College Hoops Barometer: Madison Momentum

Take notice of what's going on in Madison, Wisc. The Badgers went to consecutive Final Fours, including the championship game last season. Then, Wisconsin lost its two best players, Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker, to the first round of the NBA Draft. The Badgers did not assemble an outrageous freshman class like Duke or Kentucky. Subsequently, coach Bo Ryan decided to call it quits in December, which is midseason for those uninformed. When it rains, it pours.

That makes the job done by interim coach Greg Gard, and the recent surge by the Badgers, all the more impressive. Despite startling adversity, the Badgers have won 10 of their last 11 games in the Big Ten, vaulting Wisconsin into a tie for second place in a conference that could have eight teams in the NCAA Tournament. The recent hot streak includes wins over ranked opponents in Michigan State, Iowa and Maryland. While it did not appear as though the Badgers had an impact freshman in this year's class, the play of freshman forward Ethan Happ has taken Wisconsin to new heights. Happ is averaging 12.5 points and 7.4 rebounds over the last 11 games, notching two double-doubles over that span. With Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig taking more central roles after being complementary pieces last season, the Badgers are one of the hottest, and perhaps most surprising teams, heading into March.

Let's look at the rest of the college hoops scene, as the Big Dance lurks right around the corner.

UPGRADE

Isaiah Whitehead, G, Seton Hall - Whitehead has been a man possessed over the Pirates' four-game winning streak. Over that span, the sophomore is averaging 19.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists , 2.3 steals and 3.0 blocks per contest. Whitehead scored 22 points in Sunday's stunning 90-81 triumph over highly ranked Xavier. Though he did turn the ball over eight times for the game, Whitehead also stuffed the stat sheet, collecting two rebounds, five assists, four blocks and three steals. He was everywhere in the previous game as well, a 70-52 rout of Providence. Whitehead amassed 25 points, six rebounds, nine assists, four blocks and one steal against the Friars. Going back even further, Whitehead has at least 20 points in six of the last eight games for Seton Hall. The reigning Big East Player of the Week certainly has the 21-7 Pirates playing like a tourney team.

JJ Frazier, G, Georgia – Scoring is the name of the game for Frazier, at least recently. While the Bulldogs (and the rest of the SEC, for that matter) have been underwhelming this year, Frazier has been lighting up the scoreboard over the last three contests. During that time period, the junior is averaging a stellar 25.3 points per contest. Frazier has been deadly from long rang, connecting on a scorching 62.3-percent of his shots from beyond the arc. Frazier has 10 outputs of at least 20 points to his credit as a junior, including a 35-point barrage earlier this season against in-state rival Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs will need some serious Frazier magic in the SEC Tournament.

Damyean Dotson, G, Houston - The Oregon transfer has been filling it up lately, but perhaps the most impressive part of his game has been the jump in his rebounding statistics. Dotson notched a superb double-double in Houston's last contest, a win a UConn. Dotson accumulated 22 points and 14 rebounds in the 75-68 triumph over the Huskies. It was actually the sixth double-double of the season for the 6-foot-5 guard, though, who has more than doubled his rebounding average from his lone season at Oregon. Dotson did not have a single double-double during his time in Eugene. Dotson's scoring has remained constant, though. He has scored in double figures in nine-straight games for the Cougars. He is averaging 18.9 points per tilt over that span.

Marvelle Harris, G, Fresno State - The marvelous play of Marvelle Harris may be going largely unnoticed outside the Mountain West, but that should not diminish the season the senior is putting together. Over the last seven games, Harris is averaging 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 3.0 steals. He had a season-high 37 points against UNLV on Feb. 6, nearly tallying a triple double with nine rebounds and seven dimes. He followed that up with a double-double of 25 points and 12 rebounds the next week at Nevada. In his last game at New Mexico, Harris notched a double-double of a different variety, collecting 32 points and 10 assists against the Lobos. The versatile Harris should be among the finalists for Mountain West Conference Player of the Year.

CHECK STATUS

Marcus Georges-Hunt, G, Georgia Tech - Georges-Hunt has been flying under the radar in a stacked Atlantic Coast Conference. He is sixth in the ACC in scoring at 17.1 points per game. That average is better than freshman phenom Brandon Ingram and UNC stalwart Brice Johnson. While the senior has been asked to shoulder more of the scoring load this year, he is certainly no slouch in other categories either. The 6-5 combo guard is also managing 3.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per contest, the latter of which is a career-best. Georges-Hunt has been particularly effective lately, averaging 22.3 points and 4.2 dimes over the last six games. The Yellow Jackets are 5-1 in those contests. The Ramblin' Wreck may be on the outside looking in when it comes to the NCAA Tournament, but the Yellow Jackets always have a shot with Georges-Hunt on the floor.

Joel Bolomboy, F, Weber State - Portland Trailblazers star Damian Lillard isn't the only baller to come out of Weber State. Bolomboy is a double-double dynamo, averaging 17.6 points and 13 rebounds per game as a senior for the Wildcats. Not surprisingly, he has recorded 23 double-doubles on the year, including three 20-20 games. He posted a career-high 34 points on Feb. 18 at Southern Utah. However, he suffered a knee injury in the subsequent contest at Northern Arizona, and has not played since. Though the injury is just considered a bone bruise, his inability to take the court over the last week is certainly concerning. Still, the Wildcats have a six-game winning streak heading into a tilt with Idaho; Bolomboy is considered questionable for that game.

James Webb III, F, Boise State - The leading scorer for the Broncos missed Saturday's win at San Diego State with a knee injury. The severity of the injury is not known at this time, though obviously this is a crucial time of the season to be without the services of your top gun. Webb is not only the leading scorer for Boise State, but also the leading rebounder. In fact, Webb had notched three consecutive double-doubles prior to sustaining the injury. Junior Nick Duncan recorded the first double-double of his career in place of the injured Webb.

Johnathan Motley, F, Baylor - The Bears have churned out big men in recent years, with names like Isaiah Austin, Quincy Acy, Cory Jefferson and Ekpe Udoh coming to mind. Motley is not quite on the same level as those players just yet, but he has shown flashes. Over the last four games, the sophomore is averaging 20.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per tilt. That includes a 27-point, 10-rebound performance at Iowa State, followed by a near double-double of 22 points and nine rebounds in the last game at TCU. Motley has four double-doubles on the year. He has also had some clunkers, though, including a stretch from January 27 through February where he scored in double figures just once in five games. Consistency would truly make Motley a force to be reckoned with.

DOWNGRADE

Ja'Quan Newton, F, Miami - Newton was suspended for the final three games of the regular season due to a violation of team rules. He missed Saturday's 73-65 win against Louisville, and will be sidelined for matchups at Notre Dame and at Virginia Tech. The athletic Newton has been a vital cog for the Hurricanes this season, averaging 10.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists as a sophomore. Luckily for the 'Canes, junior Davon Reed has been playing at a high level lately, including averaging 19 points in wins over Virginia and Louisville. Miami also has the luxury of veteran senior leadership in Angel Rodriguez and Sheldon McClellan.

Keith Hornsby, G, LSU - The NCAA Tournament hopes of the Tigers had been hanging by a thread prior to an injury to Hornsby, which might just be the nail in the coffin. Hornsby aggravated a prior sports hernia injury, and the graduate student's collegiate basketball career may be finished. Hornsby was the second-leading scorer for the Tigers behind freshman sensation Ben Simmons; Hornsby managed 13.1 points per contest. Watch out for freshman Antonio Blakeney in Hornsby's absence, however. Over the last three games, Blakeney is averaging 24.7 points per game. This includes a career-best 32 points in Saturday's 96-91 triumph over the Florida Gators.

Jae'Sean Tate, F, Ohio State - The sophomore Tate had shoulder surgery this past Friday, and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. Tate was the third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder for the Buckeyes, averaging 11.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest. Though Tate will be missed, the Buckeyes added a big win to their resume this past Saturday with a victory over Iowa. Junior forward Marc Loving led the charge, scoring a game-high 25 points in the 68-64 loss. Loving has shouldered a much larger role recently, averaging 18 points over the last four games for OSU.

Kevin Punter, G, Tennessee - A stress fracture has kept Punter on the shelf for the last three games. While he is no longer wearing a walking boot, he has still not returned to practice. It has been virtually impossible for the Vols to replace Punter's scoring, as the senior is averaging 22.2 points per game, which is 12th in the nation. The Vols have two regular season games left, plus the SEC Tournament, though at 13-16 overall, UT is unlikely to receive an at-large invite to the Big Dance, and it would be extremely unlikely for them to make a run at the SEC crown, particularly without the services of Punter. Try as he might to return before season's end, Punter's collegiate career may unfortunately be over.