College Hoops Barometer: The Admiral is In

College Hoops Barometer: The Admiral is In

This article is part of our College Hoops Barometer series.

The Arizona Wildcats did not have the best week, to put it mildly. First, freshman phenom Deandre Ayton's name surfaced in an FBI probe about accepting impermissible benefits to secure his attendance at Arizona. Specifically, $100,000, and an alleged phone call recorded with Arizona head coach Sean Miller discussing the payment for the star big man. Ayton and his parents have vehemently denied the accusation, though the allegation has cast a dark cloud over Miller and the entire program. In fact, Miller's time at Arizona may be at an end.

In an unrelated matter, Allonzo Trier tested positive for a second time for ingesting a banned substance, and has been suspended indefinitely. While the above-referenced Ayton continues to play, Trier will be shelved during the most crucial stretch of the season. The Wildcats are appealing his suspension, although there is no telling when that hearing will occur. Suffice to say, the Wildcats have a plethora of distractions and off-court issues as March Madness approaches.

Let's take a look at the rest of the hardwood action in this week's College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Kellan Grady (G)
Anytime a guard at Davidson goes on a scoring tear, that baller is inevitably going to be compared to Stephen Curry. Though Grady attempts over six three-pointers per game, he has been filling it up largely without Curry's favorite weapon of late. Grady is averaging 32.3 points over the last three games for the Wildcats. He poured in 39 points in a Triple OT loss

The Arizona Wildcats did not have the best week, to put it mildly. First, freshman phenom Deandre Ayton's name surfaced in an FBI probe about accepting impermissible benefits to secure his attendance at Arizona. Specifically, $100,000, and an alleged phone call recorded with Arizona head coach Sean Miller discussing the payment for the star big man. Ayton and his parents have vehemently denied the accusation, though the allegation has cast a dark cloud over Miller and the entire program. In fact, Miller's time at Arizona may be at an end.

In an unrelated matter, Allonzo Trier tested positive for a second time for ingesting a banned substance, and has been suspended indefinitely. While the above-referenced Ayton continues to play, Trier will be shelved during the most crucial stretch of the season. The Wildcats are appealing his suspension, although there is no telling when that hearing will occur. Suffice to say, the Wildcats have a plethora of distractions and off-court issues as March Madness approaches.

Let's take a look at the rest of the hardwood action in this week's College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Kellan Grady (G)
Anytime a guard at Davidson goes on a scoring tear, that baller is inevitably going to be compared to Stephen Curry. Though Grady attempts over six three-pointers per game, he has been filling it up largely without Curry's favorite weapon of late. Grady is averaging 32.3 points over the last three games for the Wildcats. He poured in 39 points in a Triple OT loss to St. Bonaventure on Tuesday, hitting a perfect 16-of-16 from the charity stripe. In fact, Grady has attempted an astounding 30 foul shots over the last two games. The Wildcats are just 17-11 on the season, though they played a challenging non-conference slate, and are currently 12-5 in a competitive Atlantic-10 conference. A few more outbursts by Grady and teammate Peyton Aldridge, who scored 45 points in the above-referenced thriller versus the Bonnies, will certainly help Davidson's tournament resume.

Admiral Schofield (F)
Could Tennessee win the SEC regular season crown for the first time since 2008? If the Vols do win the title, Schofield will have played perhaps the most central role. The junior forward has upped his game of late, averaging 24.5 points and seven rebounds over the last two games for the Vols. UT has won three games in a row, and four of the last five, to pull even with Auburn in the SEC standings. With Auburn battling injuries and losing two-straight contests, Schofield and company will be fired up for the regular season finale versus Georgia. Schofield leads the Vols in rebounding and is second on the squad in scoring.

Allerik Freeman (G)
Freeman earned co-player of the week honors in the ACC, and is one of the main reasons for the Wolfpack's current four-game winning streak. Freeman is averaging 21.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and three assists during that span. He's been deadly from long distance, canning 45.8 percent of his treys. The transfer from Baylor is averaging career highs across the board for State. Wins over UNC, Duke and Arizona show this team is not to be taken lightly, and Freeman is one of the driving forces behind the program's success this season.

Khadeen Carrington (G)
Carrington's shot has finally started to fall of late. Though his scoring average as a senior is down overall as compared to a year ago, Carrington is managing 23.3 points over the last three contests for the Pirates. He hasn't been shy about drawing contact, either, attempting 25 foul shots over the last three games, which has boosted his point totals as well. Credit Carrington with making adjustments, as he has also become a much more willing passer this season, posting a career-best 4.5 assists per tilt. With the status of leading scorer Desi Rodriguez murky for the regular season finale, expect Carrington to continue to get plenty of opportunities.

CHECK STATUS

Michael Porter Jr. (G)
Porter's possible return makes for an intriguing story, as the Tigers are vying for inclusion in the big dance. While it would be a mistake to expect Porter to come out and dominate after missing nearly the entire season with a back injury, he is still a dynamic player who was billed as the top freshman in the country at one point in time. With Kentucky having a down year and Auburn battling the injury bug, the SEC Tournament may be as wide open as it's been in recent memory. Missouri has already beaten Kentucky and Tennessee, and the return of Porter could give the Tigers just the boost they need. Of course, Porter will need to prove he's healthy and in game shape first.

Elijah Brown (G)
The New Mexico transfer can score in bunches, as evidenced by his season-high 30 points against Arizona on Saturday. Brown can fall in love with the three-pointer a bit too much at times, though he thrived from the foul line in that victory over the Wildcats. Brown shot a staggering 17 free-throws in the 98-93 OT triumph. The streaky shooter is averaging 22.7 points over the last three contests, but managed a paltry six points per tilt in the three games before that. The Ducks are hoping Brown stay aflame throughout the Pac-12 and NCAA Tournaments.

Brad Davison (G)
It has been an uncharacteristically down year for the Badgers, but they just might be getting a glimpse of a brighter future with some recent performances by Davison. The freshman poured in a career-best 30 points Sunday against Michigan State. Davison has been a tad inconsistent shooting the ball overall this season, and has experienced some growing pains on the defensive end as well, battling foul trouble in many contests. Nevertheless, he has shown flashes of great promise, and is still the second-leading scorer on the squad behind forward Ethan Happ.

Steffon Mitchell (F)
Mitchell has been something of a Jack of all trades for the Eagles this season, providing complementary production to the scoring of Ky Bowman and Jerome Robinson. The freshman forward is averaging 6.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 blocks and one steal per game. However, he suffered a hamstring injury late in Wednesday's win over Syracuse and did not return. Though that may have simply been precautionary, the Eagles need all the healthy bodies they can get as they play at Florida State in the regular season finale, and then attempt to make a deep run in the ACC Tournament.

DOWNGRADE

Mohamed Bamba (C)
The freshman phenom left Saturday's loss to Oklahoma State early due to a sprained toe, and his status for this weekend's crucial tilt with West Virginia remains in question. The Longhorns are firmly on the bubble for a berth in the NCAA Tournament, and the loss of Bamba for that contest would be a crushing blow. He missed Monday's loss to Kansas, but with a week of rest, there is hope Bamba could suit up. Bamba is averaging a double-double as a freshman, and the future lottery pick leads the Big 12 in both rebounding and shot blocking. Dylan Osetkowski and Jericho Sims will play monster minutes if Bamba cannot take the court versus the Mountaineers.

Vic Law (F)
Law has missed the last two games for the Wildcats with a foot injury, and thus has been unable to stop Northwestern from free-falling in the Big Ten. The Wildcats have lost six games overall, and barring a shocking and unlikely run through the Big Ten Tournament, will not be making an appearance in this year's field. Law will not play in the Big Ten tourney either, which further dampens any hopes of a miracle. Law is second on the squad in both scoring and rebounding; Northwestern is extremely thin in the frontcourt without the services of the junior forward. However, it is worth noting for the future that little-used sophomore center Barret Benson collected eight points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in a career-high 25 minutes in the most recent loss at Iowa.

Jeremiah Martin (G)
Foot surgery will keep Martin sidelined for a few months, so certainly his junior season is over. Martin was one of the better players in the AAC this season, averaging 18.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.3 steals per contest. In fact, he led the conference in scoring and thievery, while placing sixth in assists. The Tigers are riding a four-game winning streak, and Martin missed two of those contests, so Memphis appears to be finding a way to get the W despite his absence. Fellow junior Kareem Brewton, Jr. will see the most direct uptick in minutes with Martin on the shelf, but freshman Jamal Johnson should also get more shots. It will be interesting to see how the Tigers finish the season, as right now they do not appear to be garnering much support for a tourney bid despite a seemingly bubblicious won-loss record.

Sedrick Barefield (G)
A rib injury has kept Barefield off the floor in each of the last two games for the Utes. Utah had a five-game winning streak snapped Saturday against USC, as the Utes managed just 58 points on barely 41 percent shooting without the services of Barefield. On the season, the 6-foot-2 junior is third in scoring and third in dishing on the team. He is one of four players averaging in double figures for a Utah squad that has pushed its way into the NCAA Tournament conversation with its recent play. Obviously a healthy Barefield would boost Utah's chances of a strong showing in the Pac-12 Tournament, but it remains to be seen how healthy he will be.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jesse Siegel
Siegel covers college football, college basketball and minor league baseball for RotoWire. He was named College Sports Writer of the Year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association.
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