This article is part of our College Hoops Barometer series.
For the second-straight season, it appears that the college basketball season will be dominated by big men. Zach Edey, Armando Bacot and Hunter Dickinson all decided to stay in the collegiate ranks and are among the top options for the Wooden Award. The same can be said for Bryce Hopkins, Jesse Edwards and Oumar Ballo, frontcourt forces who also returned or transferred instead of opting to head to the pros. Meanwhile, Donovan Clingan slides into the starting center role for defending champion UConn with the departure of Adama Sanogo. The big man renaissance appears to be alive and well.
As we dive into the first College Hoops Barometer of the season, a couple of friendly reminders. This is a weekly article that will focus on players whose stock is either on the rise, staying stagnant, or taking a dip for whatever reason, whether injury, poor performance or a combination of both. Each article is not meant to be a comprehensive look at the totality of the college basketball scene each and every week. That would be an impossible task. Rather, it merely profiles certain players helping or hurting their respective causes during that time period. If your alma mater is not mentioned in a specific week, or a certain player is not referenced despite a standout performance, it is not intentional. There is no rhyme or reason most of the time.
Or conversely, as Joe Buck likes to say, I definitely dislike your favorite team/school.
With the
For the second-straight season, it appears that the college basketball season will be dominated by big men. Zach Edey, Armando Bacot and Hunter Dickinson all decided to stay in the collegiate ranks and are among the top options for the Wooden Award. The same can be said for Bryce Hopkins, Jesse Edwards and Oumar Ballo, frontcourt forces who also returned or transferred instead of opting to head to the pros. Meanwhile, Donovan Clingan slides into the starting center role for defending champion UConn with the departure of Adama Sanogo. The big man renaissance appears to be alive and well.
As we dive into the first College Hoops Barometer of the season, a couple of friendly reminders. This is a weekly article that will focus on players whose stock is either on the rise, staying stagnant, or taking a dip for whatever reason, whether injury, poor performance or a combination of both. Each article is not meant to be a comprehensive look at the totality of the college basketball scene each and every week. That would be an impossible task. Rather, it merely profiles certain players helping or hurting their respective causes during that time period. If your alma mater is not mentioned in a specific week, or a certain player is not referenced despite a standout performance, it is not intentional. There is no rhyme or reason most of the time.
Or conversely, as Joe Buck likes to say, I definitely dislike your favorite team/school.
With the disclaimers out of the way, let's return to the hardwood for the start of the 2023-2024 campaign.
UPGRADE
Norchad Omier, F/C, Miami – Omier fit in seamlessly with the Hurricanes last season as a transfer from Arkansas State, anchoring the frontcourt for an otherwise guard-laden squad that made a run all the way to the Final Four. ACC Player of the Year Isaiah Wong is gone, as is forward Jordan Miller, both of whom have taken their talents to the next level. Nijel Pack remains in the backcourt for the 'Canes, and Florida State transfer Matt Cleveland will be a key contributor this season, but this year's Miami might just play from the inside out. Omier tallied 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block in Miami's opener against lowly NJIT. Omier hit both of his three-point attempts as he continues to work on his outside shooting, though his impact remains large on the interior on both ends of the court. The Hurricanes are ranked to begin the season and have a real shot to advance to the Elite 8 for the third-straight season.
Alex Karaban, F, Connecticut – A huge jump is expected from Karaban, whose Huskies beat the aforementioned 'Canes en route to the NCAA Championship. Karaban played more of a complementary role on last year's squad, but the departures of Jordan Hawkins, Andre Jackson and Adama Sanogo leave Karaban and Tristen Newton as the only returning starters. Karaban notched 22 points and seven rebounds in UConn's opening-game rout of Northern Arizona. Karaban hit an impressive 40.2-percent of his three-pointers a season ago, and went 3-for-6 from beyond the arc in the first game of the season for the Huskies.
Ja'Kobe Walter, G, Baylor – Walter made a splash Tuesday in Baylor's triumph over Auburn, scoring 28 points and grabbing six rebounds in an 88-82 win against the Tigers. Walter hit four treys while canning a perfect 10-of-10 shots from the foul line. The five-star recruit stayed in-state to begin his collegiate career, and the Bears are certainly glad he did. The Bears are replacing their entire backcourt from a season ago, so Walter should have ample opportunity to fill up the box score this year. Toledo transfer RayJ Dennis will be a huge boost to Walter as well.
Sean Pedulla, G, Virginia Tech – Pedulla accumulated 10 assists in the season opener for the Hokies, a 100-55 laugher over Coppin State. Pedulla averaged 3.8 dimes per tilt as a sophomore last season, but has the chance to be the true catalyst for this year's squad. Pedulla is already a solid shooter and an above-average rebounder despite his 6-1 height. With backcourt mate Hunter Cattoor also back in the fold, the Hokies should have one of the top backcourts in the conference, if not the entire country.
CHECK STATUS
Tyson Walker, G, Michigan State – On the plus side, Walker exploded in the first game of the season for the Spartans, pouring in 35 points on 12-of-26 shooting, setting a career high in the process. He also tallied five rebounds, three dimes and a stellar six steals. On the downside, he missed all five of his three-pointers, and the Spartans fell to the James Madison Dukes in overtime by a score of 79-76. Walker did not receive much help from his teammates, including A.J. Hoggard, who shot just 2-for-11 from the floor while also missing every one of his three-point attempts. It would be a mistake to judge a player or an entire team on just one performance, but this is clearly not the way the Spartans wanted to start the year, even with Walker's standout statistics.
Chris Ledlum, F, St. John's – The Harvard transfer formed an imposing frontcourt duo with Joel Soriano in the season opener for the Johnnies, as both big men registered double-doubles in the 90-74 triumph over Stony Brook. Ledlum also tallied four dimes and two steals for the game. Soriano is battling plantar fasciitis, and while the center played remarkably well in this contest, Ledlum would be the clear beneficiary if Soriano ultimately ends up needed time to rest. Ledlum was a dominant force in the Ivy League a season ago, averaging 18.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per clash.
Robert Dillingham, G, Kentucky – The Wildcats are loaded in the backcourt this season, leaving Dillingham to come off the bench in Kentucky's first game of the year versus New Mexico State. Still, even in just 19 minutes, Dillingham managed 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Dillingham turned heads earlier this Fall with a 40-point barrage in an intrasquad scrimmage. D.J. Wagner started at point guard and is also an extremely highly-touted phenom, but the relentless impact of Dillingham is going to eventually force coach John Calipari to find more minutes.
DOWNGRADE
Tolu Smith, C, Mississippi State – The Bulldog big man will likely be sidelined until the 2024 calendar year due to a foot injury, which he picked up last month during practice. Smith was a double-double machine for MSU last season, tallying 12 such outputs for the squad. With fellow big man KeShawn Murphy also recovering from a foot injury, West Virginia transfer Jimmy Bell appears next in line at the center position. Bell played just 18.5 minutes per contest in a crowded frontcourt for the Mountaineers, but still managed 4.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per tilt. Bell should have a long leash due to the vacuum created by the aforementioned injuries, though freshman Gai Chol from Sudan could also figure into the mix early on this season.
Nae'Qwan Tomlin, C, Kansas State – Tomlin started 36 games for the Wildcats last year en route to averages of 10.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per tilt. He was expected to play a crucial role for KSU this season until he was arrested Sunday morning for disorderly conduct. Tomlin has been suspended indefinitely, and it remains to be seen when he will be allowed to return to the team this season, if at all. In his stead, David N'Guessan is now the likely starter at center. He posted a double-double in Monday's loss to USC.
Alonzo Gaffney, G, Arizona State – Gaffney has been shuffled back and forth between the bench and the starting lineup during his time with the Sun Devils, though was set to join the starting lineup to begin the year prior to suffering an injury in practice. Instead, Gaffney is now likely to miss a couple of weeks. The Sun Devils are replacing virtually their entire squad for the 2023-2024 campaign after a mass exodus to either the NBA or the transfer portal with the exception of Frankie Collins, though transfers Adam Miller (LSU) and Bryant Selebangue (Tulsa) should help ease the transition. Unfortunately, Gaffney will be behind the curve as the rest of his teammates take the hardwood during the early portion of the season.
