Don't look now, but Gonzaga is back in the top 10. This was supposed to be a down year for the 'Zags. After all, how could it get much better than a season ago? Coach Mark Few's unit reached their first Final Four in program history and even played in the National Championship Game. Gonzaga lost four starters from that squad, and that didn't include lottery pick Zach Collins, who actually came off the bench. Yet Gonzaga is 25-4, having reeled off eight consecutive victories, including a crucial win over rival Saint Mary's to take a stranglehold of the West Coast Conference. Gonzaga will deal with the usual narrative of "Who did they play?", but it would be foolish to discount the Bulldogs on that argument alone. They've beaten Ohio State and Creighton, with only one bad loss at the hands of San Diego State. The Bulldogs are clicking at the right time, and after breaking through last season, could be primed for a surprising run in the NCAA Tournament. No longer strangers to the Final Four, Gonzaga's lack of a need for a rebuild is mighty impressive for coach Mark Few. If we haven't already, it is time to consider Gonzaga among the premier programs in the country, regardless of conference affiliation.

Let's take a look at some hoopsters making headlines in this week's College Hoops Barometer.

Matt Mobley (G)
The Bonnies are riding an eight-game winning streak and are now tied for second in the A-10. That includes last Friday's thrilling 77-74 win over Rhode Island, as St. Bonaventure handed the Rhode Island Rams their first conference loss. Mobley had a monstrous double-double early on during the winning streak, posting a 35-point, 11-rebound stat line in a win at George Mason. He has continued to fill it up more recently, averaging 26.7 points over the last three contests. With Jaylen Adams manning the point, the Bonnies look like a dangerous foe as the season heads into March, and an NCAA Tournament berth could even be on the horizon.

Aaron Holiday (G)
The surging Bruins have won six of their last seven games in Pac-12 conference play, and Holiday has been the chief catalyst. During that span, the junior guard is averaging 21.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game. With Lonzo Ball and Bryce Alford no longer in Westwood, Holiday has asserted himself as the leader of the squad. Overall, Holiday is third in scoring and second in assists on the conference, and the Bruins are now sitting pretty in terms of an NCAA Tournament bid.

Tony Carr (G)
If the Nittany Lions had just a couple more conference wins, Carr would be the frontrunner for Big Ten Player of the Year. As it is, the sophomore sensation leads the entire conference in scoring, and is fifth in assists. The sophomore has four 30-point efforts to his name this season. Carr has been deadly from long range; only Michigan State's Cassius Winston shoots a better percentage from three-point territory. Carr has averaged 29 points, five rebounds and four assists in two head-to-head matchups with Ohio State's Keita Bates-Diop, including a game-winning trey at the buzzer on January 26. The Nittany Lions have been to the big dance just twice since the turn of the century, but this year's squad, led by Carr and fellow sophomores Mike Watkins and Lamar Stephens, could land in this year's field with a stellar conclusion.

Jeff Roberson (F)
The senior has been dynamite over his last three contests for the Commodores. Roberson notched his eighth double-double of the season last Wednesday in a win over Mississippi State, then dropped 26 points in the next game, a victory over Florida. Roberson was perfect from the foul line in that triumph, connecting on 12-of-12 shots from the charity stripe. Despite a subsequent loss to LSU, Roberson posted his third-straight outing with at least 20 points. Roberson's collegiate career is drawing to a close as the Commodores won't even sniff the big dance, but he is ending his time at Vandy on a high note.

Marvin Bagley (F)
There is no real answer as to whether Bagley's injury is worse than initially thought, the Blue Devils have been exercising extreme caution with their best player, or Bagley knows there is simply little reason to risk greater injury when the NBA lottery is in his future. Regardless, the freshman has failed to see the floor in each of the last three games for Duke. The Blue Devils have found a way to win those contests, spurred by double-doubles from Wendell Carter, Jr. and timely scoring from Grayson Allen and Gary Trent, Jr. Still, there is little doubt the Blue Devils are at their best with Bagley on the floor, and he appears close to returning. Nevertheless, the Blue Devils have become more well rounded in Bagley's absence, so expecting the freshman may not post huge numbers during the final four games of the regular season.

Vince Edwards (F)
Edwards is nursing an ankle injury that kept him on the sidelines for this past Sunday's clash with Purdue. Though Edwards has shed the walking boot, his status remains up in the air for the remainder of the regular season for the Boilermakers. Admittedly, this sounds worse than it actually is, though, since Purdue only has two games left, and both are against teams with abysmal conference records. As a result, it would not be surprising if Edwards is held out for the final two tilts before the Big Ten Tournament. Still, the absence of Edwards leaves some pretty big shoes to fill, as he leads the Boilermakers in rebounding and is second in scoring. Junior Grady Eifert started and saw extended action in place of Edwards, though center Isaac Haas would likely benefit the most from the void on the interior left by Edwards.

Terry Maston (F)
Maston's play can only be described as maddening. He averaged 25 points over a two-game stretch recently in wins at Texas and at home versus highly ranked Texas Tech. However, he also has scored in single digits in three of the last five contests, including an ugly 2-for-9 performance in Baylor's most recent tilt, a 71-60 loss to West Virginia. That loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Bears, who still have work to do despite impressive victories against Kansas and the aforementioned Red Raiders. If only Baylor could get consistent outings from Maston; alas, his inconsistency could be a microcosm of Baylor's season as a whole.

Devin Davis (F)
Davis is another player who has had a tumultuous season in terms of production. The Cougars are riding a five-game winning streak. Davis is averaging 16 points over the last three contests, and has accumulated double-doubles in each of the last two games. However, he has been held in single digits in scoring on nine occasions this year, and went over two months without a double-double earlier in the season. Yet the senior is third on the team in scoring, and leads the Cougs in rebounding. Houston looks the part of an NCAA Tournament team, but more consistent play from the enigmatic Davis down the stretch could all but guarantee them a slot.

Keenan Evans (G)
The Red Raiders are vying for the Big 12 regular season conference crown with Kansas, so an injury to their leader could not have come at a worse time. Evans left Sunday's loss to Baylor with a toe injury, and his status is up in the air. Texas Tech faces Kansas this weekend, and the inability of Evans to suit up would be a crushing blow. Evans leads the team in scoring and dishing. He trails only uber-freshman Trae Young of Oklahoma in scoring in the conference. The Red Raiders follow up Saturday's battle with Kansas with a visit to ranked West Virginia, so it remains to be seen if Evans will be healthy enough to play or even make an impact during the crucial final stretch of the regular season

Shelton Mitchell (G)
A concussion will keep Mitchell on the pine for the second-straight game against Virginia Tech. Mitchell suffered the head injury a week ago during the overtime loss to Florida State. The injury bug continues to bite the Tigers, who have already lost Donte Grantham to a season-ending leg injury. Mitchell was one of five players averaging double figures in points for the Tigers along with Grantham. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the Tigers are just 4-3 since Grantham went down, and Mitchell's loss will only further diminish Clemson's chances of a strong finish of the regular season slate.

Solomon Young (F)
Young has undergone knee surgery and will likely miss the remainder of the season for the Cyclones. It has been a massively disappointing season for the Cyclones, who have also lost guard Nick Weiler-Babb to a season-ending injury as well. Cameron Lard has been one of the few bright spots for Iowa State on the interior, and he would likely see even more reps with Young shelved. The freshman Lard has two double-doubles in his last three outings, including grabbing a career-high 17 boards in the win over Oklahoma.

Anfernee McLemore (C)
McLemore suffered a gruesome ankle injury during Saturday's matchup with South Carolina. McLemore dislocated his ankle, fractured his tibia and tore ligaments in the same leg. He recently underwent surgery, and is expected to be ready in time for next season. That being said, McLemore's absence for the rest of this season leaves a large void in the middle for the Tigers, who have also been dealing with an injury to their leading scorer Bryce Brown. Without McLemore, the Tigers will be forced to rely on reserves Horace Spencer and Chuma Okeke. Auburn still has the inside track on the regular season crown in the SEC, but it remains to be seen how the Tigers will respond to the recent injury adversity.