This article is part of our College Hoops Barometer series.
Don't sleep on the freshman class this season. Last year saw one of the best groups in years with Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Aaron Gordon, among others, taking center stage. All three of those highly touted players have already bolted to the NBA, but a fresh crop of neophytes has emerged. This year's class does not have the same depth, but there are plenty of stars in the making nevertheless.
Jahlil Okafor leads the pack for the Duke Blue Devils. Okafor is a beast at 6-foot-11, 270, and to say he has a polished post game is a huge understatement. Meanwhile, Myles Turner of Texas can hold down the post as well, showing a deft shooting touch, superior shot-blocking skills and the ability to clean the glass. The Kentucky Wildcats have an absolutely insane amount of talent this season, but their best freshman is likely Karl-Anthony Towns, a cerebral big man with a dynamic inside-out offensive game. The Arizona Wildcats lost the above-referenced Gordon, but gained Stanley Johnson, a freshman who isn't done growing. Johnson is more of a swingman, but has an NBA body, superb strength and an uncanny ability to get to the rack. The Wildcats may even be better this year with Johnson in the fold.
We're just scratching the surface of players to watch this season, though, so let's dive right into the first edition of the College Basketball Barometer for the 2014-2015 campaign.
UPGRADE
Ryan Boatright, G, UConn - A bit of an obvious inclusion for Boatright, but it is worth mentioning that the Huskies are now his squad. The Most Outstanding Player of the 2014 Final Four, Shabazz Napier, graduated and moved on to the NBA, leaving the defending champions with Boatright as the primary ball-handler. Boatright was no slouch as a junior, averaging 12.1 points, 3.5 boards and 3.4 dimes per game for UConn. However, his stats figure to skyrocket in Napier's absence. In the first game of the season, Boatright tallied 24 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals in a66-53 with over Bryant University.
Angel Rodriguez, G, Miami - The Kansas State transfer has already made his presence felt for the Hurricanes. Rodriguez scored 22 points in the second half of Monday's stunning 69-67 win over the ranked Florida Gators. Rodriguez canned the game-winning three with 16 seconds left, then drew a charge on Florida's next possession to seal the victory for Miami. Rodriguez is a confident player who wants the ball in his hands, whether to take the crucial shots or find open teammates. He averaged 5.2 assists per game in his lone season at Kansas State before transferring.
Montrezl Harrell, F, Louisville - Harrell is a monster in the post, but has been slightly overshadowed during his time at Louisville by guard play, most notably that of Peyton Siva and Russ Smith. With both guards moving on, Harrell is poised for a huge junior campaign. Harrell poured in 30 points in Louisville's season-opening victory over Minnesota. Harrell has shown an improved shooting stroke as well, hitting 9-of-10 free throws as well as 3-of-4 treys in that contest. Harrell took three three-pointers during his entire sophomore campaign. The development of a consistent jumper would be a frightening proposition for opposing defenses, as Harrell is already a handful in the post at 6-8, 240.
Larry Nance Jr., F, Wyoming - Nance's father won the first NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1984, and had an extremely productive NBA career as a 6-10 power forward. Junior is a bit smaller, but not by much, at 6-8, 235. He was having a career year as a junior last season before tearing his ACL and missing the final seven games of the year. However, Nance appears to have picked up where he left off; in two games, Nance is averaging 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He may not get much publicity playing for Wyoming, but the younger Nance can ball just like his dad.
CHECK STATUS
LeBryan Nash, F, Oklahoma State - Is this the year Nash finally breaks out? It's now or never for the senior, who has been unable to live up to his lofty potential throughout his career with the Cowboys. Nash averaged 13.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game as a junior, but battled inconsistency. Still, he shot a career-high 52 percent from the field. Through three games this season, Nash has increased his statistics across the board. Nash is managing 17.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. More opportunities should certainly be available due to Marcus Smart bolting to the NBA and the graduation of Markel Brown. However, it remains to be seen if Nash can bring his game on a nightly basis.
Wayne Selden, Jr., G, Kansas - Lost in the hype brought by Andrew Wiggins last season, Selden had an underwhelming freshman campaign for the Jayhawks. Selden didn't put up horrible numbers; he averaged 9.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. However, Selden shot just 32.8 percent from the three-point line and 62.9 percent from the foul line. Although the sample size for his sophomore campaign consists of just two games, Selden's poor shooting has continued. Selden is a superior athlete and figures to play a prominent role for the Jayhawks this season, but his lack of shooting touch in his brief collegiate career has been a red flag.
Dorian Finney-Smith, F, Florida - The reigning Sixth Man of the Year in the SEC, Finney-Smith will be asked to play a much larger role for the Gators this season. Florida lost four starters from a team that went to the Final Four last year, thrusting the former Virginia Tech Hokie into the starting lineup. However, Finney-Smith suffered a hand injury during the season opener for Florida, after he had already compiled 15 points and five rebounds in just 22 minutes. Finney-Smith missed Florida's last game against the Miami Hurricanes due to the ailment. Although he is not expected to miss much time, the Gators are extremely shorthanded in the frontcourt and will rely heavily on Finney-Smith upon his return. Assuming he is healthy, of course.
DaJuan Coleman, F, Syracuse - Coleman's 2013-2014 season ended abruptly due to a knee injury, and he is still making his way back from the surgery. Coleman proved a bit of a disappointment last season even before the injury, though, averaging just 4.3 points and 4.2 rebounds as a sophomore. However, Coleman figures to play a much bigger role as a junior once he returns to health. The Orange lost Tyler Ennis and Jerami Grant to the NBA, and C.J. Fair and Rakeem Christmas to graduation. There is a huge void of points and rebounds once Coleman gets back. However, he is likely out at least another week and will have to prove he is healthy, in shape and ready to assume a much bigger role in the Syracuse offense.
DOWNGRADE
Cameron Wright, G, Pittsburgh - A broken foot and subsequent surgical procedure will knock Wright out for at least the next few weeks for the Panthers. Wright did a little bit of everything for Pitt as a junior last season, averaging 10.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.8 thefts per game. The absence of Wright will really hurt the Panthers, who were already lost Lamar Patterson and Talib Zanna from last year's squad and also suspended guard Durand Johnson for the season. Michael Young and Jamel Artis will be asked to pick up the slack until Wright returns.
Nino Williams, F, Kansas State - The Wildcats have been mum on the issue with Williams, but the senior forward has missed the first two games of the season. Williams has seen his playing time increase steadily throughout his K-State career, and appeared poised to improve on his numbers from last year. As a junior, Williams averaged 6.2 points and 3.5 boards per contest. Williams figured to be a key contributor on a K-State squad already possessing talent in the form of sophomore sensation Marcus Foster. Should Williams miss more time, Thomas Gipson will continue to shine. Gipson has averaged 19.0 points and 7.5 rebounds through two games this year.
Evan Smotrycz, F, Maryland - Don't look for Smotrycz in the box score until December at the earliest, as the Terps forward broke his left foot during practice last month. The Michigan transfer had an up-and-down first season at Maryland, averaging 11.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Smotrycz had three double-doubles last year, but his shooting percentages dipped with the increased playing time. Smotrycz shot 40.1 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from three-point range for the Terps; by contrast, he shot 48.1 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from three-point land during his one year in Ann Arbor. He should see heavy minutes upon his return, but he'll have to regain his shooting stroke to prove an effective fantasy option.
Devon Bookert, G, Florida State - Bookert has not played well for the Seminoles to begin his junior campaign. Bookert turned the ball over six times in the season opener against Manhattan, though FSU still came away with the victory. However, he was virtually non-existent in a stunning 76-73 loss to Northeastern, scoring just two points in the surprising defeat. Bookert has averaged 5.5 dimes per game through two games, but will need to be more involved in the game in other respects if the Seminoles want to go anywhere in the ACC this year. The multi-talented guard averaged 8.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game for FSU as a sophomore, and should form a potent 1-2 combo in the backcourt with fellow junior Aaron Thomas.
