College Hoops Barometer: Risers & Fallers

Ladies and gentlemen, we have finally made it to March.  Spring is in the air, and some conference tournaments have already begun.  The Madness is just around the corner.  Tastes like victory.

Just a little housekeeping before we dive into this week's article.  This will be the last of the traditional versions of the College Hoops Barometer where we analyze players on the rise or trending in the opposite direction.  Next week will feature the "Bubble Barometer", where we take stock of those teams on the fringe of making the big dance, evaluate their resumes and see who should get in and who may be left out.  Then, the following week will be my annual NCAA Tournament Preview, also known as "How to Win Your NCAA Bracket Pool".  This year we might even add some betting tips and suggestions given the explosion of legal online sports betting and the addition of New York to the fold.

For now, let's take a look at those players either helping or hurting their cause as we continue to hurtle straight towards the NCAA Tournament.

UPGRADE

Josiah-Jordan James, G, Tennessee – The Vols have won eight of their last nine games, as well as 11 of their last 13 contests, and the steady play of James is one of the chief reasons.  James collected a career-high 23 points Tuesday in a win at Georgia, as Tennessee overcame a slow start to defeat the Bulldogs by a score of 75-68.  It was perhaps the best all-around game of the season for James, who also notched eight rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals.  James has been a key component in recent wins over Auburn and Kentucky that have vaulted the Vols into SEC Title contention.  As long as James can stay out of foul trouble (he's fouled out of three of the last five contests, and had four in the other two games), the Vols can certainly make some noise this month.

Jaden Ivey, G, Purdue – For some reason, Ivey does not seem to get the recognition he should, even though he is one of the better players in the country, and certainly the Big Ten conference.  Though the Boilermakers have dropped their last two contests, Ivey does not shoulder much of the blame.  In fact, over his last three outings, the sophomore is averaging 21.0 points per game.  Ivey has six 20-plus point games to his credit over the last 10 games.  Purdue isn't exactly clicking on all cylinders heading into the Big Ten Tournament, but with Ivey in the mix, the Boilermakers will still be a dangerous foe.

Fabian White, F, Houston – This article has mentioned the incredible retool by the Cougars before, but it's still worth mentioning again that Houston lost its best two players from a Final Four squad and leading scorer Marcus Sasser for the season due to a foot injury. Still, the Cougars have barely missed a beat.  The inspired recent play of the fifth-year senior White definitely has played a crucial role.  White accumulated a mammoth double-double Tuesday with 28 points and 10 rebounds in an 18-point thrashing of rival Cincinnati.  It was White's fourth double-double of the season; he nearly posted a fifth in the prior game with 21 points and nine boards against SMU.  Houston has won five games in a row, has already clinched the AAC regular season crown, and sits at a cushy 25-4 on the season.  So much for a rebuilding year.

Mike Miles, G, TCU – Miles led the Horned Frogs to a stunning 74-64 victory over favored Kansas on Tuesday, recording 19 points and six assists.  TCU has won three of its last four games as it attempts to make a late push for an NCAA Tournament bid.  Over those last four outings, Miles is averaging 19.3 points, 4.5 assists and 2.8 steals.  His defense has been particularly noteworthy of late, as Miles has racked up 14 steals over the last five games.  The sophomore leads the team in scoring and thefts and is second in assists just behind Damion Baugh.

CHECK STATUS

Tyson Walker, G, Michigan State – Walker suffered a knee injury in Tuesday's loss to Michigan.  While the injury is not considered serious, the tweak comes at a pivotal time for the Spartans, and Walker has been a solid contributor this season.  The transfer from Northeastern is averaging 8.2 points and 4.3 assists per contest.  Walker has started 24 of 29 games for the Spartans; in fact, after coming off the bench for five contests leading up to the Michigan game, he was reinserted into the starting lineup versus the Wolverines.  Obviously that move did not provide the hoped-for spark, as Michigan State dropped its fourth game in five tries.  Losing one of the catalysts of its offense would be yet another damaging blow.

Johnny Juzang, G, UCLA – Juzang has missed three of the last five games for the Bruins due to an ankle injury.  Juzang is the leading scorer for UCLA, and while his absence has not hurt the Bruins just yet, a balky ankle could be a concern in terms of UCLA's chances of returning to the Final Four.  Jaime Jaquez had a monstrous 30-point game at Washington on Monday without the services of running mate Juzang, and both he and senior Jules Bernard would be asked to shoulder more of the scoring load if Juzang is not healthy.  It is likely that the Bruins are just playing it safe with Juzang heading into the Pac-12 Tournament, though the status of his ankle is certainly something to watch.

Nate Johnson, G, Xavier – Johnson has missed the last four games for the Musketeers due to a hyperextended left knee but could play Wednesday versus St. John's.  This would be a huge boost for Xavier, as the Musketeers have seen their chances of making the NCAA Tournament almost evaporate.  Xavier has lost six of its last seven outings, including all four games Johnson was sidelined.  The Gardner-Webb alum has had a bit of a down season in his second campaign with the Musketeers, though still has the ability to hit double figures in scoring on any given night.  Johnson's pending return could not have come at a more dire time.

DOWNGRADE

Daejon Davis, G, Washington – The Stanford transfer has struggled with his shot in his only season with the Huskies, though as expected he has affected the game in a variety of other ways.  Davis has managed 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 steals per contest for Washington.  Unfortunately, Davis aggravated a recent shoulder injury, and his status for the remainder of the campaign remains very questionable.  Davis missed five games in February due to the issue, but he returned to the court and played 28 minutes in a win over Washington State on Feb. 26.  However, Davis left Monday's loss to UCLA in the first half due to the injury and did not return.  The Huskies sit at .500 in both the conference as well as overall, and the loss of Davis, who has started 21 of 23 contests for Washington, would all but sink their chances of a tourney berth.

Caleb Mills, G, Florida State – At one point this season, an argument could be made that Florida State was one of the top teams in the ACC, and Mills was the school's best player.  The wheels have since come off for the Seminoles, though, as they have dropped eight of their last 10 games.  The leading scorer for Florida State, Mills has missed the past four games due to an ankle injury.  It remains to be seen if Mills will be able to return for the ACC Tournament, and it would appear that FSU would need a huge run during Championship Week to even be considered for an at-large entry into the big dance.

LJ Cryer, G, Baylor – Cryer has missed nine of the last 10 games for the Bears as he continues to battle a nagging foot injury.  After playing more of a complementary role on last year's National Championship squad, Cryer had been a more central figure for the Bears prior to the injury.  Though Cryer came off the bench in 16 of 19 contests, he averaged the fourth-most minutes on the team and slotted in second in scoring for the Bears at 13.5 points per contest.  Cryer acted as "instant offense" and was deadly from long range, hitting an impressive 46.8 percent of his shots from downtown.  The Bears have still managed to play at a high level without Cryer, but their depth will be tested in the NCAA Tournament and being unable to rely on Cryer's ability to hit a shot when needed could prove costly.