College Hoops Barometer: Risers & Fallers

Could this finally be the year Kansas doesn't win the Big 12 Conference title? The Jayhawks haven't exactly looked dominant during their four conference wins and have an ugly 77-60 loss to Iowa State on their resume as well. Meanwhile, Texas Tech is 15-1 on the season, with its only loss to Duke, and the Red Raiders have started the season undefeated in conference play. Kansas has won the conference 14 consecutive seasons, a mind-boggling streak beginning way back in 2005. The Red Raiders and Jayhawks meet twice in February, matchups that could determine the outcome of the Big 12 in 2019. The season-ending injury to starting Kansas center Udoka Azubuike only adds to the intrigue. We will truly know if the Kansas streak is in jeopardy in a few weeks.

Let's look at the rest of the hardwood landscape in this week's College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Stephen Thompson Jr., G, Oregon State - Thompson was recently named Pac-12 Player of the Week, helping the Beavers race out to a surprising 3-0 start in conference. Thompson was particularly superb in last week's triumph over USC. With leading scorer Tres Tinkle sidelined with an ankle injury, Thompson poured in a career-high 34 points in a 79-74 overtime win over the Trojans. Thompson also tallied 10 rebounds and five assists. It was only his second double-double in four seasons in Corvallis. Still, Thompson is averaging 15.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game as a senior. The Beavers were picked to finish near the bottom of the conference before the season, but Thompson's recent play has already begun to change the narrative.

Anthony Cowan, G, Maryland - Somehow, Cowan and the Terps are getting lost in the shuffle in the Big Ten. After a narrow loss in the beginning of December at Purdue, Maryland has rattled off five consecutive conference wins. That includes wins over Nebraska, Indiana and Wisconsin. The Terps are led by the junior Cowan, who has been particularly productive lately. In the last three games, all victories, Cowan is averaging 24 points, 5.7 rebounds and five assists. With sophomore forward Bruno Fernando looking like an NBA lottery pick and 6-foot-10 freshman Jalen Smith also flexing his muscle, the Terps should not be overlooked even in a conference where Michigan and Michigan State appear to be battling for supremacy.

Nicolas Claxton, F, Georgia - The departure of Yante Maten left a huge void for the Bulldogs to fill, and Claxton has done an admirable job filling in for Georgia. Claxton leads the SEC in both rebounding and shot blocking. Overall, Claxton is managing 12.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 3.3 rejections per game. Claxton certainly appears to be a rare breed; he leads the Bulldogs in assists as well despite being 6-11. Georgia is going to struggle this season in the SEC, as witnessed by several lopsided losses already, but Claxton has stepped his game up tremendously and appears to have a bright future in Athens, and perhaps beyond.

Chase Jeter, C, Arizona - Jeter was more of a complementary player in two seasons at Duke, but the transfer is playing a more central role for the Wildcats this year. Jeter is averaging 13.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, but has been even better lately. Jeter has hit the 20-point mark in two of the last three games for the Wildcats, including an impressive 21-point, 13-rebound, four-assist outing two weeks ago versus Utah. After hitting a bit of a rough patch earlier in the season, Arizona once again looks like the class of the Pac-12, having started undefeated in conference play. The Wildcats are attempting to mesh a lot of new faces this season, but they may have finally found their groove, and Jeter looks to be leading the charge.

CHECK STATUS

Markus Howard, G, Marquette - Howard has shown the ability to really fill it up this season, scoring at least 45 points in three games this season. That includes last week's 53-point barrage at Creighton in which he shot 10-of-14 from three-point land. In three games prior to Tuesday, Howard averaged 35 points and 7.3 assists. Unfortunately, Howard was forced out Tuesday at Georgetown after just three minutes due to lower back tightness. Howard's loss for any length would be a big blow to the Golden Eagles, who have won four consecutive games and 12 of their last 13, including victories over Kansas State, Wisconsin, Seton Hall and Buffalo during that span. Sam Hauser scored 31 points in Howard's absence Tuesday and would likely be relied upon again should Howard miss more time.

Damien Jefferson, F, Creighton - A key cog for the Bluejays, Jefferson appears to be battling a right leg injury. He did not play in Creighton's last game and was seen wearing a walking boot on the sidelines. The sophomore transfer from New Mexico is averaging 9.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. He is one of six players managing at least nine points per game for the Bluejays, though his absence likely will be missed more on the glass. Jefferson is second on the team in rebounding, and the Bluejays were beaten on the boards by Villanova last game, a 90-78 loss. Even more pressure now falls on junior Martin Krampelj, who has been up to the task lately. The last seven games, Krampelj is averaging 16.1 points and 8.3 rebounds.

Markell Johnson, G, North Carolina State - Johnson leads the Wolfpack in assists and is second on the team in scoring. Unfortunately, he missed N.C. State's last game due to a hip injury. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Wolfpack got off to a sluggish start in that contest versus the Demon Deacons without their floor general and were unable to come back, succumbing to Wake Forest, 71-67. N.C. State began the year winning 13 of 14 games but is just 1-2 in its last three. In the ultra-competitive ACC, the health of their starting point guard will be of paramount importance. Braxton Beverly would continue to see heavy minutes if Johnson remains sidelined, while FIU transfer Eric Lockett call also see extra court time.

Kavell Bigby-Williams, F, LSU - The senior forward and Oregon transfer has been a boom or bust option lately. In his last five games, Bigby-Williams has three double-doubles. However, in those other two games, he failed to score and had just one measly rebound. The Tigers happen to have a lot of size, including impressive freshman Naz Reid, but Bigby-Williams is also prone to foul trouble. In fact, he has fouled out of the last two games for the Tigers. However, he can be an intimidating presence when able to stay on the court; he had at least five blocks in two of the last three games for LSU, and notched a nine-block swat fest earlier this season. Bigby-Williams is a force to be reckoned with, but can be limited by foul woes.

DOWNGRADE

Tre Jones, G, Duke - Jones was forced out of Monday's overtime loss to Syracuse after just six minutes. Although the Blue Devils are certainly equipped to handle the loss of Jones, they will have to adjust their lineup and playing style a bit. Jones does lead the ACC in assists, after all. R.J. Barrett will assume even more ball-handling duties with Jones sidelined indefinitely due to a shoulder injury. The freshman Jones averages 5.7 assists per game. Sophomore Alex O'Connell played a career-high 34 minutes in the loss to Syracuse and would appear to be the most direct beneficiary in terms of additional playing time while Jones is absent, though Cam Reddish also missed that game and is expected to be back this weekend in a crucial clash with Virginia.

McKinley Wright IV, G, Colorado - Wright dislocated his shoulder in Colorado's last game, and will be sidelined in the short term. While the injury is not considered season-ending, the Buffs will certainly miss some of Wright's production while he is on the mend. He leads the squad in scoring and dishing and is third on the team in rebounding. The versatile sophomore also averaged 1.5 steals per game, which is sixth in the Pac-12. In Wright's absence, look for Niagara transfer Shane Gatling to see more run, and D'Shawn Schwartz to attempt to help in the scoring column. Schwartz had a career-high 22 points in Colorado's last game.

Eugene Omoruyi, F, Rutgers - Omoruyi injured himself in last week's clash with Ohio State, though the Scarlet Knights were still somehow able to pull off the upset despite missing their leading scorer and rebounder for the majority of the game. Unfortunately, Omoruyi's injury does appear a tad more serious than initially thought, as he missed the two subsequent contests for Rutgers with a dislocated kneecap. The Scarlet Knights were blown out in both contests, and would likely need Omoruyi to return to pull off any more monumental upsets. He has yet to begin practicing and won't play Friday against Northwestern, so the Scarlet Knights will likely continue to struggle in conference play.

Cormac Ryan, G, Stanford - Ryan has a history of ankle injuries, so Cardinal fans in the know had to be holding their breath Saturday when they saw the freshman taken off the floor and getting immediate treatment. Ryan is one of three Stanford ballers averaging double figures in points this season. Ryan also averages 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Ryan's status is up in the air in the short term, and perhaps is more concerning than the standard ankle sprain based upon his past medical history. Stanford just got its first win in conference play but likely will need a healthy squad to make any noise in the Pac-12.