College Hoops Barometer: Risers & Fallers

As we approach the midway point of the college basketball season and head into the meat of conference play, the cream appears to be rising to the top. Familiar schools litter the top 25, albeit with a few exceptions. We've already talked about the Buffalo Bulls in previous columns, but have not yet mentioned the Houston Cougars. Those that follow college basketball know Houston made the NCAA Tournament last season, and even won a game. However, prior to last season, Houston had not won a tournament game since the days of Akeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Phi Slama Jama (1984). In fact, the Cougars have been to the big dance just twice in the last 25 years.

However, the Cougs are building off of last season's success, starting out the 2018-2019 campaign with 14-straight wins. Corey Davis Jr. and Armoni Brooks lead as upperclassmen, but Houston has nine players managing at least 14 minutes per game, including UMass transfer Dejon Jarreau and highly touted freshman Nate Hinton. The Cougars are deep, experienced and talented. While UCF and Cincinnati will also be powerhouses in the American Conference, the Cougars, who made the American Conference Title Game a season ago, could end up being the most dangerous of the bunch.

Happy New Year to all! The story of this college basketball season continues to unfold.

UPGRADE

Romeo Langford, G, Indiana - Duke's trio of freshmen sensations has been getting all the publicity this season, but there are other first-year players with huge talent making an impact. Langford is a smooth operator who is averaging over 18 points per game for the Hoosiers. He is shooting an impressive 51.1 percent from the floor. Langford poured in a career-high 28 points against Illinois on Thursday. Langford is also managing 5.7 rebounds and 2.6 dimes per contest. At 6-foot-6, he has NBA size for the shooting guard position. He has two double-doubles and averages one block per game, showing he is not afraid to mix it up on the defensive end. The Hoosiers are riding a seven-game winning streak and are undefeated in Big Ten play heading into a crucial early conference matchup with No. 2 Michigan.

Ja Morant, G, Murray State - Speaking of NBA futures, Morant has been flying up draft boards of late due to his versatile combination of scoring prowess, elite passing ability and above-averaging rebounding for his size. The sophomore point guard is averaging 22.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 9.9 assists per contest. Morant had a triple double earlier this season, and has recorded seven more double-doubles in 12 games for the Racers. Morant has registered double-digit assists in five of the last six games and leads the nation in dishing by a wide margin. It is rare that a player from the Ohio Valley Conference garners so much attention, but Morant's incredible production warrants monitoring for the reigning conference champs.

Javon Bess, G, Saint Louis - Once upon a time, Bess was a bench player at Michigan State. Those days are long gone, though, as the senior guard is now in his second season with the Billikens, and thriving. Bess is averaging 15.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per contest. He flashed his versatility as a senior as well; Bess has a 15-rebound game on his resume this year, a 24-point outing in another contest, dished out six assists twice, and even recorded five steals in a game. Bess has been on a scoring tear of late, averaging 19.2 points over his last five contests. The A-10 should be extremely competitive this season, but if the Billikens have some success, expect Bess to be the catalyst.

Ky Bowman, G, Boston College - Bowman's recent production is difficult to ignore. The junior has always been an across-the-board contributor for the Eagles, but he has been simply superb lately. He scored 44 of BC's 78 points on New Year's Eve in an OT loss to Hartford. Despite standing at just 6-1, Bowman has double-doubles (point and rebounds) in three of the last four games. He is ninth in the ACC in rebounding, and second in scoring. He is also the top playmaker for the Eagles with 3.5 assists per game, though that number is a bit down from his sophomore campaign. Regardless, Bowman is among the more productive players in the country from a statistical standpoint, and his usage rate should be sky-high heading into conference play.

CHECK STATUS

KZ Okpala, F, Stanford - Okpala has taken his game to new heights as a sophomore. His shooting is much-improved, and Okpala has hit the 20-point mark in three of the last four games for the Cardinal, and seven times overall this season. By contrast, Okpala had four 20-point games all of last season. Okpala has also gotten stronger on the boards, nearly doubling his rebounding numbers from a year ago. He has two double-doubles thus far and is averaging 6.4 bounds per contest. Add in his activity on the defensive end, and the athletic forward may finally be tapping into his monstrous potential.

Naji Marshall, F, Xavier - Marshall is a versatile, athletic player who excels on the defensive end and enjoys doing the dirty work on the boards. His offensive game is also emerging, though he's struggled a bit with his shot thus far as a sophomore. In becoming a more primary piece on the squad as opposed to a complementary option, Marshall has drawn more attention than he did a season ago. As a result, his shooting percentages are down; he is hitting just 41.2 percent from the floor, including 22.4 percent from three-point range. Even with some offensive struggles, though, Marshall is able to impact the game in a variety of ways and make his presence felt. He is averaging 12.6 points, eight rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest. At 6-foot-7, 225-lbs, he leads the team in rebounding and is second in scoring and dishing. If Marshall's shot improves, and he can cut down on some of his turnovers, he could be counted among the elite players in the Big East.

Joshua Langford, F, Michigan State - Langford has been battling a knee/ankle ailment, and the junior guard missed MSU blowout win over Northwestern on Wednesday. Langford is third on the team in scoring just behind Cassius Winston and Nick Ward, averaging 15 points per game. He is also a steady contributor in rebounds and assists as well. In Langford's absence last game, Kyle Ahrens got the starting nod and tallied 11 points, two rebounds and three assists. Though Langford's injury is not considered serious, it would appear that Ahrens would continue to be the chief beneficiary as long as Langford is sidelined.

Luka Garza, C, Iowa - Garza could be closing in on a return the court for the Hawkeyes, though he has missed the last three games due to an ankle injury. The sophomore was averaging 12.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game prior to the injury. Iowa could have used Garza in its last game versus Purdue, as the Boilermakers manhandled the Hawkeyes by a score of 86-70. Iowa has started 0-3 in the Big Ten, so the return of a healthy Garza would certainly provide a much-needed boost.

DOWNGRADE

Luke Maye, F, North Carolina - It's not that Maye has necessarily been bad thus far during his senior season, but merely that he has not quite lived up to expectations. He was named Preseason ACC Player of the Year, but isn't even leading his own team in scoring. That distinction goes to Cameron Johnson. His shooting percentages are down from the field, and he's been prone to foul trouble, particularly against higher-caliber opponents. Maye could have a second-half surge to the season on the horizon, or everything may have simply come together for him last year, and he may not quite be the player we expected. He's still averaging a near double-double for the Tar Heels, but Maye could end up being overshadowed in the ACC during his final season in Chapel Hill.

Bol Bol, C, Oregon - Bol Bol, we hardly knew ye. The son of NBA titan Manute Bol will have his collegiate career end after just nine games. A foot injury will sideline Bol for the remainder of the season, and due to this fact combined with his high NBA potential, he has decided to forego the rest of his college eligibility and focus on this June's NBA Draft. The 7-foot-2 center finishes his limited collegiate resume having averaged21 points, nine rebounds and 2.7 blocks per contest. Keeping with the evolution of the game, Bol shot 25 three-pointers in those nine games, and hit 13 of them (52 percent). He is currently projected as a lottery pick in the NBA Draft, but unfortunately that does little to help Oregon for the rest of the 2018-2019 campaign.

Nick Norton, G, Drake - A torn ACL will force Norton to miss the remainder of the 2018-2019 campaign for the Bulldogs, and severely dampens their hopes of gaining a berth to the NCAA Tournament out of the Missouri Valley Conference. Norton was the catalyst for the Bulldog offense, leading the team in assists with 5.9 dimes per contest. In fact, he was tied for the conference lead in assists before getting injured. Norton was no slouch in terms of scoring either, though, averaging 14 points per game. Only fellow senior Nick McGlynn is averaging more points per contest. Look for freshman D.J. Wilkins to attempt to fill the void left by Norton, while Garrett Sturtz could also see increased minutes.

Dewan Hernandez, C, Miami - Hernandez, formerly known as Dewan Huell, had a decision upheld by an NCAA membership committee regarding a rules violation. Hernandez had been found to have entered into an agreement with Christian Dawkins, one of the defendants found guilty of fraud in the recent college basketball corruption scandal. It remains to be seen what the final outcome will be, but it appears unlikely Hernandez sees the court this season for the 'Canes. It's a tough blow for a Miami squad missing several key players from its tournament team from a season ago. Miami has limped to an 8-5 start and is extremely thin in the frontcourt without Hernandez. Expect senior Ebuka Izundu to continue to gobble up all the minutes he can handle at center.