College Hoops Barometer: Luke's No Fluke for Duke

The Villanova Wildcats are winning unlike most other teams near the top of the college basketball rankings; they're winning without a freshman in their starting lineup. In this world of freshmen sensations sweeping the nation, the Wildcats start two sophomores and three seniors, all of whom played crucial roles on last season's National Championship squad. Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins tested NBA waters before ultimately returning for their senior seasons, while Jalen Brunson knew he'd see more minutes as a sophomore due to the graduation of starting point guard Ryan Arcidiacono. As a result, the Wildcats have a surprising amount of uniformity for a team that lost its starting point guard as well as its starting center, Daniel Ochefu. The Wildcats are 8-0 and dismantling the competition, having only really even been tested by Purdue. The Wildcats will have to deal with plenty of neophytes at schools like Kentucky, Duke, Kansas and UCLA this season, but Villanova is once again proving there's more than one way to win at this level.

Let's look at some players making headlines in this week's edition of the College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Luke Kennard, F, Duke - It remains to be seen how long Kennard's scoring and minutes will remain up, but for now the sophomore swingman is taking full advantage of his increased opportunities. With Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden just starting to get acclimated to the college game, and Harry Giles still being sidelined, Kennard is averaging 35.4 minutes per game for the Blue Devils. Kennard is hoisting 13.3 shots per game, hitting a crisp 50-percent of those attempts. Kennard poured in a career-high 35 points in Duke's most recent outing, a 95-66 thrashing of Maine. Kennard's shooting ability should keep him on the floor, though his contributions in terms of rebounding and even assists should not be overlooked either. Kennard appears to have earned his minutes even when the freshmen get up to speed.

Kyron Cartwright, G, Providence - Cartwright has assumed the "Kris Dunn" role for the Friars. Perhaps that is being generous, as Cartwright does not quite have the size or the skill set of the lottery pick and former Providence point guard Dunn. That being said, the 5-foot-11 Cartwright can certainly dish the rock. Cartwright is sixth in the country in dimes, averaging 7.6 assists per contest. He's also shown an improved shooting stroke early on during his junior campaign, shooting a career-best 42.4 percent from the floor. Cartwright came to Providence with almost no outside shot, yet has now hit 8-of-18 from the three-point land to begin the year. That includes a 4-of-6 showing from downtown in Providence's last game, which resulted in a career-high 19 points for Cartwright. He's not Kris Dunn, but Cartwright is proving his value in a variety of ways.

Tyler Davis, C, Texas A&M - Davis showed plenty of promise as a freshman last season. However, with the graduation of several standouts from last year's squad, including Jalen Jones, Danuel House and Alex Caruso, it is undisputed that this is now Davis's team. Davis has plenty of help along the frontline from the likes of D.J. Hogg, Robert Williams and Tonny Trocha-Morelos, but Davis is the leading scorer and rebounder for the Aggies. He is averaging 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest. That includes a career-high 25 points in his last outing. He had 16 points and eight rebounds in the game before that, a narrow defeat at the hands of the UCLA Bruins, a team which looks like a title contender early on this year. Davis is clearly emerging as an elite big man.

Caleb Swanigan, F, Purdue - The sophomore Swanigan has taken the next step in the evolution of his game, and it largely has to do with better shot selection and the ability to create contact. Swanigan is shooting a blistering 59.5 percent from the floor this season, and has even added the three-point shot to his arsenal. In fact, Swanigan is 7-for-11 from long range thus far. Perhaps most notably, Swanigan is getting to the free throw line with increased frequency. He is attempting 7.6 shots per game from the charity stripe. By contrast, Swanigan managed just 2.8 foul shots per game without much of a reduction in minutes. The ability to score around the basket as well as step put and can a trey gives Swanigan versatility as a scorer. he's also not afraid to bang on the boards, as evidenced by his 11.5 rebounds per contest, which is tied for fifth in the country. Add in a deft passing touch of 3.5 assists per contest, and Swanigan has turned into an all-around performer for the Boilermakers.

CHECK STATUS

Joel Berry, G, North Carolina - Berry was off to a scintillating start to the 2016-2017 campaign before being derailed by an ankle injury. Though the ailment is not considered serious, Berry will not play Wednesday against Davidson, and is questionable for this weekend's tilt with Tennessee. The junior guard was averaging 14.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game for the Tar Heels. Berry's shooting has improved in every season at Chapel Hill. In his stead, freshman Seventh Woods will likely get the start at point guard. It is unknown whether First through Sixth were busy.

Marcus Lovett, G, St. John's - Lovett is nursing an ankle injury of his own, and the high-scoring freshman guard missed Monday's 76-70 triumph over Cal State-Northridge. A long range bomber, Lovett is shooting 5.6 treys per contest. Lovett is not only the leading scorer for the Johnnies at 18.8 points per contest, but is also the leading assist maker on the squad as well. Lovett is dishing out 3.9 dimes per tilt. In Lovett's absence, expect even more of the offensive load to be hoisted on fellow freshman and backcourt mate Shamorie Ponds. It was Ponds who led the Red Storm with a career-high 25 points in Monday's victory.

Miles Bridges, F, Michigan State - You guessed it, yet another ankle issue. The sensational freshman sprained his ankle against Duke and will miss the next two weeks for the Spartans. Bridges was seen in a walking boot, meaning that the injury is a bit more serious than a tweak. Bridges has been as good as advertised early on during his freshman campaign, piling up 16.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per contest for Michigan State. The only saving grace for the Spartans is that Bridges should be back in time for their first Big Ten game of the season against Minnesota on December 27th. Nigel Ward had an impressive double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds in MSU's last game, and is the most logical choice to continue to pick up the slack without Bridges.

Jonathan Isaac, F, Florida State - A hip injury has kept the impressive freshman Isaac from taking the court of late. Isaac sat out Sunday's easy win over George Washington and Tuesday's clash with Southern Miss. Isaac is a stretch-four at 6-foot-10, 210-pounds, but is not afraid to mix it up down low either. he is averaging 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 44.4-percent from three-point land. Isaac should be ready to roll when ACC play begins, and the Seminoles are going to need him in an incredibly stacked conference.

DOWNGRADE

Tyler Cook, F, Iowa - Cook broke the index finger on his right hand and will miss another two weeks for the Hawkeyes. Cook was second on the squad in both scoring and rebounding, so Iowa will be forced to rely even more heavily upon senior leader Peter Jok, who is averaging 23.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest. It is worth noting, though, that freshman forward Cordell Pemsl has also filled in admirably, averaging 19 points per contest in Cook's absence. Pemsl nearly had the first double-double of his brief collegiate career Monday against Stetson.

Parker Jackson-Cartwright, G, Arizona - Already down guard Allonzo Trier due to eligibility issues, the Wildcats will also be without the services of Jackson-Wright for at least six weeks due to the dreaded high ankle sprain. Though the junior was struggling with his shot during the early portion of the season, Jackson-Cartwright was still averaging eight points per contest while contributing in a variety of other areas as well. He will be most dearly missed in the assist category, in which he was averaging 5.3 dimes per tilt. Freshman Kobi Simmons will assume ball handling duties for Arizona; Simmons struggled mightily against Gonzaga on Saturday, shooting just 1-for-9 from the floor while handing out just one assist in the 69-62 loss.

Bennie Boatwright, F, USC - The hits just keep on coming for Boatwright. The sophomore forward was held out of action for two games earlier in the season due to a back injury. After returning to the court, he subsequently suffered a knee injury, where it was ultimately determined that Boatwright sprained his MCL. The good news is that he will not require surgery at this time. The bad news is that Boatwright will still be sidelined until 2017. He was averaging 10.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per tilt for the Trojans. USC was already thin in the frontcourt, so even more pressure will be put on 6-foot-11 sophomore Chimezie Metu in Boatwright's absence.

Dererk Pardon, C, Northwestern - Pardon me, but I did not spell the sophomore center's first name wrong. Dererk underwent hand surgery last Thursday, and there is no timetable currently for his return. The Wildcat center had been clogging the middle for Northwestern this season, averaging 6.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest. Freshman Barret Benson appears to be first in line for a bump in minutes, though it remains to be seen how effective he will be. Benson had five points, three rebounds and four personal fouls in just 20 minutes against DePaul in Northwestern's last game.