College Hoops Barometer: Jones Keeping Vandy Afloat

Henry Ellenson may not have the same hype as some other freshmen in college basketball, but it would be difficult to argue that any of them are playing as well as him right now. The 6-foot-10 neophyte has racked up three consecutive double-doubles for the Marquette Golden Eagles, with each one being more impressive than the last. On Jan. 24, Ellenson snatched a career-high 18 rebounds in a 78-73 win over St. John's. After a second straight double-double against lowly Stetson, Ellenson followed that with the best game of his brief collegiate career. He poured in a career-high 32 points, shooting 8-of-14 from the floor and 14-of-16 from the foul line. Ellenson also grabbed 10 rebounds while blocking a career-best six shots. It was Ellenson's fifth game of the season with at least four blocks. The freshman can fill it up, clear the glass and protect the rim; if it wasn't already, Ellenson's stock is most definitely on the rise.

Let's look at the rest of the ballers and shot callers in this week's College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Quinndary Weatherspoon, G, Mississippi State - After getting his feet wet as a freshman earlier this season, Weatherspoon has been a standout for the Bulldogs lately. Over his last five contests, Weatherspoon is averaging 18.4 points and seven rebounds. His recent hot streak was punctuated by an 18-point, 14-rebound effort in Saturday's win at Mizzou. The rebounding totals are all the more impressive based on the fact that 'Spoon is just 6-foot-4. He has been able to take advantage of injuries to IJ Ready and Gavin Ware, but Weatherspoon has proven too productive to see a decrease in playing time even once those players get back to full strength.

Retin Obasohan, G, Alabama - Obasohan has been on a scoring tear recently, partly because that's his game, but also partly out of necessity. Injuries and lack of production have thrust Obasohan into the spotlight, and he has responded by averaging 23 points over his last four contests. Obasohan is shooting a crisp 54.4-percent from the field over that span, including 50-percent from three-point land. In fact, the junior has scored more than a third of Alabama's points over the last two games. Obasohan has shown he is not a one-trick pony either, managing 4.5 boards and 3.5 dimes over the last four tilts. Alabama is just 22-6 in SEC conference play, so Obasohan should continue to get plenty of court time on a clearly undermanned and overmatched squad.

Tim Quarterman, G, LSU - Ben Simmons gets the pub for the Tigers, and rightly so. The freshman phenom has the size, athleticism and basketball IQ that will almost certainly make him the top selection in this June's draft. However, for the Tigers as a unit to succeed, Quarterman may be the X-factor. A bigger guard with versatility at his disposal, Quarterman has proven an excellent sidekick to the aforementioned Simmons, in particular of late. Over his last three outings, the junior Quarterman is averaging 17 points, seven rebounds and 4.3 assists. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Tigers are 2-1 in those games, with the loss being of the two-point variety against the No. 1 team in the country at the time, the Oklahoma Sooners. The Tigers are much more ferocious as a whole when it is not only Simmons running the show, and the recent play of Quarterman has gone a long ways toward proving that point.

Damian Jones, C, Vanderbilt - The 7-foot junior has put together back-to-back monster games for the Commodores. Having fellow 7-footer Luke Kornet has certainly aided his cause, giving Vandy a set of twin towers almost unheard of in this day and age. Jones posted a double-double on Jan. 26 in a win over Florida, collecting 20 points and 12 rebounds. It was his fourth double-double of the year. He followed that performance up with a career-high 26 points in Saturday's loss at Texas. Jones nearly missed out on another double-double as well, as he snatched nine rebounds off the glass. Jones has also been a defensive stopper in the paint, swatting at least two shots in four consecutive contests. The Commodores have had a rough season thus far at 12-9, but Jones has certainly not been the cause.

CHECK STATUS

Tyler Lewis, G, Butler - A concussion has sidelined Lewis for the last three games, and he remains questionable at this time. The junior transfer from NC State began the season as the starting point guard for the Bulldogs, including posting a 10-assist game against Missouri State in the second game of the season. However, his playing time began to dwindle as Butler entered Big East conference play. Poor shooting had been the death knell for Lewis prior to the injury, as he shot a putrid 25-percent from the field from the floor in his last seven games played. It remains to be seen how long Lewis will be out. While the injury is not considered to be season-ending, one can be certain that the Bulldogs will not toy around with a head issue considering the current climate in sports.

Ben Carter, F, UNLV - Carter left Saturday's game against San Diego State with a left knee sprain, but it is feared that the injury could be worse. A transfer from Oregon, Carter sat out last season to return home to Las Vegas, and had been a key component to the Rebel frontcourt. Carter was the second-leading rebounder with six boards per tilt, but was also scoring 8.6 points per game in a well-balanced offensive attack. If Carter is out for an extended period of time, the Rebels will be forced to lean even more heavily upon 7-foot freshman Stephen Zimmerman, Jr. for his rebounding services. The freshman sensation has been scorching of late, notching seven double-digit rebound performances over his last nine contests. That includes five double-doubles over that span.

Cinmeon Bowers, F, Auburn - The talent of Bowers is undeniable, as is the fact that his name is dangerously close to "Cinnamon." He has eight double-doubles on the season, including a superb 20-point, 18-rebound demolition of in-state rival Alabama on Jan. 19. However, Bowers was suspended for Saturday's tilt with Oklahoma State, benched for the final 18 minutes of last Wednesday's loss to Ole Miss, and there have been whispers about attitude problems. Losing can take a toll on players used to winning (see Jahlil Okafor, currently of the Philadelphia 76ers), and it appears that Bowers has been no exception. Bowers won in high school and junior college, though the adjustment has been much harder this season, as the Tigers have limped to a 9-11 record. Maturity usually comes with time and experience, and while Bowers will miss just one game due to the suspension, it remains to be seen if these issues will crop up again before the year is finished.

Mikey Thompson, G, Boise State - Hey Mikey, he likes it! Thompson has been filling it up recently, scoring at least 15 points in seven of the last nine games for the Broncos. By contrast, Thompson failed to eclipse 15 points in any of the previous seven games he played. The senior point guard also set a career high with nine assists on Jan. 2 against Colorado State, then bested that mark in Saturday's narrow loss to New Mexico. Thompson dished out 10 dimes in the 88-83 loss to the Lobos. It remains to be seen if the hot streak will last for Thompson, but it'd be advisable to ride the wave right now.

DOWNGRADE

Jonathan Holton, F, West Virginia - The Mountaineers suffered a big blow when Holton was suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. A starter for 17-4 West Virginia, Holton is averaging 9.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game; he was the second-leading rebounder on the squad prior to the suspension. Holton has six double-doubles on the season, including two in his last three games played. Without Holton in their last game at Florida, the Mountaineers were pasted by a score of 88-71. Though clearly not the only reason for the loss, the absence of Holton could prove a big deal as the season wears on.

Kuran Iverson, F, Rhode Island - A scary moment occurred in Saturday's game against St. Joe's, as Iverson caught an elbow to the head and appeared to be knocked unconscious. He was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a concussion. The Memphis transfer does not have a timetable for his return to the court. Iverson is the leading rebounder for the Rams with 6.6 boards per tilt. He is also one of five players averaging double figures in points this season. The already thin Rhode Island frontcourt will be forced to rely even more upon Hassan Martin and Earl Watson.

Jerome Robinson, G, Boston College - The second-leading scorer for the Eagles will miss at least the next three weeks after suffering a broken wrist, and likely longer. The freshman was averaging 11.6 points per game for Boston College; only transfer Eli Carter was putting up more points per contest. The already woeful Eagles lost to North Carolina by 27 points in their last game, putting BC at an abysmal 0-8 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Along with the aforementioned Carter, expect freshman Sammy Barnes-Thompkins to see an uptick in shots.

Xavier Pollard, G, Kent State - The inescapable truth in sports is that injuries are inevitable. My father used to say, "Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good." Pollard and the Golden Flashes are certainly feeling unlucky at this juncture, as a fractured foot requiring surgery will likely end his brief stint with the team. The transfer from Maine sat out last season due to NCAA rules, but was the leading assist man and third-leading scorer for a Kent State squad that is tied for first in the MAC East, with high hopes of making the NCAA Tournament. Losing Pollard will be difficult to overcome, as he was also the leading shooter from three-point range, hitting 38.5-percent of his shots from downtown. Jimmy Hall and Kellon Thomas will be forced to shoulder even more of the burden if the Golden Flashes are to win the MAC. Galal Cancer, a graduate transfer himself from Cornell, may also be thrust into a more prominent role.