This article is part of our College Hoops Barometer series.
The scariest team in the country might just be the Nevada Wolf Pack. Nevada made the Sweet 16 last year, returned its three best players, and is currently 23-1 on the season. The Martin twins are matchup nightmares, versatile ballers at 6-foot-7 who can fill it up or dish it out. Jordan Caroline is playing like a man-possessed; he has 15 double-doubles on the year, including a current four-game streak. Caroline was on fire at Colorado State last week, unleashing 40 points on the unsuspecting Rams. A fierce rebounder on the interior, Caroline has gone from taking just three three-pointers as a freshman in total to making 44.3 percent of his treys as a senior. He canned six three-pointers in that 40-point barrage. Nevada just avenged its only loss of the season to New Mexico by thrashing the Lobos by 29 points. With transfers Tre'Shawn Thurman and Trey Porter also in the starting lineup, Nevada doesn't start a player under 6-foot-7. Make no mistake about it; this Nevada team is big, experienced and extremely dangerous. They have all the tools to make a run to the Final Four.
Let's look at some other trending names in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer.
UPGRADE
P.J. Washington, F, Kentucky - Washington has been playing at an extremely high level of late. The sophomore forward is averaging 21 points and 5.7 rebounds over his last three games. Even though LSU beat Kentucky at the buzzer Tuesday, it was Washington that led both
The scariest team in the country might just be the Nevada Wolf Pack. Nevada made the Sweet 16 last year, returned its three best players, and is currently 23-1 on the season. The Martin twins are matchup nightmares, versatile ballers at 6-foot-7 who can fill it up or dish it out. Jordan Caroline is playing like a man-possessed; he has 15 double-doubles on the year, including a current four-game streak. Caroline was on fire at Colorado State last week, unleashing 40 points on the unsuspecting Rams. A fierce rebounder on the interior, Caroline has gone from taking just three three-pointers as a freshman in total to making 44.3 percent of his treys as a senior. He canned six three-pointers in that 40-point barrage. Nevada just avenged its only loss of the season to New Mexico by thrashing the Lobos by 29 points. With transfers Tre'Shawn Thurman and Trey Porter also in the starting lineup, Nevada doesn't start a player under 6-foot-7. Make no mistake about it; this Nevada team is big, experienced and extremely dangerous. They have all the tools to make a run to the Final Four.
Let's look at some other trending names in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer.
UPGRADE
P.J. Washington, F, Kentucky - Washington has been playing at an extremely high level of late. The sophomore forward is averaging 21 points and 5.7 rebounds over his last three games. Even though LSU beat Kentucky at the buzzer Tuesday, it was Washington that led both teams in scoring and rebounding. It should come as no surprise Washington leads the Wildcats in both categories on the season, and Kentucky is still 20-4 on the year. Two matchups with Tennessee down the stretch could decide the fate of the SEC regular season champion, and if the Wildcats end up on top again, Washington will likely be the focal point.
Cam Reddish, F, Duke - Only on this Duke squad could a player like Reddish get overshadowed. While teammates Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett get the publicity, Reddish has quietly gone on a scoring tear recently. Reddish is averaging 21 points over his last three games for the Blue Devils. That includes 17 points in Saturday's gritty win at Virginia, followed by 22 points in Duke's epic comeback at Louisville. Reddish is not a huge contributor in other categories, but he does provide a few rebounds and dimes on occasion. He's been a three-point dynamo, though, including hitting 17 treys in his last four contests. Reddish rounds out the ferocious freshman trio, and his improved play of late gives the Blue Devils yet another problem for opposing squads to worry about.
Lamar Stevens, F, Penn State - Stevens has been simply sensational for the Nittany Lions, and carried Penn State to Tuesday's upset win over Michigan. Stevens tallied 26 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals in the 75-69 triumph. It was the second-straight double-double for Stevens, and eighth on the season overall. He is second in the conference in scoring, and tied for sixth in rebounding. Stevens has eclipsed the 20-point mark in six of the last seven contests. If not for playing on a bad team and battling in a conference with the likes of Ethan Happ and Carsen Edwards, Stevens would almost certainly be getting some votes for conference player of the year. Stevens and the Nittany Lions will look to continue playing spoiler down the stretch of the Big Ten regular season.
Justin Wright-Foreman, G, Hofstra - Have to give props to the local kid, who poured in 48 points in Hofstra's 93-87 win over William & Mary on Saturday. A scorer by trade, Wright-Foreman hit 16-of-24 from the field, including 7-of-12 from beyond the arc. The senior is third in the nation in scoring, averaging 26 points per game for the Pride. Wright-Foreman is also averaging 4.3 boards and 3.2 assists per contest and is having a dominant season in the CAA. Hofstra has started 11-1 in conference play and will be the frontrunner to represent the Colonial in the NCAA Tournament.
CHECK STATUS
Giorgi Bezhanishvili, F, Illinois - The Illini do appear to have some hope for the future after all. After a tough start to the season, Illinois has now rattled off three-straight Big Ten wins, including last Tuesday's shocker over Michigan State. Illinois did not have a letdown the following game, beating an improved Rutgers squad in overtime. In that victory, the freshman Bezhanishvili poured in a career-high 35 points. Hailing from Georgia (the country, not the state), Bezhanishvili has a nice offensive game, though it is limited to inside the three-point line. Still, he has been an efficient force of late, shooting nearly 65 percent from the file during the current three-game winning streak. It remains to be seen if the Illini can keep this up, though, as they have road matchups with Ohio State, Wisconsin and Purdue coming up. Still, it's nice to finally see some young talent again coming through the pipeline in Urbana-Champaign.
Alexis Yetna, F, South Florida - A leg injury cost Yetna two games just as he appeared to be hitting his stride. The sophomore from Paris poured in a career-best 28 points the game prior to injuring his leg. Yetna is considered day-to-day. Fortunately, the Bulls have not missed a beat despite Yetna's absence. USF has won five-straight games, albeit against inferior opponents in the American. With two dates left versus UCF as well as a clash with Houston on the schedule, the Bulls would prefer to have Yetna back at full strength. Yetna leads the team in rebounding and field goal percentage, and is third in scoring. Sophomore leader David Collins has been superb in Yetna's absence, averaging 22 points, 6.5 rebounds, four assists and two steals. 7-footer Michael Durr also collected a career-high 13 rebounds in Sunday's OT triumph over ECU.
King McClure, G, Baylor - McClure has missed the last two games for the Bears due to a knee injury. Baylor has certainly missed McClure's versatility, as he can affect the game in a plethora of ways. On the year, the senior is averaging 9.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals per contest. He is first in steals, third in scoring and dishing, and fourth in rebounding on the team. The Bears are now missing both McClure and Tristan Clark, the second leading scorer on the team, who will miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury of his own. McClure's ailment is not considered as serious, though it has been serious enough to keep him in street clothes the past two games. The Bears are in the hunt for both the Big 12 crown as well as an NCAA Tournament berth, so Baylor is hoping McClure returns sooner rather than later, especially with four ranked opponents on the remaining conference slate.
Nassir Little, F, North Carolina - Little left Monday's loss to Virginia with an ankle injury and did not return. Despite other-worldly athleticism, Little has not dominated at UNC as much as his recruiting hype would have led you to believe. In fact, he's fourth on the squad in scoring and rebounding, and has provided little else in the way of statistics otherwise. Fellow freshman Coby White has been far more productive, albeit at a different position. Perhaps the presence of upperclassmen in the form of Luke Maye and Cameron Johnson has stunted Little's growth. The injury may not be serious, and Little still may be a lottery pick in June's NBA Draft, but he remains largely untapped potential at this time.
DOWNGRADE
Jalen Adams, G, Connecticut - Adams will miss at least the next month for the Huskies due to an MCL sprain. The catalyst for the UConn, Adams is the leading scorer for the Huskies, averaging 17 points per game. Though his numbers are a bit down this season, Adams is still managing 3.8 rebounds and three assists per contest. Any hope of becoming a tournament team seems lost with the Adams injury, as UConn has already been dealing with the absence of third-leading scorer Alterique Gilbert due to a shoulder injury. Expect freshmen Sidney Wilson and Brendan Cobb to see extra minutes for the Huskies in the interim; UConn played just seven players in Sunday's 78-71 loss to Memphis.
Killian Tillie, F, Gonzaga - It is a testament to the program coach Mark Few has built at Gonzaga that they will not even have Tillie for basically the entire season, and still likely end up with a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Tillie was one of four members of the Zags to be named to the preseason All-WCC squad, yet he will be limited to just nine games during the regular season for the Bulldogs. He missed the first 15 games of the season due to a stress fracture in his right ankle, and now will miss at least the rest of Gonzaga's regular season campaign due to a partially torn plantar fascia in his right foot. He could be lost for postseason competition as well. Rui Hachimura has been a beast for the Zags, with San Jose State transfer Brandon Clarke filling the void as well. Tillie's season has clearly not gone as planned, though the quality of depth that the Zags possess has allowed them to hardly even miss a beat.
Carter Diarra, G, Kansas State - Diarra suffered a hand injury that will require surgery, sidelining the sophomore guard indefinitely. The timing is poor for Diarra, who appeared to be coming into his own for the Wildcats of late. He had scored in double figures in each of the last four games for K-State, while also dishing out 12 assists over that span. Diarra has played at least 20 minutes in all but three games this season for the Wildcats, flashing his versatility, particularly on the defensive end. A disruptive defender with stellar athleticism, his injury deals a blow to K-State's hopes of snatching the Big 12 regular season crown away from Kansas. Look for senior leaders Kamau Stokes and Barry Brown Jr. to get very little rest down the stretch of conference play with Diarra on the shelf.
Daejon Davis, G, Stanford - The Cardinal guard did not play Sunday due to an undisclosed head injury, leaving the status of Davis murky as we hit the meat of conference action. The leading assist man for Stanford, Davis is averaging 4.8 assists per game. That places him seventh in the Pac-12. Davis is also the only member of the squad besides KZ Okpala scoring in double-figures on average. The severity of the injury remains a mystery, but the Cardinal had a three-game winning streak snapped in an ugly 23-point loss at Oregon, showing just how vital Davis is for Stanford. In fact, the Cardinal managed just three assists for the entire game. Yes, you read that correctly. A speedy recovery for Davis would be welcomed by Stanford.
