College Hoops Barometer: Early Season Impact Players

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Updated on November 15, 2017 1:04PM EST

Welcome to the first edition of this season's College Hoops Barometer. As in previous years, the Barometer will provide a weekly snapshot of those players helping or hurting their stock in the world of college basketball. As always, the article is not meant to serve as any sort of ranking of players, and the omission of any player in any given week is not necessarily a knock on that particular baller who was left out. There are only so many slots in a given week.

The 2017-2018 campaign will bring us plenty of freshman phenoms like Mizzou's Michael Porter, Jr. and Duke's Marvin Bagley, though the scandal that rocked the college hoops world will certainly affect its share of players. The usual suspects still litter the Top 25 to begin the season, and it will be interesting to see how the Louisville Cardinals respond on the court to the absence of Rick Pitino. We will still have to deal with the presence of Lavar Ball, assuming everything with the Chinese delegation is sorted out. However, do not expect LiAngelo Ball, if he actually sees the court, to be the same level of prospect as his older brother at UCLA. The race for Player of the Year should be captivating as well. Will a freshman come out of high school to claim the honors and take the college hoops world by storm? Will an upperclassman like Devonte Graham, whose teammate Frank Mason won the award last season at Kansas, walk away

I don't have all the answers, but here's hoping the College Hoops Barometer will provide at least some enlightenment this season.

UPGRADE

Miles Bridges (F)

Even Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo told Bridges he should jump to the NBA following a dazzling freshman season. Instead, Bridges decided to return for his sophomore campaign, and anything less than a Final Four berth will likely be viewed as a failure for Sparty. Bridges is an explosive athlete who lives in the paint, though he made strides with his shot last season as well. Bridges is aggressive, strong and quick on his feet. Highlight reel dunks or blocks are the norm for Bridges, who is as qualified of a candidate as any to begin the season as the face of college basketball. The sophomore opened the year with a double-double against North Florida last Friday, but was overshadowed by a 37-point effort from Duke's Grayson Allen in their Champions Classic matchup Tuesday night. Despite the early-season setback, it's entirely within the realm of possibility that these two match up again in the Final Four.

DeAndre Ayton (F)
Ayton is not even the most talked-about player on his own team right now, as junior Allonzo Trier has started the season with back-to-back 30-plus point outings. Meanwhile, fellow freshmen Porter and Bagley, mentioned above, get the hype in this freshman class, but Ayton is a 7-foot-1 freshman who has the potential to be just as good, if not better than the other two neophytes. He appears to be a surefire lottery pick and "one-and-done" candidate if the first two games of the year are any indication. Ayton posted consecutive double-doubles to begin the year, averaging 19 points and 12.5 rebounds over that span. Ayton has the size, coordination and fluidity to impact the game on both ends of the floor. As long as he stays engaged, Ayton has the chance to be one of the better players in the country this season.

Egor Koulechov (G)
The transfer from Rice poured in 34 points in his debut for the Gators on Monday against Gardner-Webb. Koulechov hit 11-of-17 shots from the field, including 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. The 6-5 guard also collected five rebounds and five dimes in the blowout win, showing he won't be a one-trick pony either. Koulechov is actually a superior rebounder for his size; he averaged 8.9 boards per game for the Owls last season. Perhaps being on the big stage in the SEC will finally showcase his talents to a larger audience.

Bruce Brown (G)
Freshman Lonnie Walker may be the most talented player on the Hurricane roster, but the sophomore Brown is the catalyst for this Miami squad. Brown quietly notched a triple-double in the season opener against Gardner-Webb with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 dimes. A willing passer, Brown is at his best when he uses dribble penetration. Brown is not afraid to mix it up down low at 6-foot-5, and he is a superior defender. His shot remains a work in progress and the development of his outside shooting will go a long ways towards determining just how great he can truly be. Still, with Brown and Walker leading the charge, the Hurricanes are extremely athletic and could end up being a Final Four team.

CHECK STATUS

Joel Berry (G)

Berry is missing the beginning of the season due to a broken hand. However, Berry's injury did not occur on the hardwood. In fact, UNC's starting point guard broke his hand by punching a wall after losing a video game to teammate Theo Pinson. Yes, you read that correctly. The defending champion Tar Heels are always loaded, though did lose Justin Jackson, Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks to the NBA. As a result, the absence of Berry to begin the season could mean a bit more rust than usual as the Heels attempt to bring some new faces into the fold. Berry could return as early as Wednesday night, though, so early indications are that his absence won't be as long as originally projected.

Jalen Brunson (G)
Is Brunson ready to assume control of the Wildcats? Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins are gone, leaving Brunson as the team's undisputed leader. He shot well from the field last season, but will almost certainly be the focal point for opposing teams as a junior, instead of being viewed as a more complementary piece a season ago. He will also need to cut down on his turnovers with the ball being in his hands so much. Brunson could be the top point guard in the nation this season, and Villanova's success will start and end with him. More consistent shooting will help his cause -- the Wildcats missed 25-of-32 treys against Columbia in their season opener.

Landry Shamet (G)
Shamet and company aren't shocking anyone this season, as the Shockers come into the season as the No. 6-ranked squad in the nation. Shamet shot 43.9 percent from three-point land as a sophomore, and is off to a hot start this year. Shamet is 5-for-8 in two wins for the Shockers. Wichita State is heavy on big men, but Shamet is a dangerous sharpshooter who can catch fire at any moment. Expect his minutes, shots and points to spike once the Shockers play a more competitive schedule.

Jesse Govan (C)
Perhaps the tutelage of former Hoya great Patrick Ewing will take Govan's game to new heights as a junior? He certainly looked the part in the season-opening win over Jacksonville. The 6-10, 270-lb Govan compiled a double-double with 20 points and 15 rebounds in the 73-57 triumph. Govan also swatted four shots and stole two passes. He was more of a complementary player last season, but played 34 minutes Sunday. Georgetown may have some growing pains in Ewing's first season at the helm, but Govan could be poised for a breakout campaign.

DOWNGRADE

B.J. Taylor (G)

Taylor is going to miss the next 4-to-6 weeks after breaking his foot in the season opener against Mercer. Taylor contributed in a variety of categories for the Knights last season, averaging 17 points, four rebounds and 3.5 assists as a sophomore. With Taylor on the shelf, UCF will be forced to rely heavily on two new faces. Caeser DeJesus is a freshman from Jersey City, and Dayon Griffin is a transfer from Louisiana Tech. Both guards scored 16 points in the 88-79 win over the Bears.

Esa Ahmad (F)
Ahmad has been declared ineligible for the first half of the season after failing to meet NCAA requirements, and the Mountaineers already appear to be missing his presence desperately. Ranked in the Top 25 to start the season, the Mountaineers were waxed by a Texas A&M squad that was missing two of its best players. Starting point guard JJ Caldwell is suspended for the first five games of the season, and forward Robert Williams, an NBA-caliber player, is also set to miss the first three games. Still, the Aggies pasted West Virginia by a score of 88-65. Ahmad was second on the team in scoring and third in rebounding last season, so it's no coincidence he Mountaineers were outrebounded 47-35 by the Aggies in the season opener. This could be a long season for coach Bob Huggins.

Nicholas Baer (F)
The reigning Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year will miss 3-to-4 weeks after breaking a bone in his left pinky. Baer led the Hawkeyes in several categories last season, including rebounding, blocks and steals. Despite not being known as a scorer, the 6-7 forward hit nearly 40 percent of his treys, and was expected to take on a larger role this season before the injury. Freshman Luke Garza is averaging a double-double in Baer's stead.

Josh Okogie (G)
Okogie is suspended for six games to begin the season for receiving impermissible benefits in the form of transportation, meals and apparel, allegedly from a friend of Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner. The total amount of money received by Okogie for a flight, a couple of meals and a few pieces of clothing? About $750. I will refrain from a diatribe about the state of the NCAA and the way it seems to pick and choose discipline. Suffice to say, Okogie and teammate Tadric Jackson, who received a three-game suspension for a similar rules violation regarding preferential treatment, likely won't make the same mistake again. Okogie averaged 16.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a freshman last season.