This article is part of our College Hoops Barometer series.
What's wrong with Duke? The team everybody loves to hate is having a real rough stretch lately. In fact, Coach K's squad is on the verge of being bounced from the top 25 after Monday's loss to Miami. The defeat at the hands of the Hurricanes is not the sole reason, of course, as Miami is ranked higher than Duke and has the size and athleticism that the Blue Devils simply can't contend with. No, it's a larger problem for the Dukies, who dropped to 4-4 in ACC Conference play for the first time in 20 years. Brandon Ingram looks like a possible top-3 selection in June's NBA Draft, and Grayson Allen can really fill it up.
However, they have not gotten much help otherwise, and the injury to forward Amile Jefferson destroyed Duke's depth along the front line. Jefferson brought toughness, height and energy to the frontline. Let's be honest; Marshall Plumlee is not the solution. He's fine as a backup, but not as your primary rebounder or post option. Duke has been able to retool each and every season, even in this era of "One and Done" prospects. Perhaps the losses of Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow proved too much for even the great Coach K to overcome, though. If Jefferson does not come back soon, the Blue Devils may even be in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament outright.
Let's look at the rest of the action on the hardwood in this week's College Hoops
What's wrong with Duke? The team everybody loves to hate is having a real rough stretch lately. In fact, Coach K's squad is on the verge of being bounced from the top 25 after Monday's loss to Miami. The defeat at the hands of the Hurricanes is not the sole reason, of course, as Miami is ranked higher than Duke and has the size and athleticism that the Blue Devils simply can't contend with. No, it's a larger problem for the Dukies, who dropped to 4-4 in ACC Conference play for the first time in 20 years. Brandon Ingram looks like a possible top-3 selection in June's NBA Draft, and Grayson Allen can really fill it up.
However, they have not gotten much help otherwise, and the injury to forward Amile Jefferson destroyed Duke's depth along the front line. Jefferson brought toughness, height and energy to the frontline. Let's be honest; Marshall Plumlee is not the solution. He's fine as a backup, but not as your primary rebounder or post option. Duke has been able to retool each and every season, even in this era of "One and Done" prospects. Perhaps the losses of Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow proved too much for even the great Coach K to overcome, though. If Jefferson does not come back soon, the Blue Devils may even be in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament outright.
Let's look at the rest of the action on the hardwood in this week's College Hoops Barometer.
UPGRADE
Tyler Ulis, G, Kentucky - Ulis played more of a complementary role on last year's juggernaut Kentucky squad that rattled off 38 consecutive wins before succumbing to Wisconsin in the Final Four. The lack of playing time for Ulis says much more about the talent on that team from a season ago than the strength of Ulis's own game. With a slew of departures, Ulis has been thrust into the spotlight for the Wildcats, and he has not disappointed. The sophomore nearly compiled a triple-double at Auburn on Jan. 16, then followed that performance up with a career-high 24 points against Arkansas. Ulis has scored at least 20 points in six of the last eight games for Kentucky. He has been no slouch in terms of dishing the rock either, as Ulis has managed six games with at least eight assists this season. Ulis forms one of the most potent backcourt combinations in college hoops with freshman Jamal Murray.
Ben Bentil, F, Providence - Kris Dunn gets the pub for the Friars, and rightfully so. Dunn is a triple-double threat each and every time he steps onto the hardwood. Bentil's ascension to stardom has made the Friars a force to be reckoned with, however. Bentil is averaging 19.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest. The jump in points per game is staggering, as Bentil is averaging over 13 more points per contest than a season ago, despite playing just 13 more minutes per tilt. His fourth double-double of the season was of monstrous proportions, as Bentil poured in 31 points while snatching 13 rebounds in a superb 82-76 OT win on the road over highly touted Villanova. The 13 bounds tied a career high. The Friars are 17-3 and hovering around the top-10 of the rankings, and it has been the improvement of Bentil, which has taken the program to even greater heights this season.
Matt Costello, F/C, Michigan State - Costello gained more headlines for his bear hug of coach Tom Izzo in Saturday's win over Maryland than his play over the last week. However, the senior forward has notched double-digit rebounds in each of the last three games for the Spartans. He tallied 15 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, three blocks and two steals in the aforementioned victory over the Terps. Mostly considered a glue guy or a bit player during his time in East Lansing, Costello has responded during his senior season with five double-doubles. His rebounding has been particularly impressive, as he has accumulated eight games with at least 10 boards this year. Costello may do mostly dirty work for the Spartans, but that does not make his job any less valuable, and he has shown that he can still rack up the stats despite the lack of opportunities on the offensive end.
Peyton Aldridge, F, Davidson - Stephen Curry, eat your heart out. OK, so maybe that's a little much, but Aldridge has been playing at an extremely high level for the NBA MVP's alma mater lately. Aldridge poured in a career-high 34 points Monday at Richmond. In the three games prior to Monday's contest, Aldridge tallied double-doubles in each contest. By contrast, Aldridge did not record a single double-double through the first 14 games of the season for the Wildcats. Aldridge's stock certainly appears to be trending upwards; he is averaging nearly six more points per game as a sophomore. Aldridge has proven an excellent complement to sharpshooter Jack Gibbs, who admittedly is much more Curry-esque.
CHECK STATUS
Stefan Moody, G, Ole Miss - The Rebels have been racked by injuries in recent weeks. First, Ole Miss lost leading rebounder Sebastian Saiz for at least a month after he underwent surgery to repair a detached retina. Then it was sophomore Martavious Newby, who oddly enough is having eye issues of his own. Newby was expected to see an increased role due to the injury to Saiz, but he has missed the last two games as well. But undoubtedly the biggest blow would be a serious injury to Moody, the leading scorer for the rebels, and one of the leading scorers in the entire country. Moody is averaging 24.3 points per game, which is fifth in the country. However, he suffered a hamstring injury in last Tuesday's OT loss to South Carolina. Although he returned to the game, he was clearly affected by the ailment, and subsequently sat out Saturday's loss at Mississippi State. The injuries to Saiz and Newby are bad enough, but without Moody, the Rebels have almost no shot of even fielding a competitive team in the SEC. The severity of Moody's injury remains to be determined.
Tyler Davis, C, Texas A&M - The Aggies are still flying under the radar despite a stacked roster and an impressive resume thus far this season. Texas A&M is 17-2, buoyed by upperclassmen Jalen Jones, Danuel House and Alex Caruso. However, the young blood of the freshman Davis has also played a role in the success for the Aggies this season. The freshman big man is averaging 11.2 points per game, which is third on the squad, and 5.8 rebounds per game, which is second on the team. However, a foot ailment sidelined Davis for Saturday's victory over Missouri, and foot issues can be fickle for power forwards/centers. Davis is considered day-to-day, but the Aggies are clearly not at full strength with the talented Davis on the bench. A 10-game win streak will be on the line this week against Arkansas and Iowa State, perhaps without the services of Davis.
Wayne Selden, G, Kansas - Selden came to Kansas with huge expectations, but has not really lived up to the hype. He was overshadowed by Andrew Wiggins during their respective freshman campaigns. Then as a sophomore, Selden could not step into the spotlight despite Wiggins making the leap to the NBA. However, Selden began his junior season on a tear, and it looked like this would finally be Selden's breakout. He scored in double figures in the first six games of the year, and 10 of the first 11 contests for the Jayhawks. But Selden has been up and down since that time, seeming to alternate stellar outings with lackluster performances. That includes a seven-point, two-rebound dud in a stunning 19-point loss at Oklahoma State. He had just 11 points and two boards in Monday's loss at Iowa State. Selden is still averaging career highs across the board, and the improvement in his game should be noted. However, he is not the superstar many predicted he would be, despite the obvious freakish athleticism and raw talent.
Thomas Bryant, C, Indiana - The freshman Bryant began his premiere season with the Hoosiers in dominating fashion, taking advantage of inferior competition. He struggled as the competition stiffened, though, punctuated by a six-point, zero-rebound effort in a 94-74 loss to Duke. That defeat dropped the Hoosiers to 5-3, and Hoosier Nation was in full panic mode. Since that time, however, Indian has won 12-straight games, and Bryant has played a big role. The 6-foot-10 big man has scored in double figures in eight of those games, including a mammoth 18-point, 13-rebound output in a win over Ohio State on Jan. 10. He may have hit a bit of a wall lately, though, as Bryant has been in foul trouble over the last two wins, which has limited his effectiveness. Bryant is still going to have some ups and downs, but the freshman is clearly an important cog for Indiana.
DOWNGRADE
Demetrius Jackson, G, Notre Dame - Jackson has already been ruled out of Thursday's tilt with Syracuse due to a moderate right hamstring pull. Jackson suffered the injury Saturday against Boston College just two minutes into the game. The junior is the catalyst for the Notre Dame offense, leading the Irish in scoring (16.6 ppg) and dishing (five assists per tilt). Jackson nearly had a triple-double on January 13 against Georgia Tech, flashing his vast array of talents. In Jackson's absence, freshman Rex Pflueger should see a spike in playing time. Pflueger played a career-high 32 minutes in the win over Boston College, scoring 11 points and snatching three rebounds, both of which set career highs.
Tyrone Wallace, G, California - Wallace suffered a broken hand and will be missing from action for the Bears for at least a month. It is a rather large blow for Cal, as Wallace is the leading scorer and assist man. In fact, Wallace does a little bit of everything, averaging 15.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. On an interesting note, though, Wallace's numbers are slightly down from a season ago, largely due to the presence of freshman Jaylen Brown. The freshman is averaging 15 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, and will be asked to shoulder much of the burden with Wallace unavailable. Brown appears to have responded thus far, as the Bears have rattled off consecutive wins since Wallace went down.
Norense Odiase, C, Texas Tech - More bad breaks, this time for Odiase and the Red Raiders. The fourth-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder for Texas tech could be out for the remainder of the regular season after breaking a bone in his foot. The 6-foot-9 sophomore is averaging nine points and 4.4 boards per game. The larger issue is that the Red Raiders are thin, and small, in the frontcourt. Zach Smith is the leader on the glass with 6.4 boards per tilt, but he is just 6-foot-8. Not surprisingly, the Red Raiders were outrebounded in their first game without Odiase, falling to West Virginia by a score of 80-76.
Chris Perry, C, South Florida - Injuries are a part of all sports, and college basketball is no exception. Unfortunately, another part of college athletics is the suspension. Whether completely warranted or questionably suspect, suspensions can alter the look of a squad as well. Perry has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. The junior forward was third on the squad in scoring, averaging 9.7 points per game. The Bulls may miss Perry's rebounding even more, though, as he was grabbing 6.7 boards per contest. USF is 4-17 on the season and with little help on the horizon. Ruben Guerrero should see an uptick in court time for an already thin frontcourt.
