College Hoops Barometer: Isaiah Ready to Return

The pervading theme throughout college basketball this season? It's the Kentucky Wildcats, and then everyone else. Kentucky's size, athleticism and talent have been gushed about time and again, and while the Wildcats have looked vulnerable at times during SEC conference play, no conference team can hang with them on paper. The only team that could possibly hang with Kentucky in the SEC is LSU. However, let's focus on some non-conference teams that may have what it takes to knock off Big Blue.

Wisconsin seems like an obvious choice, returning most of the players from last year's Final Four squad. Frank Kaminsky is now healthy, but point guard Traevon Jackson is not. Still, Jackson should be back come tourney time, and coach Bo Ryan's crew has the size and defensive scheme that could get the young Wildcats frustrated. Wisconsin is nowhere near as athletic as Kentucky, though.

Virginia is undefeated, and the Cavs were a No. 1 seed in last year's big dance. A matchup between Virginia and Kentucky would likely be a complete clash of styles, as the Cavs like to slow the pace down to a crawl and minimize possessions, while Kentucky wants to speed up the game and get easy buckets in transition. Size would be a huge issue for the Cavaliers, though, as they have only one player on their roster taller than 6-foot-8.

Arizona is an interesting choice to "dethrone" Kentucky. The Wildcats have superior athleticism at a few positions as well, most notably Stanley Johnson at small forward and Brandon Ashley at power forward. Kaleb Tarczewski is a shot-blocking presence down low. Arizona may be the only team that can physically match up with UK.

While Duke and Villanova will certainly be in the mix as well, Gonzaga is the real dark horse in this year's tournament. Remember when the Zags notched a surprising No. 1 seed with Kelly Olynyk two years ago? This year's team is better. They are balanced, deep, efficient and big. Gonzaga is one of the highest scoring teams in the land, in the top 10 in nearly every major offensive category. No lead is safe against the Zags, though once again level of competition will hurt how they are viewed by the pundits.

Whether any of these teams can actually pull off the upset is another story. Let's look at the rest of the collegiate landscape in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Brad Waldow, F, Saint Mary's - There's only one player in Division I averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. That would be Waldow. The senior big man has 10 double-doubles through 18 games for the Gaels. He has notched 11 games with at least 20 points and scored at least 25 points in six games. Waldow has always been a high percentage shooter, and this season has been no exception. Waldow is hitting 58.2 percent of his field goals this year. He has been even more proficient over his last two games, hitting a staggering 75 percent of his shots the last two games. Waldow was no slouch last season with average of 15.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, but he has really taken his game to new heights in his final campaign with Saint Mary's.

Chasson Randle, G, Stanford - Randle is a scorer first and foremost, and he's certainly putting up a lot of shots this season. The senior is shooting more than 15 times per game, and almost half of those shots have come from three-point land. Randle has responded with a career-high 19.8 points per game, including hitting 39.3 percent from downtown. It also doesn't hurt that Randle is shooting 87.7 percent from the foul line. Randle's game has evolved during his time at Stanford, though, as he has become more than just a volume scorer. Randle is second on the squad is assists and also averages 3.1 boards and 1.5 steals per game. In other words, Randle's game has become more well rounded as he has grown and matured. The Cardinal are 4-1 thus far in Pac-12 play, and Randle's play is a huge reason why.

Kenny Cherry, G, Baylor - Cherry had some big shoes to fill following the departure of Pierre Jackson, yet had an up-and-down freshman campaign last season. He has been much more consistent as a sophomore, and has been even better recently. Cherry averaged 18.0 points in his last four games, well above his 11.2 points per game season average. His improvement in long range shooting has to be one of the biggest advances. Cherry is shooting 39.3 percent from three-point land this season, including 45.5 percent over the recent above-referenced four-game stretch. Cherry also continues to distribute the ball effectively to his teammates with four dimes per game. As long as Cherry keeps his turnovers down, he should continue to be the catalyst for the Baylor offense.

Josh Hawkinson, F, Washington State - Hawkinson doesn't get much publicity playing in the Pacific Northwest for a mediocre squad. However, the sophomore big man has taken one of the biggest statistical jumps in college basketball. As a freshman, he barely saw the floor. Hawkins averaged just 6.4 minutes per game, managing merely 1.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. However, he has become an integral part of the Cougars' this season, and responded with gaudy numbers. Hawkinson averages a double-double with 15.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. In fact, Hawkins has notched a double-double in 11 of Wazzu's 17 games this season. The Cougars may not be going anywhere this season, but Hawkinson remains a double-double threat every time he steps onto the hardwood.

CHECK STATUS

Isaiah Whitehead, G, Seton Hall - Look out for the return of Whitehead from injury, as the freshman guard was really turning heads for the Pirates prior to suffering a stress fracture in his foot. Whitehead averaged 11.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game prior to the injury. The Pirates beat Villanova and St. John's during his absence, but have now lost two out of their last three games, as sharpshooter Sterling Gibbs has been forced to shoulder most of the load. Whitehead will be welcomed back with open arms to alleviate some of the pressure on Gibbs. It remains to be seen if he will have any rust upon his return, but Whitehead is a top-notch talent when at full strength.

Naz Long, G, Iowa State - The best player on the court during Iowa State's win over Kansas on Saturday? That honor belonged to Long, who scored 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting against the Jayhawks. Long has been on fire from long distance thus far as a junior. He is hitting a robust 42.5 percent of his treys, punctuated by a 5-for-5 performance from downtown on Jan. 14 against Baylor. Long has proven he is not just one-dimensional either, with increases in rebounds and assists this season as well. His only issue will be the bevy of options at the disposal of The Mayor, Fred Hoiberg. Georges Niang, Dustin Hogue and transfer Bryce Dejean-Jones are all stellar players in their own right, so at times Long may get lost in the shuffle. Long's improvement has been documented, though, and he should continue to provide scoring from beyond the three-point line.

Kendrick Nunn, G, Illinois - The injury to star Rayvonte Rice has opened up the door for Nunn, who has poured in 49 points in his last two games for the Illini. Nunn is 17-of-26 (65 percent) from the field over that span, including 58.8 percent from three-point land. He has 10 three-pointers combined over the last two tilts. While these marks of excellence simply cannot be sustained, Nunn is still a proficient scorer. Overall, the sophomore hits 47.1 percent of his shots from the field, as well as 45.2 percent from downtown. The eventual return of Rice, whose injury is not season ending, will ultimately knock down Nunn's scoring. However, for now, Nunn should be able to fill it up.

Myke Henry, F, DePaul - Speaking of the Illini, Henry started his career at Illinois but transferred to DePaul. He sat out last season but has become a force for the Blue Demons this year. Henry notched his second double-double of the season Sunday against St. John's, tallying 19 points and 12 boards in the stunning 71-67 OT win over the Red Storm. Henry has also flashed the ability to score in bunches at times this season, including a 29-point outburst on Nov. 30 against Stanford. The one thing holding Henry back is consistency. As this is only his second full season of college ball, there have still been some growing pains, most notably his inability to stay out of foul trouble. However, Henry's offensive game is potent, and he is not afraid to mix it up down low. He should be able to learn from his mistakes and become more reliable on a game-by-game basis.

DOWNGRADE

Caris LeVert, G, Michigan - It was already a trying season for the Michigan basketball team. The Wolverines lost Mitch McGary, Glenn Robinson III and Nik Stauskas to the NBA. Struggling to find their identity, the Wolverines suffered embarrassing early losses to NJIT and Eastern Michigan. At 11-7, Michigan was going to have a hard time making the NCAA Tourney. However, any chance of making the big dance has likely been dashed, as the team's star player in LeVert will miss the remainder of the season. LeVert nearly went pro after last season as well, but decided to come back to Ann Arbor for his junior year. LeVert responded with 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, doing a little bit of everything for the Wolverines as their No. 1 option. However, LeVert suffered a left foot injury that requires surgery and could end his career at UM as well should he decide to go pro. Zak Irvin and Derrick Walton Jr. will see more touches in LeVert's absence, but they are going to have a hard time filling his shoes.

Keith Frazier, G, SMU - There's another scandal going down at Southern Methodist, but this time it involves the basketball team instead of the football program. Frazier will miss the remainder of the season due to academic issues, and it remains to be seen if his ineligibility is related to the allegations against SMU by the NCAA. Although the matter is still unfolding, as many as 11 possible infractions have been alleged by the NCAA, including academic violations. Frazier was averaging 10.5 points and four rebounds per contest prior to being deemed ineligible. In his stead, sophomore Sterling Brown should see an uptick in playing time. Brown managed 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a steal in SMU's first game without Frazier on Jan. 17 against ECU.

Victor Robbins, F, Oregon State - Robbins has been suspended for 10 games after violating athletic department policy. The junior swingman was third on the team in scoring, while also snatching 3.5 rebounds per game. Olaf Shaftenaar, a junior from the Netherlands, should see a decent bump in minutes for the short-handed Beavers, who are even more vertically challenged with Robbins sidelined. Nevertheless, Oregon State has been relying on its guards for the better part of the season anyway, led by The Little Glove, also known as Gary Payton II. Langston Morris-Walker also had a stellar game in Robbins' absence, tallying 22 points and 11 boards Saturday at Washington State. Robbins should be eligible to return on Feb. 19 against Utah.

Hanner Mosquera-Perea, F, Indiana - Mosquera-Perea came to Indiana amid much fanfare, yet only recently started living up to his potential. After a combination of ineligibility, inconsistency and depth at Indiana left him mostly as a bench player over his first two seasons, Mosquera-Perea was finally seeing decent minutes for the Hoosiers. The 6-foot-9 junior was averaging 7.4 points and 5.0 rebounds in 20.9 minutes per game this season, including the first double-double of his career Dec. 31 at Nebraska. However, he suffered a knee injury in practice last week and is expected to miss at least a month of game action. The 14-4 Hoosiers won their last two games without Mosquera-Perea, but may miss him against stiffer competition like Maryland, Ohio State and Wisconsin in the upcoming weeks. Troy Williams should continue to be the frontcourt player to own for fantasy purposes.