College Hoops Barometer: Risers & Fallers

The college basketball season is back, just as COVID-19 is spiking again around the nation.  It may seem contradictory to laud the return of sports while at the same time expressing concern over the safety and welfare of the general public.  But these do not have to be diametrically opposite positions.

For better or worse, 2020 has brought into focus what matters most.  Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are the tenets this nation was founded upon.  There's a reason that phrase starts with "life".  It is the most precious, the most valuable commodity.  COVID-19, police brutality, global warming are issues that directly affect life itself.  Without life, there is nothing else.  Our response to the virus, senseless killings and the destruction of our environment go towards the very preservation of this precious commodity.

Sports can feel like life or death sometimes.  We know it's not.  But it can seem like that.

When the NCAA Tournament was canceled in the middle of March, that was one of the first stunning realizations of the gravity and seriousness of this nearly unprecedented situation concerning COVID-19.  The last nine months or so have been long, difficult, and downright tragic.

Sports seasons come and go, but they don't usually go without saying goodbye.  They don't usually end prematurely and abruptly due to a pandemic.  The promise of next season usually lurks beyond the horizon.  That was taken away from us as well.

The return of sports has been a welcome sign.  Not quite on the level of the news of a vaccine, but still providing some hope towards a semblance of normalcy.  Sports represent opportunity for some, livelihoods for others.  Sports can be obsessions for some, passions for others, a welcome distraction for still others.

We've been confronted with so much adversity in 2020.  In these trying times, if we can play sports safely, let's allow ourselves even a temporary reprieve.  Let's allow ourselves to enjoy something that brings such joy to life for so many of us.  Even if it must be from the comfort of our own homes.  Even if it's just for an hour or two.  Even if it's not a matter of life and death.

With that, let's take a look at some players making waves in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Keve Aluma, F, Virginia Tech – The Wofford transfer followed his coach, Mike Young, to play for the Hokies, though Aluma had to sit out last season due to NCAA transfer rules.  A member of the last Terriers NCAA Tournament squad, Aluma played more of a complementary role at Wofford but has been a breakout star for Virginia Tech through its first five contests this season.  Aluma is averaging 15.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest.  The 6-foot-9, 235-lb forward is shooting 55.6-percent from the field early on, including 6-of-14 (42.9-percent) from three-point land.  He was the leading scorer in Virginia Tech's OT win over Villanova earlier in the season, and notched his third career double-double versus VMI.  Obviously the sample size is small, and the competition will be stiff in the ACC, but Aluma has shown growth in his game thus far.

Ron Harper, G, Rutgers – The Scarlet Knights are stacked at the guard position, and that includes the recently injured Geo Baker, who is expected to miss some time due to an ankle injury.  Jacob Young, a transfer from Texas, has already made his presence felt, averaging 5.7 dimes through the first three contests of the season.  Harper has been the best of the group, though, averaging 22.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 dimes per contest for undefeated Rutgers.  Harper is off to a hot start shooting, hitting a blistering 60.3-percent of his shots from the field, including 45.8-percent from beyond the arc.  Harper's three-point shooting has gotten better each year.  Harper has already hit five treys apiece in two of four contests as a junior.  The aforementioned Baker has yet to start practicing, so Harper's high usage should continue for the time being.

M.J. Walker, G, Florida State – Last year's FSU squad was a juggernaut, but the Seminoles lost a ton of talent.  Two lottery picks fled for greener pastures (Patrick Williams and Devin Vassell), and starter Trent Forrest also ended up in the NBA.  That leaves Walker as the elder statesman of the guard unit, and he showed out on FSU's season opener versus North Florida.  The senior accumulated 17 points, four rebounds and two assists in the 86-58 thrashing of the Ospreys.  Walker is a great bet to lead the Seminoles in scoring this season, though watch out for freshman Scottie Barnes, a hybrid guard/forward with a standout skill set.  Still, Florida State will rely on Walker to steer the ship; Walker himself was once a highly touted recruit himself way back in 2017.

Jalen Wilson, F, Kansas – Jalen Wilson was not the most highly touted recruit for the Jayhawks coming into the season, but he is quickly earning his stripes.  The 6-foot-8 freshman has three double-doubles in his last four contests for KU.  He tallied 23 points and 10 rebounds in wins over both Creighton and Kentucky.  He is currently leading Kansas in points and field goal percentage.  Since a season-opening loss to Gonzaga, the Jayhawks have reeled off five-straight wins, and it may not be a stretch to say Wilson has been the team's best player over that span, which includes two victories over ranked opponents.  Wilson has certainly helped fill the rebounding void vacated by Udoka Azubuike.

CHECK STATUS

Marcus Bagley, F, Arizona State – The younger brother of former Duke Blue Devil Marvin Bagley, Marcus was not quite the "can't-miss" prospect that his brother was, though still garnered interest from Pac-12 schools and ultimately signed on to play for the Sun Devils.  During the fourth game of his freshman campaign, Bagley injured his lower left leg and had to be carried off the floor.  Fortunately, despite the look of a season-ending type of injury, Bagley appears to have avoided a major injury to his Achilles.  It remains to be seen when he will return, but a short absence looks like the most likely outcome.  Bagley was averaging 13.0 points and 5.8 rebounds prior to the injury.

Ethan Anderson, G, USC – Anderson, the starting point guard, has missed the last two contests for the Trojans due to a balky back.  Though the injury is not considered serious, back issues can be fickle.  Nate Baumann got the start for Anderson last game and scored 18 points for USC, hitting four treys in a blowout win over UC-Irvine.  Isaiah White has also seen an uptick in minutes and provided a more balanced stat line, tallying eight points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals in the 91-56 triumph.  Forward Evan Mobley is the star for the Trojans, but USC appears to have some nice depth at the guard position even with Anderson sidelined in the short term.

Chris Lykes, G, Miami – The diminutive point guard and leader for the Hurricanes missed Tuesday's clash with Purdue due to an ankle injury.  Despite losing its best player, the 'Canes still managed to outlast the Boilermakers.  Kameron McGusty led the squad with 18 points, while sophomore Harlond Beverly stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, nine rebounds, six assist, two blocks and four steals.  Beverly has proven a kind of Swiss Army knife for Miami early on this season.  Despite the surprising victory, the 'Canes will need Lykes to return to health if they are to have any chance of keeping pace in the ACC.  Lykes was named to the Preseason All-ACC First Team and even received votes for Preseason Player of the Year in the conference.  He was averaging 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game prior to the injury.

Bryce Nze, G, Butler – The senior was named Preseason Big-East Second-Team, and has been fairly consistent throughout his collegiate career.  The former transfer from UW-Milwaukee played an integral role for the Bulldogs last season, averaging 9.2 points on 62.9-percent shooting.  He also snatched 6.6 rebounds and dished out 1.4 assists per contest.  In the season opener versus Western Michigan, though, Nze hurt his ankle and was forced to exit the game early.  Butler has not played since that time, so it remains to be seen if Nze will be ready to roll when the Bulldogs next take the Court versus St. John's on December 14.

DOWNGRADE

Jabari Rice, G, New Mexico State – A foot injury will sideline Rice for the better part of the next two months for the Aggies.  Rice had gotten off to a stellar start to the 2020-2021 campaign as well, managing 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in two games prior to getting hurt.  On the plus side for Rice and the Aggies, their next game is scheduled to be held on January 8, 2021.  Starter Evan Gilyard and reserve Tennessee Owens, both seniors, are the most likely candidates to replace some of Rice's minutes and production.  Rice was named the Preseason Player of the Year in the WAC, though, so his shoes will certainly be difficult to fill.  In addition, the Aggies were picked to win their conference, and New Mexico State could be without the services of its best player for at least the first six games of its conference slate.

AJ Green, G, Northern Iowa – The reigning Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year, Green managed 19.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per tilt last season.  Green was on a tear to begin the season, too, averaging 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists through three outings.  He was shooting over 46-percent from the field, including over 40-percent from three-point range.  Green actually explored possibly jumping to the NBA after last season, though ended up returning for his junior campaign.  Unfortunately, he may end up missing the remainder of the season due to a serious hip injury.  He has begun rehab in the hopes of playing through the issue, but could end up opting for season-ending surgery.  Even if he decides to play through the pain, though, Green clearly will not be at 100% for the Panthers.

Oscar Tshiebwe, F, West Virginia – It's not that Tshiebwe has necessarily been bad to begin his sophomore campaign, merely that thus far he hasn't quite lived up to expectations.  As a freshman, he averaged nearly a double-double with 11.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per tilt.  Through five games this season, he is managing 9.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per tilt.  He had 10 double-doubles in 31 games as a freshman, but just one double-double through the first five contests of his sophomore season.  The differential is not huge, though the presence of Derek Culver at center does limit Tshiebwe's upside.  Tshiebwe oozes talent and is capable of putting forth a big output on any given night, but he hasn't proven to be able to do that consistently just yet, or that he has the necessary command of the frontcourt of the Mountaineers to pull it off.

DJ Funderburk, C, NC State – Funderburk is another player who has thus far not lived up to the hype, though admittedly the sample size is small and the Wolfpack has yet to play a close game.  Still, Funderburk was sent to the bench after starting the first two games of the season for State in favor of Manny Bates.  Funderburk started half of the games he appeared in last season, so he is no stranger to the role.  That being said, with averages of 12.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per contest as a sophomore, his role as a junior was supposed to be even larger.  Instead, he is playing less than 20 minutes per tilt to begin the season.  The Wolfpack could simply be easing him into the action with three cupcake opponents played thus far.  Or this could be a sign of things to come.  It will be interesting to see how this situation unfolds once the competition stiffens.