This article is part of our College Hoops Barometer series.
Substantial conference realignment has already significantly shifted the landscape of college basketball, and essentially the dissolution of the Pac-12 next year will only further change the product off and on the hardwood. The Pac-12 looks to be going out with a whimper, as Arizona is currently the only ranked squad, and even the Wildcats have lost two of their last three contests. USC and UCLA have been wildly disappointing, and though Arizona State is 2-0 in conference action, the Sun Devils have lost five non-conference games already. Utah, Colorado and Oregon have the early edge in the conference, though certainly there is a lot of basketball left to be played. It will be interesting to see how the "final" season of the Pac-12 as we know it unfolds.
Let's take a look at some players making headlines in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer. Happy New Year!
UPGRADE
Devin Carter, G, Providence – Carter started every game last season for the Friars, but he has taken his game to new heights during the 2023-2024 campaign. Carter is averaging 16.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest. Carter's scoring improvement can be traced to more efficient shot selection (and shot making). Carter is shooting almost 50-percent from the floor, including almost 40-percent from three-point range. Carter has hit at least three treys in five-straight contests for Providence. Carter is also an elite rebounder for his size. Despite his 6-3 height, Carter leads the Friars in rebounding and is
Substantial conference realignment has already significantly shifted the landscape of college basketball, and essentially the dissolution of the Pac-12 next year will only further change the product off and on the hardwood. The Pac-12 looks to be going out with a whimper, as Arizona is currently the only ranked squad, and even the Wildcats have lost two of their last three contests. USC and UCLA have been wildly disappointing, and though Arizona State is 2-0 in conference action, the Sun Devils have lost five non-conference games already. Utah, Colorado and Oregon have the early edge in the conference, though certainly there is a lot of basketball left to be played. It will be interesting to see how the "final" season of the Pac-12 as we know it unfolds.
Let's take a look at some players making headlines in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer. Happy New Year!
UPGRADE
Devin Carter, G, Providence – Carter started every game last season for the Friars, but he has taken his game to new heights during the 2023-2024 campaign. Carter is averaging 16.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest. Carter's scoring improvement can be traced to more efficient shot selection (and shot making). Carter is shooting almost 50-percent from the floor, including almost 40-percent from three-point range. Carter has hit at least three treys in five-straight contests for Providence. Carter is also an elite rebounder for his size. Despite his 6-3 height, Carter leads the Friars in rebounding and is seventh in the entire Big East conference. Carter already has three double-doubles on his resume this season. Providence recently beat a highly-ranked Marquette squad, so Carter and company could prove dangerous come tourney time.
Mark Mitchell, F, Duke – Mitchell is coming off perhaps the best outing of his brief collegiate career for the Blue Devils. With Kyle Filipowski battling foul trouble Tuesday versus Syracuse, Mitchell responded with a career-best 21 points along with six rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Mitchell has now recorded double digits in scoring in six-straight games for Duke. Despite Mitchell's struggles from the three-point arc, he is otherwise averaging career-highs across the board despite playing basically the same amount of minutes as he did as a freshman.
Trey Alexander, G, Creighton – Teammate Baylor Scheierman gets plenty of pub, but Alexander is a consistent, key contributor in a variety of categories for the Bluejays. Alexander is averaging 16.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per contest. Alexander poured in a season-high 25 points in Creighton's last game versus Georgetown. Meanwhile, he grabbed 15 rebounds in an overtime loss to Villanova just before Christmas. Alexander nearly tallied a triple-double earlier this season against Iowa with 23 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Alexander is sixth in the conference in dishing. Alexander and Scheierman form one of the most potent inside-outside combos in the nation.
CHECK STATUS
Andrew Carr, F, Wake Forest – Carr is a double-double threat each and every time he steps onto the floor, but foul woes can limit his effectiveness. Carr has accumulated four fouls in six games already for the Demon Deacons, including Tuesday's win at Boston College which resulted in a season-low three points. Of course, Carr has plenty of stellar outputs otherwise this season, having scored in double figures in 11 of 13 contests for Wake Forest. That also includes two double-doubles as well as a 22-point performance against Florida at the end of November. Still, one has to wonder whether Carr's foul issues will continue, especially once conference play begins in earnest. The step up in competition could lead to inconsistent outputs from the talented Carr, who is averaging 14.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per tilt.
Rienk Mast, F/C, Nebraska – Mast has missed the last two games for the Cornhuskers, and is questionable for Wednesday's clash with Indiana. The transfer from Bradley has been a force in the middle for Nebraska, averaging 13.0 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest. Mast has accumulated four double-doubles already this season, while also posting an impressive, well-rounded stat line of eight points, 14 rebounds and six assists in a recent win over Michigan State. While the knee injury is not considered serious, it will be interesting to see how long it takes Mast to get back in rhythm once healthy. Juwan Gary and Josiah Allick should continue to shoulder the frontcourt burden until Mast returns.
Chucky Hepburn, G, Wisconsin – Hepburn has struggled shooting the ball this season as a junior, particularly from beyond the three-point arc. Just a year ago, Hepburn hit better than 40-percent of his treys. Fast-forward to this season, and Hepburn is shooting a dismal 25.6-percent from long distance. In his defense, Hepburn is operating more as a facilitator this season than scorer, as he is taking almost four fewer shots per game as compared to last year, though averaging one more assist per contest. In fact, Hepburn is managing a career-best 3.8 assists per tilt as a junior. Add in 3.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals per tilt, and Hepburn is still impacting the game in plenty of ways, just not as much in the scoring column.
DOWNGRADE
Nijel Pack, G, Miami – Pack missed the last two games for the Hurricanes due to a lower body injury, though admittedly was not needed anyway in 40-point thrashings of inferior opponents. However, the competition stiffens tremendously against a ranked Clemson squad on Wednesday, with no further clarity as to Pack's status. The floor general for the 'Canes is averaging 12.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and a career-best 4.2 assists per contest this season. With starter Wooga Poplar also deemed "day-to-day", the 'Canes will need a huge performance from freshman Kyshawn George to likely stand a chance against a stellar Clemson unit. George averaged 11 points, five rebounds and four assists in the aforementioned blowout victories.
JaKobe Coles, F, TCU – Coles did not play for the Horned Frogs on New Year's Day due to a foot injury. Though TCU handled business without the services of Coles against lowly Texas A&M-Commerce, the ailment could explain why Coles was bounced from the starting lineup in the previous contest after starting the first 11 games of the season for TCU. Diminished production could also have been a factor. After averaging 15.7 points through the first seven contests of the season, Coles managed just 5.4 points per tilt in five subsequent outings prior to the injury. It remains to be seen what kind of role Coles will have upon his return.
Jayden Epps, G, Georgetown – The leading scorer for the Hoyas missed Tuesday's loss to Creighton due to an ankle injury. In fact, Epps has missed three of the last five games for Georgetown, though his first two absences came because of an illness. The transfer from Illinois is averaging 17.8 points per tilt, which is third in the Big East. Epps is far from a one-trick pony, though, as he is also averaging 4.1 dimes per contest. He racked up 11 assists earlier this season in his Georgetown debut. The Hoyas are already 0-3 in conference play, so any additional absences by Epps would be extremely detrimental to the squad.
