College Hoops Barometer: Risers & Fallers

How about the start to the season for the Michigan Wolverines? UM lost Moritz Wagner and Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman to the NBA from a team that went to the national championship game last season. Yet the Michigan defense has been stifling to begin the year. The Wolverines allow just 52.7 points per game, which is third in the nation. Michigan dismantled ranked foes in the form on defending champion Villanova as well as North Carolina in an extremely competitive non-conference slate, and has started the conference schedule 2-0 with wins over Northwestern and formerly ranked Purdue. Jordan Poole has slid in more than capably to the spot vacated by Abdur-Rahkman, while forward Ignas Brazdeikis is averaging 17.0 points as a freshman to lead all scorers. Add in senior leadership with Charles Matthews and size at center with the 7-foot-1 Jon Teske, and Michigan appears to have found a working recipe early on in the 2018-2019 campaign.

Let's look at some players helping or hurting their stock in this week's edition of the College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Jordan Caroline, F, Nevada - The Martin twins get most of the pub for the Wolf Pack, but it would be foolish to forget about Caroline, who has been a double-double machine as a senior. Caroline has notched double-doubles in six of Nevada's first eight games. That includes a 25-point, 16-rebound effort in the season opener versus BYU, as well as 24 points and 11 boards in Nevada's most recent win at USC. After a banner junior campaign that saw the Wolf Pack reach the Sweet 16, Caroline and Nevada may be even better this year.

B.J. Stith, G, Old Dominion - Stith's father, Bryant, was a 10-year NBA veteran and played at the University of Virginia. Once upon a time, his youngest son B.J. was also a member of the Cavaliers. With father Bryant on the coaching staff at ODU, though, B.J. transferred to be on the squad with both Dad as well as other brother Brandan. B.J. is in his third year with the Monarchs. The senior has taken on even more of a leadership role this season, and is by far the leading rebounder with 7.9 boards per game, despite being listed at just 6-5. Stith and fellow senior guard Ahmad Caver form a potent scoring duo as well, averaging a combined 36.1 points per contest. Stith has been particularly hot lately, averaging 23.5 points in the last four games, all wins for ODU. It's not UVA, but the Stith's look like they're right at home at Old Dominion.

Breein Tyree, G, Ole Miss - The Rebels seem to love grooming prolific scorers; who can forget the Landshark, Marshall Henderson? Tyree may not have the same flair as Henderson, but he has turned into a more than capable scorer as a junior at Ole Miss. In fact, Tyree is averaging more than seven more points per game this season than a year ago, pouring in 17.9 per game. Nearly half of his shots are treys, but the 6-2 guard is still shooting higher than 51-percent from the field in 2018. Tyree is no one-trick pony, though, managing 3.4 rebounds and 2.9 dimes per game as well. Still, scoring is his calling card, as he has scored at least 20 points in three of the last four games for the Rebels. Tyree likes to shoot but lets his game do the talking. Expectations are low for the Rebels as a squad, but Tyree remains a player to keep tabs on in the SEC.

Zylan Cheatham, F, Arizona State - Cheatham nearly notched a triple-double last Wednesday versus Omaha, but made sure to get that extra assist in the subsequent game against Texas Southern to accomplish the feat. The San Diego State transfer pushes the pace for the Sun Devils, averaging 12.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 5.1 dimes per tilt. The huge bump in assists is perhaps most surprising for Cheatham who was supposed to be more of an athletic rebounder. His all-around game is clearly blossoming, and we'll find out if he can keep up this level of play against stiffer competition. Nevertheless, the leading rebounder for the Sun Devils is fourth in scoring, as ASU has five players averaging double figures. The Sun Devils are deep and appear poised to sustain success throughout the 2018-2019 campaign.

CHECK STATUS

Ty-Shon Alexander, G, Creighton - Alexander's improvement between his freshman and sophomore seasons has been truly impressive. More of a complementary player last season, Alexander has increased his points per game by nearly 14, averaging 19.4 points per game. The long-range assassin is shooting a standout 45.5 percent from three-point range. Alexander is also second on the Bluejays in assists and even managed 2.9 rebounds per contest. With Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas having moved on, Alexander has successfully filled the void left by the two former starters. Creighton's only losses this season are to No. 1 Gonzaga and 8-1 Ohio State, and Alexander's ascension is one of the chief reasons for its early season competitiveness.

Bruno Fernando, F, Maryland - Fernando has been a rebounding machine for the Terps as a sophomore. He has recorded double-digits rebounds in six of Maryland's first nine games this season, including the last four. He has four double-doubles to his resume and is fourth in the conference in rebounding. The sophomore has also shown improvement in his offensive game, shooting an impressive 70.3 percent from the floor. In fact, that leads the country. With 2.2 blocks per game as well, Fernando is showing he just might be the real deal, though Big Ten conference play will be the true test of his growth.

Marcquise Reed, G, Clemson - Reed suffered a sprained knee Tuesday, and is unlikely to play in the short term for the Tigers. But no structural damage was found following an MRI, so Clemson can certainly breathe a sigh of relief. Reed is averaging career highs across the board, including 19.4 points per game, which is third in the ACC behind Duke's two stud freshmen, Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett. Sophomore Clyde Trapp could see a bump in minutes, as the Tigers are a bit thin in the backcourt. However, senior Shelton Mitchell is more likely to absorb some of the shots vacated by Reed.

Kouat Noi, F, TCU - Noi missed the first three games of the season for the Horned Frogs, but returned with a bang, pouring in 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting in a blowout win over Eastern Michigan. Despite being listed as a 6-7 forward, Noi hoists plenty of threes; in fact, more than half of his field goals are from long distance. With Jaylen Fisher also back in the fold, the Horned Frogs will look for a return to prominence following a dismal loss to Lipscomb. As long as Noi and Fisher stay healthy, TCU could make some noise in the Big 12.

DOWNGRADE

Udoka Azubuike, C, Kansas - The Jayhawks likely will be without the services of their primary big man until the start of conference play in January. Udoka sprained his ankle during Tuesday's blowout of Liberty and is out indefinitely. Although the injury is not considered serious, it will still keep Udoka out in the short term. The 7-1 junior averages 12.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game; he is third on the squad in scoring and second in rebounding. Even more pressure will now be put on Memphis transfer Dedric Lawson to perform in Azubuike's absence. Lawson is already averaging a double-double in his first season with KU. The Jayhawks remain thin up front, though, meaning coach Bill Self will continue to employ three and even possibly four-guard sets.

Chris Silva, F, South Carolina - Silva's disappearing act for the Gamecocks this season has been curious, to say the least. His points and rebounds are down from a season ago, and the senior is shooting a career-low 39.7 percent from the floor. A preseason first team All-SEC pick, Silva has not performed up to expectations, averaging 10.3 points and six rebounds. Perhaps not surprisingly then, the Gamecocks have struggled through eight games, posting a 4-4 record, including losses to Wofford, Wyoming and Stony Brook. If Silva doesn't get out of this funk before SEC play begins in earnest, the Gamecocks could be in real trouble in conference action.

Nassir Little, F, North Carolina - It's not that Little has necessarily been bad, but more that after Duke's sensational freshmen trio, there was perhaps no forward more highly touted than him in the 2018 class. However, Little is playing less than 20 minutes per game, averaging 12 points and 4.8 rebounds. He is extremely athletic and can make impactful plays on both ends of the floor, but his shot could use some work, including a consistent three-point shot, which does not appear yet to have found its way into his repertoire. Little might still be a lottery pick in the 2019 NBA Draft based on athleticism and potential alone, but he has not been super productive in his first season in Chapel Hill.

Kevin Porter Jr., G, USC - Porter is another possible future lottery pick who is still looking to find his way in his first season of college basketball. He has also been battling a quad injury, which caused him to miss two games, then limited him to just four minutes in USC's most recent game, a loss to Nevada. Porter scored in double figures in five consecutive games to open the year, and that appears to be his calling card. He is also an explosive athlete with stellar dribble-drive creativity and prototypical size for the shooting guard position at the next level. That said, he has yet to truly take off for the Trojans, averaging only 11.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, and remains more projection than productivity now.