College Hoops Barometer: Risers & Fallers

Thus far this season we've covered some surprising upstarts like Buffalo and Houston, along with the perennial contenders like Duke and Villanova. How about the most disappointing teams in America? Indiana certainly qualifies, as the Hoosiers have lost seven games in a row in conference play, with freshman sensation Romeo Langford already having one foot out the door en route to the NBA. Or what about West Virginia? Huggy Bear's Mountaineers have made the big dance four years in a row, but currently sit in dead last in the Big 12 and have what seems to be an insurmountable hill to climb to make a case for March Madness inclusion. Then again, perhaps there has been no greater disappointment than the entire Pac-12 conference. Besides Washington at 8-0 in league play, the rest of the league looks entirely flat. Even Arizona is beatable, and other than Arizona State, the rest of the conference is barely above .500 overall. An extremely poor non-conference record will do no favors for those squads come Selection Sunday.

But why focus only on the negatives? We'll examine both sides of the coin in this week's College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Tremont Waters, G, LSU - After an inconsistent start to the season, Waters appears to have hit his stride. The sophomore has scored in double figures in 11 straight games for the Tigers, including a 36-point explosion at Texas A&M on Saturday. When he's not getting his own buckets, Waters has gotten his teammates involved. He's fourth in the SEC in assists, averaging six dimes per contest. Waters has been even better lately, tallying at least seven assists in six of the last nine games. Perhaps it is no coincidence that exceptional play by Waters has coincided with a 10-games winning streak for LSU. Marquee matchups with Kentucky and Tennessee loom in February, but with the way Waters is playing recently, the Tigers have more than a fighting chance.

Dwayne Sutton, F, Louisville - It doesn't appear to have taken Louisville long to retool in the post-Rich Pitino era. The Cardinals are 16-5, including 7-1 in an extremely competitive ACC. While Jordan Nwora is the undisputed star for the Cardinals, they have a very formidable front line overall with center Malik Williams and Sutton at small forward. Sutton played much bigger than his 6-foot-5 height. The junior has four double-doubles in his last seven games. He is one of three Cardinals averaging in double figures in scoring, and has proven a capable passer as well. The Cardinals embark on a difficult stretch of their schedule now, facing ranked opponents in four-straight contests. While this span of tough matchups will show if Louisville is a true contender, it certainly helps that players like Sutton appear to be surging at the right time.

Ayo Dosunmu, G, Illinois - It feels like the Illini haven't been relevant since the days of Deron Williams and Dee Brown, but that's not exactly true. Illinois did make the NCAA Tournament five more times following its second place finish in 2005, though the last berth admittedly came in 2013. The Fighting Illini has fallen on hard times, and this season appears no different. Illinois started the season 4-12, including 0-5 in Big Ten play. However, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. Illinois had an impressive neutral-site win versus a ranked Maryland squad Saturday. The Illini were paced by the freshman Dosunmo, who notched 20 points and six rebounds in the 78-67 win. The 6-5 point guard leads the team in assists, is second in scoring and third in rebounding. With five of its top seven players either freshmen or sophomore, the Illini may finally, mercifully be trending in the right direction, with Dosunmo heading the charge.

Zavier Simpson, G, Michigan - Simpson notched just the sixth triple-double in the history of Michigan basketball Tuesday, no small feat, particularly for a 6-0 player. Simpson tallied 11 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in Tuesday's 65-49 win over Ohio State. The junior has been something of a Jack of all trades for the Wolverines this season, averaging 8.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per contest for a Michigan squad that already has 20 wins on the year before the calendar even turns to February. Simpson is second in the Big Ten in assists, and the experienced junior brings invaluable leadership to the floor. The Wolverines seem poised for another deep run in the NCAA Tournament with Simpson at the helm.

CHECK STATUS

Justin Robinson, G, Virginia Tech - Robinson left Wednesday's win over Miami with a knee injury. Though the move may have been more of a precautionary measure, particularly with the Hokies controlling the game from the start, it is worth monitoring the severity of Robinson's injury, as he is a key cog in the successful season for VaTech. Robinson is averaging 14.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists per contest. He is the leading disher for the Hokies and can stuff the stat sheet on a nightly basis. The Hokies aren't that deep, so expect sophomore Nickeil Alexander-Walker to dominant the ball if Robinson should miss any time.

Alterique Gilbert, G, Connecticut - Gilbert exited Saturday's game early versus Wichita State due to a shoulder injury, and did not return. Although he has since undergone diagnostic testing, which purportedly has not indicated any serious issues, Gilbert still may be sidelined in the short term for the Huskies. Gilbert leads the team in assists and is third in scoring, averaging 13 points per game for UConn. Freshman Sidney Wilson could see a few more minutes if Gilbert is sidelined, though the bulk of the offensive load will likely be taken up by senior pacemaker Jalen Adams and second-leading scorer Christian Vital.

Nick Weatherspoon, G, Mississippi State - Weatherspoon had to be carried off the floor Tuesday against Alabama after suffering a left knee injury. Fortunately, an MRI came back clean, though Weatherspoon's status is still up in the air. The sophomore is one of four Bulldogs averaging double figures in points this season, and Weatherspoon is also managing 2.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 thefts per contest. Nick's older brother Quinndary is the leading scorer for MSU, though both freshman Robert Woodard and junior Tyson Carter would be the most direct beneficiaries if the younger Weatherspoon ends up on the shelf.

Jordan Bowden, G, Tennessee - Bowden is battling knee problems on his own, and did not see the floor for No. 1 Tennessee in Tuesday's win over South Carolina. A key reserve for the Vols, Bowden is averaging 10.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Sophomore Jalen Johnson saw a season-high 14 minutes with Bowden hurt, though the Vols are so deep it is unlikely Johnson will make any sort of relevant fantasy impact. Bowden's injury is not considered serious either, though UT may decide to rest Bowden with games against bottom-feeders Texas A&M and Missouri up next.

DOWNGRADE

Joshua Langford, G, Michigan State - It was initially assumed that Langford's ankle injury was on the minor side, and that he would eventually return to the lineup for the Spartans. Instead, he missed every game in January and has now been ruled out for the remainder of the season. Langford may even need surgery to repair the stress reaction/issue. Sparty still went 7-1 in Langford's absence, though certainly as the season wears on they will the depth and production he had previously provided. Langford averaged 15 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game prior to the injury. Aaron Henry and Gabe Brown will continue to see increased time without Langford, though even more responsibility falls on the shoulders of floor general Cassius Winston for the remainder of the 2018-19 campaign.

Isaac Copeland, F, Nebraska - Copeland suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the 2018-2019 campaign. The injury could not have come at a worse time for the Cornhuskers, who have lost four consecutive conference games. The senior Copeland was second on the squad in both scoring and rebounding. Junior Isaiah Roby had 18 points and nine rebounds in Nebraska's first game without Copeland; it was the first time in five games that Roby scored in double-digits. Little-used Thorir Thorbjarnarson also played 17 minutes in that game and grabbed 10 rebounds in the process; the sophomore from Iceland could see increased action with Copeland done for the year.

Mark Smith, G, Missouri - The Tigers have struggled in SEC conference play, and an injury to Smith certainly won't help their cause. An ankle issue has left Smith riding the pine over the last two games for the Tigers. Unsurprisingly, Missouri lost both contests, though the shorthanded Tigers did take a ranked LSU unit to overtime. Unfortunately, the Tigers were subsequently clobbered by Auburn by 34 points. Smith is second on Missouri in both scoring and rebounding, and third in assists, so his absence certainly creates a void. Freshman Xavier Pinson has struggled to adjust to the college game but figures to see extra run if Smith continues to be bothered by the balky ankle. Pinson played a career-high 27 minutes last game versus Auburn, but turned the ball over six times in the lopsided loss.

Lucas Williamson, F, Loyola-Chicago - Williamson played about 20 minutes per game as a freshman last season during the Ramblers' magical NCAA Tournament run, which captured the imagination of the college basketball world. Sister Jean returns from that Final Four squad, along with three starters. Williamson had taken on a larger role as a sophomore for Loyola-Chicago, entering the starting lineup and averaging 8.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a versatile swingman. However, Williamson recently suffered a broken hand and will miss at least the next month for the Ramblers. Loyola-Chicago has gone 2-1 in the absence of Williamson, and the Ramblers still sit atop the Missouri Valley Conference at present. It remains to be seen if the Ramblers can come anywhere close to repeating last season's Cinderella story, but they'll have to tread water without Williamson for the time being.