This article is part of our College Hoops Barometer series.
The Duke Blue Devils are nearly everyone's favorite to cut down the nets this year, but Coach K's freshman dynamos may finally face some resistance during ACC play. In particular, a mammoth matchup with Virginia lurks on Jan. 19, in what will be an extreme clash of styles. The high-flying Blue Devils are one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation led by Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett. Meanwhile, UVA is No. 1 in the country in points allowed, surrendering a mere 51.5 points per game. As the old saying goes, something's gotta give. Duke will also have road battles with ranked opponents in Virginia Tech, Florida State and, of course, North Carolina later this season.
Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that Duke lost to Gonzaga earlier in the 2018-19 campaign. It took the pressure off of a possible undefeated season, while showing that the Blue Devils may not be as invincible as they thought. That said, Zion Williamson still might not be human, and both he and R.J. Barrett have proven they can do a little bit of everything on the court. These "One and Done" phenoms will have a lot to say about how this college basketball season shakes out.
Let's look at some other notable performers in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer.
UPGRADE
James Palmer, G, Nebraska - The days of Palmer as a role player for the Miami Hurricanes have long since passed. Instead, Palmer has become the focal point for the
The Duke Blue Devils are nearly everyone's favorite to cut down the nets this year, but Coach K's freshman dynamos may finally face some resistance during ACC play. In particular, a mammoth matchup with Virginia lurks on Jan. 19, in what will be an extreme clash of styles. The high-flying Blue Devils are one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation led by Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett. Meanwhile, UVA is No. 1 in the country in points allowed, surrendering a mere 51.5 points per game. As the old saying goes, something's gotta give. Duke will also have road battles with ranked opponents in Virginia Tech, Florida State and, of course, North Carolina later this season.
Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that Duke lost to Gonzaga earlier in the 2018-19 campaign. It took the pressure off of a possible undefeated season, while showing that the Blue Devils may not be as invincible as they thought. That said, Zion Williamson still might not be human, and both he and R.J. Barrett have proven they can do a little bit of everything on the court. These "One and Done" phenoms will have a lot to say about how this college basketball season shakes out.
Let's look at some other notable performers in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer.
UPGRADE
James Palmer, G, Nebraska - The days of Palmer as a role player for the Miami Hurricanes have long since passed. Instead, Palmer has become the focal point for the Cornhuskers the last two seasons. He's averaging more than 20 points per game through 15 games as a senior. He is second in the Big Ten in scoring behind only Player of the Year candidate Carsen Edwards of Purdue. Palmer has also shown exceptional thievery on the defensive end; the 6-foot-6 guard averages 1.5 thefts per game, and had five steals last week at Iowa. Although the Huskers are likely to struggle in conference play, Palmer should remain highly productive.
Nick Rakocevic, F, USC - Rakocevic has elevated his play as a junior for the Trojans. He's nearly doubled his scoring and rebounding averages from a season ago, managing a double-double thus far in the 2018-2019 campaign. He's been on a roll of late, scoring at least 21 points in three of the last four games. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that the Trojans won all four of those games. After a dismal 5-6 start, USC is now riding a four game winning streak and has started 2-0 in the Pac-12. Rakocevic has notched seven double-doubles already this season, and in what is perceived to be a weak conference this year, should continue to have his way from here on out. He was recently named the Pac-12 Player of the Week.
Vance Jackson, F, New Mexico - The Lobos stunned previously undefeated Nevada on Saturday, and Jackson was one of the primary catalysts. Jackson nearly pulled off a triple-double, tallying 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in the shocking 85-58 rout. Jackson set a career high in assists for the game. It ended up being the second double-double of the season for the sophomore forward and Connecticut transfer. Jackson has been shooting the ball extremely well of late, hitting more than 54 percent of his shots from the field the last three games. Despite earlier losses to UPenn and North Texas, the Lobos have rebounded to begin conference play in the Mountain West with a 2-1 mark. Jackson is second on the squad in both scoring and rebounding; leading scorer Anthony Mathis poured in 27 points to lead all scorers in the Nevada game.
Tevin Mack, G, Alabama - Alabama Athletics are certainly still reeling from the lopsided loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship, but there has been some good news on the hardwood in Tuscaloosa of late. The Tide basketball team recently had a five-game winning streak, at least until Tuesday's loss to LSU. They beat bluebloods Arizona and Kentucky over that span. In the win against UK, Mack connected on six three-pointers en route to a season-high 22 points. The Texas transfer appears to have found his groove, shooting more than 57 percent from the floor during the final three games of the winning streak. After some disappointing early season losses, Alabama started conference play on the right foot, and the integration of Mack has played a vital role in the turnaround for the Tide, even despite a tough loss at LSU on Tuesday.
CHECK STATUS
Robert Franks, F, Washington State - The reigning Pac-12 Most Improved Player has been even better as a senior. Franks is averaging 22.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest, besting his numbers from his junior campaign thus far. He is also shooting a career-high 52.4 percent from the floor, and also managing 2.9 dimes per contest. He leads the conference in scoring and is sixth in rebounding. Unfortunately, Franks recently injured his hip, and has missed the last two games for Wazzu. The Cougars were already projected to finish near the bottom of the conference, and an injury to their best player certainly won't help matters. Look for freshman C.J. Elleby to attempt to shoulder even more of the scoring and rebounding load in the absence of Franks. Though the injury does not appear to be serious, Franks has not taken the court since before Christmas.
Paris Austin, G, California - Austin missed Cal's last game versus UCLA due to an ankle injury. The Boise State transfer has been one of the silver linings to what has otherwise been a dreadful start to the season for the Bears. Cal has limped to a 5-9 start, and is currently sliding on a three-game losing streak. Austin leads the Bears in points and assists, managing 14.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 5.2 dimes per contest. Matt Bradley and Darius McNeill would attempt to fill the void if Austin misses any more time. Of note, the sophomore McNeill had 23 points and seven steals in the loss to UCLA.
Mac McClung, G, Georgetown - McClung poured in 38 points in an OT victory against Little Rock just a few days prior to Christmas. Unfortunately, the freshman has not seen the court since that time, missing the last three games due to an ankle injury. McClung had just started to find his groove, too, scoring in double figures in six-straight games prior to the injury. Though McClung is expected back on the court soon, it remains to be seen when he will return, and if he will be eased back into action. The Hoyas have been missing senior Trey Mourning the last few games as well, forcing Greg Malinowski to play more minutes than usual, while also putting even more pressure on Jessie Govan, James Akinjo and Josh LeBlanc. Patrick Ewing's squad will need health to contend in the Big East this season.
Cameron McGriff, F, Oklahoma State - McGriff has seen an upswing in minutes and as a result production as a junior. He is averaging career best of 13.1 points and eight rebounds per game for the Cowboys. Unfortunately, McGriff has not been efficient with his extra looks, shooting less than 40 percent from the floor overall. In addition, he is a bit foul prone and also turnover prone. He does have four double-doubles to his name this season, and appears poised to gobble up all the minutes he can handle for OSU. Still, while McGriff is currently the leading scorer and rebounder for the Cowboys, he is far from a polished product, and may struggle on the offensive end as the competition stiffens. As the schedule stands now, the Cowboys play eight more ranked opponents before the regular season is finished in the Big 12, and that doesn't include away games at Kansas State, Texas and West Virginia, all tournament teams from a season ago.
DOWNGRADE
Wynston Tabbs, G, Boston College - Tabbs is one of four Eagles averaging double figures in points this season. However, Tabbs left BC's New Year's Eve game versus Hartford due to an ankle injury, and did not play in the subsequent contest against Virginia Tech, which the Eagles lost by a score of 77-66. X-rays were negative, though the status of Tabbs remains up in the air at this moment in time. Jordan Chatman led the Eagles with 18 points versus the Hokies, as star Ky Bowman had an off game. Georgia Southern transfer Jared Hamilton could see increased run if Tabbs remains on the shelf.
KeVaughn Allen, G, Florida - Allen is the elder statesman for the Gators, and it seems like he's been in college forever. Unfortunately for UF, Allen has never quite lived up to his lofty potential. He leads the Gators in scoring but is averaging only 10.3 points per game. He has never quite developed a consistent three-point shot. He is quick and averages 1.7 steals per game, and is also averaging a career-high 2.7 assists per game. However, he is far from the team-leader in assists (that honor goes to freshman Andrew Nembhard). The Gators are just 8-5 on the season, and if Allen is considered their best player, they may be in some trouble.
Quentin Gooden, G, Xavier - The floor general for the Musketeers has been battling a balky knee of late. He played just 20 minutes in an ugly 70-52 loss to Marquette on Sunday, and his status is in question in the short term due to the injury. This is looking like a rebuilding year for Xavier after being a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament last season, and having Gooden sidelined for any length of time will do the Musketeers no favors. Gooden is third in scoring and first in dishing for the Musketeers; he is much more of a facilitator than a scorer, though, as he has been dreadful from three-point range as a junior. Look for sophomore Paul Scruggs to take on even more of the backcourt load if Gooden misses ay time.
Phil Cofer, F, Florida State - Cofer still looks to be working off the rust for the Seminoles after missing the first eight games of the season with a foot injury. The senior forward averaged 12.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest last year, playing nearly 30 minutes per game for FSU. Cofer has scored in double figures just once since his return from injury, and has yet to play 30 minutes in any of those games. The sample size is small, naturally, and the Seminoles still started off the season with a 12-1 record. That being said, they were just pummeled by Virginia, and it remains to be seen how long it will take Cofer to get acclimated to his surroundings.
