College Hoops Barometer: Risers & Fallers

Don't look now, but defending champion Villanova got its groove back. The Wildcats have reeled off seven consecutive wins and once again find themselves atop the revamped Big East. Two matchups with Marquette later this season will go a long ways toward determining if the Wildcats truly have a chance to repeat. Is this the team that lost to Furman and Penn, or the squad that beat Florida State and took Kansas to the wire? Consistent play from senior Phil Booth has certainly righted the ship; over the last seven games, Booth is averaging 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and five assists. The Wildcats lost an awful lot of firepower from last season's championship squad, and coach Jay Wright has not built his empire embracing the "one-and-done" philosophy. That said, he may still have his team in the title hunt when all is said and done this year.

Let's review the rest of the roundball scene in this week's College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Coby White, G, North Carolina - Although highly touted freshman teammate Nassir Little broke out with 23 points in UNC's convincing win over Virginia Tech, it's been the play of White that has really galvanized the Tar Heels lately. During UNC's current three-game winning streak, the freshman White is averaging 19.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and five assists. White had 27 points in the aforementioned thrashing of the Hokies, hitting at least four three-pointers in a game for the fifth time this season. With White at the helm, the Tar Heels appear to have found their identity, winning seven of their last eight games.

Terence Davis, G, Mississippi - The Rebels had a hiccup on the road Tuesday versus Alabama, showing there may be no easy games on the road in the SEC. Still, Davis and fellow backcourt mate Breein Tyree form a potent one-two punch, though Davis has proven a bit more versatile than his counterpart. Davis is averaging 15.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He leads the squad in rebounding and assists, which is no easy task, especially at 6-foot-4. In his last seven games, Davis has posted two double-doubles, hit the 20-point mark three times over that span, and notched a five-steal game in Saturday's 84-67 win over Arkansas. The top of the SEC looks fierce this season, including No. 1 Tennessee, so the Rebels will need all the stat-sheet stuffing they can get from Davis, particularly if leading scorer Tyree misses games due to a shoulder injury.

Jarron Cumberland, G, Cincinnati - The Bearcats lost three starters from last year's squad, but Cumberland has helped fill the void. He is the leading scorer on the team, averaging 17.8 points per contest, which is more than six points higher than a season ago. He scored a career-high 34 points last week versus USF. Cumberland's long-range shooting has been particularly improved, as he is hitting 42.7 percent of his shots from three-point land. He's getting to the foul line more and also finding his teammates at a clip of 3.3 dimes per game. Cincy has just three losses on the season, and the Bearcats are tied with Houston for the conference lead. They'll face the ranked Cougars twice before the regular season is finished, and Cumberland will be the key component if the Bearcats are to prove victorious.

Kenny Goins, F, Michigan State - Goins has been a beast on the glass for the Spartans as a senior. Goins was never much more than a complementary player in his first three seasons in East Lansing, but he has become a force for Sparty on the interior this season. Goins is fourth in the Big Ten in rebounding, and has hit double-digits in boards in each of the last four games for the Spartans. It does not appear he will ever be much of an offensive juggernaut, but he has developed a three-point shot for his arsenal. Still, he contributes in a variety of other ways besides scoring. Goins is a capable passer as a big man, averaging 2.4 dimes per game. He's also 10th in the conference in blocks, just behind teammate Nick Ward. The consistency of Goins in the frontcourt is one of a bevy of reasons for Michigan State's current 12-game winning streak.

CHECK STATUS

Justin James, G, Wyoming - The Cowboys roster has been devastated by injuries this season, but James had previously been able to stave off catching the bug. Unfortunately, James injured his shin in Wyoming's last game and had to be helped off the court. The senior is having a scintillating individual season in what has otherwise been a nightmare 2018-19 campaign for the Cowboys. James leads the Mountain West in scoring, is third in rebounding and seventh in assists on a team that is winless in conference play. With their top three scorers out, the Cowboys would be forced to rely on freshmen Hunter Thompson, Trace Young and Trevon Taylor. If James is truly sidelined, the Cowboys could be looking at a brutal four-win season.

Eric Ayala, G, Maryland - The freshman Ayala has proven a nice complementary piece in the backcourt to floor general Anthony Cowan. Ayala is second on the team in dishing and fourth in scoring, though was forced out of Maryland's win at Ohio State due to a hip issue. The injury is not considered serious, though Ayala did not appear at full strength for the Terps in their disappointing loss at Michigan State on Monday. For the Terps to make noise in a crowded Big Ten, they will need all their contributors, including at Ayala, at the top of their game.

Jaylen Hands, G, UCLA - Hands has played relatively well for an underachieving Bruins squad, though there is still room for growth in his game. On the positive side, he has been a superb disher as a sophomore, averaging 6.4 dimes per game. That is tops in the Pac-12 by almost a fill assist. He has active hands on the defensive end as well, managing 1.3 thefts per contest. On the downside, though, despite averaging double-digits in points, his shot remains a work in progress. Hands is shooting less than 38 percent from the floor and less than 30 percent from three-point range. In addition, he has been turnover-prone, particularly in conference play. Hands has turned the ball over at least five times in three of the last four games for the Bruins. There's certainly a lot to like about the sophomore guard, but he remains an unfinished product.

Lagerald Vick, G, Kansas - Vick's senior season was supposed to be his coming out party, as he was no longer going to be in the shadow of the superb guards that played before him. While Vick has shown flashes of brilliance, he hasn't quite lived up to those lofty expectations. His numbers pale in comparison to previous Kansas leaders like Devonte' Graham and Frank Mason, and Vick is certainly not the passer that either of those two players were. Vick had a few mammoth scoring outputs earlier in the year, but has been held to less than 20 points in nine of the last 10 games for the Jayhawks. His rebounds and assists are slightly down from last year as well, and his turnovers are way up. Vick has not grabbed the squad by the reins and put his stamp on this team, even if the Jayhawks are talented enough to win the Big 12 yet again.

DOWNGRADE

Austin Wiley, C, Auburn - The Tigers are just 2-2 in conference play after a scintillating start to the season, and injuries could be playing a role in the struggles for the Tigers. The junior Wiley suffered a leg injury and will be sidelined for several weeks. Wiley is third in scoring and tied for the team-lead in rebounding for Auburn. The 6-11 big man was also an imposing figure on the defensive end, swatting 1.9 blocks per tilt, good for 10th in the SEC. Anfernee McLemore and Horace Spencer will split the duties vacated by Wiley, while starter Chuma Okeke will also get a chance to increase some of his statistics.

Keith Stone, F, Florida - Suffice to say that Stone's junior season was not how he envisioned. After averaging 8.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest as a sophomore, Stone actually saw a dip in his numbers despite playing for a Florida team desperate for some size. Stone was averaging career lows in terms of shooting percentage across the board. To add injury to insult, Stone then tore his ACL and will undergo season-ending surgery. Freshman Keyontae Johnson should see extra run for the Gators with Stone shelved; Johnson tallied eight points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals in Saturday's win at Georgia.

Devonte Green, G, Indiana - Green has been suspended indefinitely due to not meeting the standards of the Indiana program. The junior guard is the leading assist man for the Hoosiers, managing 3.2 dimes per game. However, Green was no one-trick pony, averaging eight points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game as well. Freshman sensation Romeo Langford will be tasked with even more responsibilities now, though fellow freshman Rob Phinisee could see the most direct bump in terms of minutes and production. The suspension is yet another blow for the reeling Hoosiers, who have lost five consecutive conference matchups.

Juwan Durham, F, Notre Dame - The Irish have been racked by injuries this season, already losing senior leader Rex Plunger for the year. Durham suffered an ankle injury and could miss a couple weeks for Notre Dame. The 6-11 power forward and Conn transfer had been working his way into the rotation for the Irish, and even had a double-double against Binghamton earlier this season. Even more pressure will be placed on start junior John Mooney in Durham's absence; Mooney has collected five consecutive double-doubles, though the Irish are thin otherwise in the frontcourt and have lost four of their last five games.