This article is part of our College Hoops Barometer series.
Feast Week! Is there any more appropriate for the two words that define the week that surrounds Thanksgiving. It could depict the amount of food eaten, but for our purposes it is the amount of college basketball consumed. There are college hoops teams in warm climes that are playing in mini tournaments. We should have a feast of excellent basketball to view over the next few days.
UPGRADE
Daniel Gafford, forward, Arkansas Razorbacks
Some people thought Gafford should have joined the Arkansas backcourt and leave the Razorbacks. The 6-foot-10 sophomore could have gone pro and might be paid (more) to sit on an NBA bench. Gafford is probably happier as the star of his college team and he is coming off his best game with 27 points on 12-of-15 from the field in the home win over Indiana. He is hitting 69.7 percent of his field goals on the season, but just 50.0 percent from the free-throw line. Gafford is going to be a handful for SEC opponents, but the young Razorback guards such as Isaiah Joe and Mason Jones will have to mature for the team to succeed.
Moses Brown, center, UCLA Bruins
Prior to the season, there were some diminished expectations for Brown. Was he a star or just a big guy who dominated smaller players in high school? It appears that he may be a star and he launched out of the gates with three straight double-doubles. Perhaps his best game was last Friday against St. Francis
Feast Week! Is there any more appropriate for the two words that define the week that surrounds Thanksgiving. It could depict the amount of food eaten, but for our purposes it is the amount of college basketball consumed. There are college hoops teams in warm climes that are playing in mini tournaments. We should have a feast of excellent basketball to view over the next few days.
UPGRADE
Daniel Gafford, forward, Arkansas Razorbacks
Some people thought Gafford should have joined the Arkansas backcourt and leave the Razorbacks. The 6-foot-10 sophomore could have gone pro and might be paid (more) to sit on an NBA bench. Gafford is probably happier as the star of his college team and he is coming off his best game with 27 points on 12-of-15 from the field in the home win over Indiana. He is hitting 69.7 percent of his field goals on the season, but just 50.0 percent from the free-throw line. Gafford is going to be a handful for SEC opponents, but the young Razorback guards such as Isaiah Joe and Mason Jones will have to mature for the team to succeed.
Moses Brown, center, UCLA Bruins
Prior to the season, there were some diminished expectations for Brown. Was he a star or just a big guy who dominated smaller players in high school? It appears that he may be a star and he launched out of the gates with three straight double-doubles. Perhaps his best game was last Friday against St. Francis (Pennsylvania) with 23 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks. When the Bruins dump the ball into the paint, Brown converts. He has hit 78.9 percent of his field goals. Like Gafford, he struggles from the free-throw line and has only converted 47.4 percent on freebies. The Bruin schedule has not been arduous, but Brown will meet Nick Ward on Thursday in the Las Vegas International. We'll know more about the 7-1 freshman after that.
Bol Bol, center, Oregon Ducks
Whenever I write about Brown, I also write about Bol. It started with the Recruiting Recap, followed with the Pac 12 Preview, and now I cannot stop. The good news is that both Brown and Bol are succeeding in the early going. Hence, they are both worthy of an upgrade. The 7-2 freshman started with a pair of double-doubles. He suffered a mild ankle in jury in the loss to Iowa on Nov. 15, but bounced back with a season-high 26 pints in the win over Syracuse on the next day. Bol has been an impact shot blocker and has swatted 4.0 shots per game. I'll leave Brown and Bol for now, but I will certainly cover them again once Pac 12 play.
Antoine Davis, guard, Detroit Titans
There is a light shining at the bottom of the Horizon League. It may be a long season for the Titans in coach Mike Davis' first season, but he has a player that he can rely on for the future. It is his son, Antoine. The 6-1 freshman is a dynamic scorer who clearly has his father's permission to shoot (whether he can use the car is another question). Davis is canning 6.3 3-pointers game on his way to 31.0 points per contest. If Davis did not get people's attention with 32 points in the opening loss to Western Michigan, he brought more eyeballs by helping the Titans notch their first win with 42 points on Monday against Loyola-Maryland. Davis is going to keep shooting until someone stops him – and maybe no one will.
CHECK STATUS
Robert Franks, forward, Washington State Cougars
The 6-9 Franks scared his fantasy owners who likely picked him quite early by missing the Nov. 14 game against Seattle with a foot injury. Without their star, the Cougars lost to the WAC team and it was not clear when he would be back. Franks returned on Monday and had his second 30-point game of the season. He has played in two games. It looks as if Franks has added a consistent 3-point shot to his already excellent offensive arsenal. The foot injury should be monitored, but he played 36 minutes against Cal Poly and should be good for future lineups.
Jaylen Fisher, guard, TCU Horned Frogs
Fisher has not played this season after injuring his knee last year. The Horned Frogs missed him terribly down the stretch and lost 10 of their last 19 games without him. This season, TCU has leaned on Alex Robinson as their lone point guard and the senior has been great. Through three games, Robinson is averaging 16.0 points on 48.6 percent from the field. So, what will Fisher's role be when he returns in the next few games? Coach Jamie Dixon will ease Fisher into the lineup and the team could stronger in the long run with two excellent point guards.
Nassir Little, forward, North Carolina Tar Heels
Expectations for Little were raised as he made his way up NBA mock drafts before he even played a game. The 6-6 freshman is the jewel of the Tar Heel recruiting class, but coach Roy Williams has decided to bring him off the bench as the Tar Heels' sixth man. He has only played more than 20 minutes once, but has produced pretty well on a per minute basis. Little is averaging 13.0 points on 63.6 percent from the field and 5.4 rebounds. He remains a very talented player, but Williams will have to give him more minutes for him to be a meaningful fantasy player.
James Bolden, guard, West Virginia Mountaineers
The Mountaineers are a radically different team from last year. With Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles gone, the West Virginia press must lean on its frontcourt. The team still needs offense from its backcourt and Bolden has never met a shot he did not want to hoist. The 6-0 junior opened the season with 21 points in the overtime loss to Buffalo, but has been limited since. He missed the win over St. Joseph's in the Myrtle Beach Invitational with an elbow injury. Coach Bob Huggins had to scramble to find a starter and put Jermaine Haley in. The 6-6 junior had two points in 15 minutes. If Bolden remains out, redshirt freshman Brandon Knapper could start.
DOWNGRADE
Lindell Wigginton, guard, Iowa State Cyclones
Pity Cyclones coach Steve Prohm. He should have an excellent roster, but it is not going to come together until 2019 at the earliest. The team was already without Cameron Lard (personal), Zoran Talley (suspension) and Solomon Young (knee). Wigginton is out with a sprained foot and he may be out for weeks. The 6-2 sophomore scored 16.7 points last season. The team will rely on Nick Weiler-Babb for playmaking while freshmen Talen Horton-Tucker and Tyrese Hailburton will see extensive minutes. If the team can get healthy, they should challenge for a nice NCAA Tournament seed.
Dewan Hernandez, forward, Miami Hurricanes
Last year at this time, the FBI probe into corruption in college basketball seemed like it was going to have an enormous effect. A few assistant coaches were fired and Rick Pitino lost his job, but that was about it. Hernandez, however, seems to be one of the last vestiges of the probe and he has been sitting out while Miami tries to suss out his eligibility. The 6-11 junior has not played in a game after averaging 11.4 points and 6.7 rebounds as a sophomore (when he was known as Dewan Huell). It remains to be seen if Hernandez will play this season. Ebuka Izundu is starting and getting big minutes for Miami while Hernandez is out.
Mike Watkins, forward, Penn State Nittany Lions
Like Hernandez, Watkins has not played this season. The 6-9 junior missed the Nittany Lions' run to the NIT title last season with a knee injury. He is dealing with some personal issues and there is no timetable for his return. Penn State could have used him in the Gavitt Games because the team lost to DePaul in overtime. While Watkins is out, Lamar Stevens is the man in the Penn State frontcourt. Stevens is averaging 24.0 points and 10.3 rebounds to fill the Watkins void. Hopefully, the junior center can return before too long.
KJ Feagin, guard, Santa Clara Broncos
Feagin's four years as a Bronco may be a case of what might have been. The 6-1 guard has had bad fortune with injuries, which appear to be hitting in his senior season. He broke his thumb in the loss to UC-Irvine on Thursday and will be out for an extended time. He was limited to 18 games as a sophomore with ankle issues and suffered a concussion last year. When healthy, Feagin is a fine scoring guard and averaging 17.5 points with 4.0 assists last year. While Feagin is out, the Broncos will look to freshman Trey Wertz and Tahj Eaddy to hold down the fort. It may be a long season.
