College Hoops Barometer: Duke Says See-Ya to Sulaimon

The best team in the country resides in the SEC in the Kentucky Wildcats. However, the battle for supremacy among conferences looks to be between the ACC and the Big 12. The Atlantic Coast Conference is incredibly potent at the top; Virginia and Duke could certainly make claims for top seeds in the NCAA Tournament if the season ended this week, while Louisville, Notre Dame and North Carolina aren't far behind. Those five are ranked between three and 12.

The Big 12, though, might be the best conference top to bottom. While the conference has no teams in the top 5, it has six schools ranked eight to 25 in the AP Poll. Likewise, only two games separate second place from seventh place in the Big 12 standings. Perhaps the craziest and most telling statistic is that Texas, ranked No. 25 this week, is 3-5 in conference play.

The ACC has serious heavyweights, but the Big 12 has amazing depth. Still, whether any of their squads can knock off Kentucky come tourney time remains to be seen.

Let's look at players on the rise and those ballers looking for some answers in this week's College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Terry Rozier, G, Louisville - Coach Rick Pitino has done a masterful job recruiting guards the last few years. He has gone from Peyton Siva to Russ Smith to Rozier the last three seasons, with little, if any, drop-off. The sophomore was a complementary piece last season, but has taken full control of the Cardinal offense this year. Rozier averages a team-leading 18.5 points per game, scoring at least 22 points in his last four games. Perhaps more impressive is his rebounding. Just 6-foot-1, Rozier averages 5.5 rebounds per game; only the beastly Montrezl Harrell grabs more boards per game on the squad. Rozier also averages 2.4 assists per game, while playing a crucial role in the vaunted Pitino press with 2.1 steals per contest. The Cardinals only have three losses this year, and Rozier is one of the main cogs for Louisville.

Kris Dunn, G, Providence - All Dunn did last Thursday against DePaul was mess around and get a triple-double. However, he has been flirting with that rarified stat line for the entire season. Dunn had six double-doubles this season before Thursday's game, one with double-digit rebounds and five with double-digit assists. The Friars seem to churn out these versatile point guards (Bryce Cotton, Vincent Council, Marshon Brooks, to name a few), and Dunn is no exception. The sophomore averages 15.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game. Let's not forget about his thievery either, as Dunn manages 2.5 steals per tilt as well. Dunn is among the elite fantasy options in college basketball this season, and he deserves his due.

Gavin Ware, F, Mississippi State - Ware hit a bit of a rough patch midseason but has come on strong the last few weeks. He has notched double figures in rebounds in four of the last six games for the Bulldogs, posting two double-doubles over that span. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Bulldogs are 5-1 when Ware tallies double-digit rebounds. Ware and frontcourt mate Roquez Johnson make a fairly productive tandem; however, the SEC boasts the menacing frontline of the Kentucky Wildcats and the M&M Boys (Mickey and Martin) at LSU, so the two Bulldogs fly under the radar. Ware represents a solid value play in daily fantasy games due to his recent rebounding splurge.

Askia Booker, G, Colorado - A balky ankle and unprecedented temporary move to the bench couldn't stop Booker, who poured in a staggering 43 points against USC last week in Triple OT. Booker shot 13-of-23 from the floor and 13-of-15 from the charity stripe in the 98-94 win over the Trojans. While Booker has 10 scoring outputs of 20-plus points or more, he is not a one trick pony by any stretch. The senior guard is also averages 3.2 bounds and 3.3 dimes per contest, showing his versatility. Still, the fact that Booker can explode in the scoring column on any given night makes him a dangerous weapon for the Buffs and fantasy owners alike.

CHECK STATUS

A.J. Hammons, C, Purdue - Hammons has been decent, albeit unspectacular for the Boilermakers. Blessed with superior size at the center position, there are times when he can be an extremely imposing force. He blocked seven shots Wednesday against Ohio State, and swatted seven eight versus Indiana last week. However, he has disappeared in other games, as witnessed by a six-point, six-rebound, three-turnover effort in a loss to Maryland early in January. A big man with his physical gifts should almost always leave his imprint on a game. His rebounding has also been a question; Hammons has just three double-doubles this season. In fact, he has reached eight rebounds in just five of Purdue's 23 games. Still, he leads the Boilermakers in rebounding as well as scoring, so it's clear he doesn't have much help in either department. Nevertheless, this is the third year in a row that Hammons is averaging about 11 points and six rebounds per game. He's been steady, but the growth has been harder to find.

James Blackmon Jr., G, Indiana - The freshman sensation is nursing an ankle injury and was sorely missed in Tuesday's lost at Wisconsin. The Hoosiers lost by 14 points, and Blackmon is averaging 16.5 points per game. A 40.5-percent shooter from long distance, Blackmon is also hitting 84.6 percent of his foul shots. He has also proven to be a better rebounder than advertised, snatching 5.2 boards per game despite his 6-4, 190, stature. Fortunately for the Hoosiers, the injury is not considered serious, and Blackmon could suit up for Sunday's clash with the Michigan Wolverines. If Blackmon can't go, Indiana State transfer Nick Zeisloft could see added minutes. Zeisloft led Indiana with 17 minutes against the Badgers in Blackmon's absence.

Marcus Thornton, F, Georgia - A concussion has bounced Thornton from the Bulldogs' lineup. Thornton was involved in a frightening tumble against Vandy last week and has now missed consecutive games. Thornton leads the Bulldogs in both scoring (13.5) and rebounding (7.3). He has four double-doubles this season and has failed to score in double figures just three times. Perhaps not surprisingly, Georgia has lost both games with Thornton riding the pine. With the added attention given to concussions these days, Thornton's status is murky. Georgia will ask freshman Yante Maten and senior Nemanja Djurisic to attempt to fill the space left by Thornton for the time being.

Travis Trice, G, Michigan State - Doesn't it seem like Trice has been at Michigan State forever? A favorite of coach Tom Izzo, the shifty point guard is no Mateen Cleaves, but he has taken his game to new heights in his final season in East Lansing. Trice is leading the Spartans with 13.8 points per game and has also been impeccable in terms of dishing the rock. Trice averages 5.6 assists per game, totaling nine in his last game against Michigan on Sunday. Still, Trice's shot selection has been questioned throughout his career, and he tends to fall in love with the three-ball. Trice is hoisting six treys per game this season, making a career-low 36.4 percent. He is also shooting an alarming 69 percent from the free-throw line. As a result, Trice is in a tough spot for the Spartans. It appears that his best role would be in setting up his teammates, but he has been forced to take on more of a scoring role due to the departures of Adreian Payne and Gary Harris. It will be interesting to see Trice's balancing act as March approaches.

DOWNGRADE

Briante Weber, G, VCU - Weber's career at VCU is over after he tore his ACL and MCL against Richmond on Saturday. Weber was the catalyst for the Rams on both ends of the floor. The point guard was the leading assist man on the squad, averaging 4.3 dimes per tilt. Weber was also a terror on the defensive end; he led the NCAA in steals with 3.9 thefts per game. Add in that Weber was also third in scoring and fourth in rebounding, and Weber's value cannot be overstated. The Rams will have an extremely difficult time replacing his production and leadership. Even more responsibility will fall on fellow senior Treveon Graham in Weber's absence.

Ricky Tarrant, G, Alabama - The Tide will be without the services of their starting point guard for the foreseeable future, as Tarrant is out indefinitely due to a lower leg injury. The Tulane transfer was averaging 13.1 points per game for Alabama, second only to Levi Randolph. Tarrant was also second in assists to Randolph as well. Tarrant's injury comes at a poor time for the Tide, as Bama has lost five of their last six games in SEC conference play. Look for Retin Obasohan and Justin Coleman to get more opportunities in Tarrant's stead.

Derrick Walton Jr., G, Michigan - The hits just keep on coming for the Wolverines. Walton was supposed to at least attempt to fill some of the void left by the season-ending injury to star player Caris LeVert. Walton had been performing well, in fact, averaging 10.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game for UM. However, a toe injury has sidelined the sophomore indefinitely. Walton has already missed the last two games, and there is no timetable for his return. Zak Irvin will be forced to shoulder the load without LeVert and Walton, while Final Four hero Spike Albrecht and freshman Muhammed-Ali Abdur-Rahkman should also see increased action.

Rasheed Sulaimon, G, Duke - Sulaimon has the dubious distinction of becoming the first player ever dismissed by Coach K. The school said Sulaimon continually failed to live up to team and school standards. The junior never quite lived up to his potential on the court, either. As a freshman, he averaged 11.6 points and 3.4 bounds per game. However, Sulaimon has seen his averages decrease in each season at Duke, and he was relegated to a bench role recently. This year, he managed 7.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. The Blue Devils will continue to roll with freshmen Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones without Sulaimon.