Saturday after injuring his wrist, and was sidelined for Wednesday's tilt with Pittsburgh. Miami is 18-11 overall, and 8-8 in the ACC heading into play Wednesday. A sub-.500 record in the conference, even if it is the ACC< would likely spell doom for Miami in terms of its inclusion in the tourney. The Hurricanes have beaten Duke in Cameron this season, and also took Virginia to double overtime. In other words, Miami could be a dangerous underdog. However, losses to Green Bay and Eastern Kentucky showcased the team's vulnerabilities and inconsistencies. A deep run in the ACC Tournament, with Rodriguez healthy and back at the helm, may be the only way the Canes can advance to dance.