This article is part of our College Hoops Barometer series.
The top of the SEC is downright frightening this season. Kentucky is playing superbly, posting a nine-game winning streak, and the Wildcats are almost always the cream of the crop in this conference. However, the SEC also boasts the No. 1 team in the country in Tennessee, and let's not forget about LSU either. Although the Tigers just lost their first conference game of the year Saturday to Arkansas, LSU is still in the running for the SEC regular season crown. LSU sophomore Tremont Waters doesn't get nearly enough publicity, and LSU has a towering front line featuring 6-foot-10 freshman Naz Reid and 6-11 senior Kavell Bigby-Williams. That duo may even remind some hoops historians of the tandem on Tyrus Thomas and Glen Davis, who once led the LSU to the Final Four. The Tigers have only been to the NCAA Tournament twice since that magical 2006 run, but this year's squad certainly appears poised to make some noise in March. Naturally, these teams all face each other during the next month, but the SEC could have three extremely heavy hitters come tourney time.
Let's look at some more notable names in this week's College Hoops Barometer.
UPGRADE
Ethan Happ, F, Wisconsin - Happ is certainly making a push for Big Ten Player of the Year, and perhaps even National Player of the Year as well. Happ has two triple-doubles on the season, but flirts with a triple-double virtually every time he steps on the floor. The Badgers are on
The top of the SEC is downright frightening this season. Kentucky is playing superbly, posting a nine-game winning streak, and the Wildcats are almost always the cream of the crop in this conference. However, the SEC also boasts the No. 1 team in the country in Tennessee, and let's not forget about LSU either. Although the Tigers just lost their first conference game of the year Saturday to Arkansas, LSU is still in the running for the SEC regular season crown. LSU sophomore Tremont Waters doesn't get nearly enough publicity, and LSU has a towering front line featuring 6-foot-10 freshman Naz Reid and 6-11 senior Kavell Bigby-Williams. That duo may even remind some hoops historians of the tandem on Tyrus Thomas and Glen Davis, who once led the LSU to the Final Four. The Tigers have only been to the NCAA Tournament twice since that magical 2006 run, but this year's squad certainly appears poised to make some noise in March. Naturally, these teams all face each other during the next month, but the SEC could have three extremely heavy hitters come tourney time.
Let's look at some more notable names in this week's College Hoops Barometer.
UPGRADE
Ethan Happ, F, Wisconsin - Happ is certainly making a push for Big Ten Player of the Year, and perhaps even National Player of the Year as well. Happ has two triple-doubles on the season, but flirts with a triple-double virtually every time he steps on the floor. The Badgers are on a roll lately, and Happ is the chief reason for their recent success. Wisconsin has won five consecutive games, with Happ managing 15.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists over that span. He leads Wisconsin in all three categories on the season, and it's not even close. The argument can be made that no player is more valuable to their team's success than Happ. As long as he keeps playing at such an elite level, Happ will keep the Badgers in the running in the Big Ten and beyond.
Obadiah Toppin, F, Dayton - The Flyers have four players averaging double figures in points, with the freshman Toppin being one. However, he has taken his game to new heights of late. The 6-9 Toppin had a monstrous double-double last week versus St. Joe's, tallying career highs of 25 points and 12 rebounds. He followed up that performance by setting a career high in points in the very next game, pouring in 26 points Saturday in a subsequent win over Duquesne. Over a three-game winning streak for the Flyers, Toppin averaged 23.3 points and 8.7 rebounds. Despite a loss Tuesday to Saint Louis, Dayton is 7-3 in the A-10 and played Virginia close earlier this season. Toppin and the well-balanced Flyers could be dangerous.
Eric Paschall, F, Villanova - The Wildcats keep on humming, year after year. Despite losing several key cogs from last season's national championship squad, the return of seniors Phil Boothe and Paschall have the Wildcats yet again in contention. Villanova has rattled off 10 consecutive wins, including a 9-0 start in the Big East. Granted, this is not your father's Big East, but it's an impressive start to conference play nevertheless, particularly for a team that wasn't supposed to be nearly as talented as a season ago. Paschall is second on the team in both scoring and rebounding, and has been on a scoring tear lately. He's scored at least 20 points in three of the last four games for the Wildcats, shooting a standout 52.7 percent from the field over that span. Paschall played all 40 minutes in Saturday's win over Georgetown, scoring 24 points in the process. Villanova's only real test in the Big East will be versus Markus Howard and Marquette; the schools play twice the next four weeks.
Derek Culver, F, West Virginia - It has been largely a lost season for the Mountaineers, who have started the season just 10-13 and find themselves in the cellar in the Big 12. However, the freshman Culver has been one of the few silver linings for West Virginia. Culver scored nearly half of his team's points in Monday's loss to Texas Tech, tallying a double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds. In fact, it was the second straight double-double for the 6-10 big man, and his fifth in 13 games played for coach Bob Huggins. Culver was suspended for violating team rules at the beginning of the season, but has clearly become one of the few trustworthy players for the Mountaineers. If Sagaba Konate returns from injury, West Virginia could have a potent frontcourt for the stretch run and play the role of a very dangerous spoiler.
CHECK STATUS
Ty Jerome, G, Virginia - A back injury sidelined Jerome for Saturday's win over Miami. Although Jerome's services weren't needed against the struggling 'Canes, the junior is the leading assist man for the Hoos at 4.9 dimes per game, and an extended absence would certainly leave Virginia a tad shorthanded. He is also third on the team in scoring. In fact, only Kyle Guy averages more minutes per game than Jerome. The back injury is not considered serious, though these types of ailments can flare up at almost any time. Jerome may miss Saturday's crucial clash with Duke, which would be a huge loss against such a ferocious opponent.
Nate Hinton, F, Houston - Hinton suffered a broken nose last week against Temple. The freshman had been finding his footing recently, averaging 12 points and 6.3 rebounds in the three games prior to the injury. The Cougars did manage to avenge their earlier loss to Temple in that contest, and Hinton has emerged as a vital piece behind Corey Davis Jr. and Armoni Brooks. As Hinton becomes a masked man, look for sophomore Dejon Jarreau to gobble up some extra minutes if necessary. Jarreau tallied a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds last Thursday, playing a season-high 28 minutes with Hinton out.
Juwan Morgan, F, Indiana - Morgan left Saturday's upset win at Michigan State with a shoulder injury. Morgan had surgery on the same shoulder as a freshman. While the Hoosiers were still able to pull off the surprising victory without Morgan, an extended absence would be difficult for Indiana to overcome. The senior is second in scoring and first in rebounding and blocked shots on the team. The Hoosiers are optimistic Morgan has avoided serious injury, though. Morgan has notched eight double-doubles on the season for the Hoosiers, and Indiana is 6-2 in those contests. By way of comparison, Indiana is 7-7 otherwise. Should Morgan miss time, look for sophomore Justin Smith to attempt to fill the void. Smith has two double-doubles in his last four outings.
Matt Haarms, C, Purdue - Haarms only sees so much time on the floor, whether due to foul trouble or simply the flow of an offensive game. That said, he can be an absolute force. He dominated Sunday against Minnesota, managing 15 points, eight rebounds and five rejections in the 73-63 win. However, the game prior to Sunday's contest, he had only three points and four rebounds, picking up four fouls in just 21 minutes of action. Although Haarms has played a bit more lately, he is averaging just 19.2 minutes per contest. His offensive game is raw, though his shooting percentage has improved from a season ago. Haarms won't be a dominant cornerstone to build a team around, at least not this year, but he can provide some valuable stats in the interim for a Boilermaker squad that has reeled off seven consecutive victories.
DOWNGRADE
Noah Dickerson, F, Washington - Dickerson left Saturday's clash with UCLA due to a right ankle sprain, and was seen sporting a walking boot following the contest. The severity of the injury remains up in the air, and Dickerson has been vital to Washington's success in the Pac-12, even if his numbers are down overall from a season ago. Dickerson is managing 12.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest as a senior. By contrast, he averaged 15.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game as a junior. While Dickerson would surely take team success over individual accolades, his absence would obviously hurt the chances for both, particularly with a difficult upcoming stretch versus Arizona and Arizona State.
Marcus Garrett, G, Kansas - The demise of Kansas this season is something to behold, and injuries have not helped the cause for the Jayhawks. They've already lost center Udoka Azubuike for the season, and now Garrett has been nursing an ankle ailment. He did not play Saturday against Texas Tech, though the rest of the Jayhawks handled their business with a superb 79-63 drubbing of the Red Raiders. However, Kansas subsequently lost to K-State without Garrett, dropping the Jayhawks to 6-4 in the conference and tied for fourth in the league. Garrett is averaging the fourth-most minutes per game on the squad. In other words, they'll need him healthy and on the court if they are to take home yet another Big 12 crown, which seems to be in serious jeopardy at this point in time. Garrett was averaging 7.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game prior to the injury. Only Bryce Brown of Kansas State is averaging more steals per game. Freshman Ochai Agbaji has seen heavy minutes lately with the Jayhawks hurting.
Marcus Zegarowski, G, Creighton - Zegarowski broke a bone in his right hand Sunday versus Xavier, and will be sidelined. It is a most unfortunate break for Zegarowski and the Bluejays, as the freshman has been streaking lately. Zegarowski had started six consecutive games for Creighton prior to the injury, averaging 11.8 points and 4.2 dimes per game during that stretch. Zegarowski is yet another Bluejay to succumb to injury, leaving Creighton continually shorthanded as they attempt to stay afloat in the Big East. Senior Kaleb Joseph played a season-high 29 minutes last game, tallying eight points, four rebounds and three assists. He would appear to be the most direct beneficiary in terms of minutes with Zegarowski on the shelf.
Brandon Williams, G, Arizona - Arizona has been reeling, dropping three consecutive games in the mediocre Pac-12. The Wildcats have been bitten by the injury bug. First, it was Duke transfer Chase Jeter. Now, it's the freshman Williams, who missed Thursday's in-state clash with Arizona State. Without Williams, the Wildcats dropped a game versus ASU for the first time since 2015. Williams has been the catalyst for the Arizona offense this season, averaging 12 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Williams leads the squad in dishing, and he was clearly missed in the OT loss to the Sun Devils. In 45 minutes, Arizona had just 15 assists. The Wildcats are thin in the backcourt, and Williams is expected to miss at least two additional games. Justin Coleman had nine of the 15 dimes in the absence of Williams, and Coleman would be the obvious candidate for increased production.
