This article is part of our College Hoops Barometer series.
I've never been a fan of storming the court after a win. There's the obvious injury concern. Such an environment cannot be controlled, and players, coaches and fans could get hurt. But I know what you're thinking. You're being no fun, Jesse. Live a little.
OK, let's put that aside for a second.
"Act like you've been there before" is a phrase that always comes to mind for me. When I see a home crowd storm the Court after an upset, inevitably I find myself uttering that phrase. It's nice to be happy about a win. I'm sure it's fun to go onto the court, jump around a bit, perhaps slap your favorite player on the back. But the storming of the court is becoming far too prevalent again these days. A win over a ranked team in January on your home court? Big deal. Relax. Act like you've been there before.
Beware, you could also have what happened to St. Bonaventure. The Bonnies sank a three-pointer at what looked to be the buzzer to defeat VCU on Saturday, 66-65, at home. The fans stormed the court. The only problem was that there was actually a tenth of a second left on the clock. This resulted in an administrative technical foul. VCU hit the resulting free throw. Tie game. And the Rams won in overtime. Call it a technicality. Call it unfair. Call it whatever you want. The fact remains, storming the court cost St. Bonaventure the victory. VCU already
I've never been a fan of storming the court after a win. There's the obvious injury concern. Such an environment cannot be controlled, and players, coaches and fans could get hurt. But I know what you're thinking. You're being no fun, Jesse. Live a little.
OK, let's put that aside for a second.
"Act like you've been there before" is a phrase that always comes to mind for me. When I see a home crowd storm the Court after an upset, inevitably I find myself uttering that phrase. It's nice to be happy about a win. I'm sure it's fun to go onto the court, jump around a bit, perhaps slap your favorite player on the back. But the storming of the court is becoming far too prevalent again these days. A win over a ranked team in January on your home court? Big deal. Relax. Act like you've been there before.
Beware, you could also have what happened to St. Bonaventure. The Bonnies sank a three-pointer at what looked to be the buzzer to defeat VCU on Saturday, 66-65, at home. The fans stormed the court. The only problem was that there was actually a tenth of a second left on the clock. This resulted in an administrative technical foul. VCU hit the resulting free throw. Tie game. And the Rams won in overtime. Call it a technicality. Call it unfair. Call it whatever you want. The fact remains, storming the court cost St. Bonaventure the victory. VCU already had five losses on the year, including two in conference play. The Bonnies were 6-3 in conference play before that game. Thus, this was not exactly David slaying Goliath.
The moral of the story? Act like you've been there before. Save court storming for a truly worthwhile game. Or at the very least, just make sure the game is actually over before jumping out of the stands.
UPGRADE
T.J. Leaf, F, UCLA - Despite all the chatter about Lonzo Ball, and rightly so, it is the 6-foot-10 Leaf who could be the key to a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. In UCLA's three losses, Leaf is averaging just 7.0 points and 5.3 rebounds. On the flip side, the Bruins are 11-0 when Leaf records a double-double. That includes the two most recent games, one of which resulted in a career-high point total for Leaf. The freshman poured in 32 points on 14-of-18 shooting in a 95-79 win over Washington State. Leaf followed up that epic performance with 20 points and 10 rebounds in a laugher over Washington. In a crucial tilt with Oregon up next, the Bruins are banking on Leaf to be at his best; UCLA already lost this season to the Ducks by a score of 89-87.
Yante Maten, C, Georgia - Maten doesn't get much pub, but he has quietly been one of the best players in SEC this season. Maten is averaging 19.7 points per game, which is second in the conference. Only Kentucky's Malik Monk, a surefire lottery pick in this June's NBA Draft, is averaging more points in the SEC. Maten is also fourth in the conference in rebounding, pulling down 7.4 boards per tilt. He's nearly doubled his assist average from a season ago, is shooting a career-best 53.3 percent from the floor, and has even added a three-point shot to his arsenal. He's 18-for-37 from long distance, by the way. The Bulldogs won't be dancing this March, but Maten has done plenty to improve his stock.
Deonte Burton, G, Iowa State - After playing more of a complementary role for two years at Marquette and then last year for the Cyclones, Burton has burst into the limelight for Iowa State this season. He's been particularly impactful of late. On January 21st, Burton poured in a career-high 31 points in a 92-87 Double OT win at Oklahoma. Burton subsequently showed his versatility, posting a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds at Vandy on January 28th, followed by a double-double of 11 points and 10 assists against West Virginia on January 31. However, perhaps his biggest game of the season came in Saturday's stunning 92-89 OT win at Kansas. Burton torched the Jayhawks for 29 points, eight rebounds and six steals, ending a 51-game home winning streak at Allen Fieldhouse. Over the last six games for the Cyclones, Burton is averaging 19 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, three steals and 2.2 blocks. It's safe to say Burton's done a little bit of everything.
Kyle Washington, F, Cincinnati - The best team that nobody's talking about might just be the Cincinnati Bearcats. Washington is a transfer from NC State who leads the squad in scoring and is second in rebounding. Washington started the season with five double-doubles in his first seven contests. He cooled down a bit after that, but just hit for a career best 27 points in Cincy's last win, an 82-68 shellacking over UConn. It may be a bit of a down year for the American Conference, with SMU really the only true competition for the Bearcats. That being said, Cincy has rattled off 14-straight victories, possess a 10-0 record in conference play, and have an extremely balanced squad with four players averaging double figures in points. Watch out for Washington and co. come tourney time.
CHECK STATUS
Sterling Brown, G, Southern Methodist - Speaking of SMU and the Mustangs, Brown has been stuffing the stat sheet of late. Over the last three games, Brown is averaging 17 points, seven rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest. That includes a career high 27 points in Saturday's win at Tulsa. Brown has 17 games in double figures in scoring this season, four double-doubles and nine contests with at least five assists. He's a triple-double threat and the most dangerous weapon on the floor for SMU. The Mustangs have reeled off six-straight victories, are 10-1 in conference play, and once again look like the only true adversary for Cincinnati in the AAC. The teams will clash once again on February 12th; Cincy eked out a 66-64 win in their previous meeting in mid-January.
Thomas Bryant, C, Indiana - The Hoosiers have suffered a bevy of serious injuries this season, including by star players James Blackmon Jr. and O.G. Anunoby. That has left Bryant as perhaps the only player with superstar potential left on the squad. The sophomore big man has stepped into the void left by the injuries to play heavy minutes for Indiana. When not in foul trouble, Bryant has been a dominant force for the Hoosiers. He notched a double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds at Northwestern on January 29th. Bryant followed up that performance with 31 points and 11 rebounds in a thrilling Triple OT win over Penn State on February 1st. However, as the center of attention he has been in foul trouble over the last two games, while also turning the ball over with greater frequency. Bryant has nine turnovers and nine fouls in his last two games. Bryant will have to address the deficiencies in his game and be the savior for the Hoosiers if they are to make a push for an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament.
Conner Frankamp, G, Wichita State - The former Kansas Jayhawk is finally making waves for the Shockers. He began the year as a starter, then was relegated to the bench for 11 games. Now back in the starting lineup, Frankamp is finally starting to live up to his potential. Over the last three games, the junior is averaging 16.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists. By contrast, he managed just 6.6 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.6 dimes through the first 22 games of the season. Is this just a temporary hot streak? Or will Frankamp be able to play at this higher level for the remainder of the season? The 21-4 Shockers certainly hope it is the latter.
London Perrantes, G, Virginia - The Hoos are the best defensive team in the country, and Perrantes is their floor general. However, I'm just not buying the senior as being on the same level of last season's ACC Player of the Year, Malcolm Brogdon. Perrantes relies a bit too much on the three-ball and his stats have stayed virtually the same as a season ago despite Brogdon now being in the NBA. True, Perrantes is a heady player who has the ability to score as well as dish, but the Cavaliers aren't going to be in many track meets, and as such his statistical upside is limited. This is simply one of the cases where Perrantes is a better real-life player than fantasy producer.
DOWNGRADE
Edmond Sumner, G, Xavier - The Musketeers have lost a crucial piece of their squad, as Sumner will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL. The sophomore point guard was leading the team in assists, dishing out five dimes per contest. He was also second in scoring behind Trevon Bluiett. At 6-foot-6, Sumner was also tied for third on the team in rebounding, managing 4.3 boards per tilt. Quentin Goodin received the starting nod in place of Sumner in Xavier's last game, though he shot just 2-for-11 from the floor in a narrow 72-70 win over Seton Hall. On a positive note, though, Goodin did tally seven assists. Look for the aforementioned Bluiett to attempt to pick up the slack in terms of the scoring void left by Sumner.
Scottie Lindsey, F, Northwestern - As of now, the Wildcats look poised to make the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance ever. Northwestern sits at 18-5 overall, including 7-3 in the Big Ten, ahead of the likes of Michigan State and Indiana. However, the task just got a bit tougher, as Lindsey is reportedly suffering from mononucleosis, and could miss as much as the next month of games for Northwestern. The junior leads the squad in scoring, and without him in the lineup Wednesday the Wildcats were clobbered by Purdue, mustering only 59 points in the lopsided defeat. With upcoming games versus Wisconsin and Maryland on the schedule, the Wildcats are certainly hoping for a speedy recovery from the illness for Lindsey, who could be the key to the season.
Tim Williams, F, New Mexico - Like Lindsey above, Williams appears to have succumbed to the dreaded "Curse of the Barometer." Williams was tearing up the Mountain West for the Lobos until suffering a stress reaction in his foot. The rest of the season could now be in jeopardy for the senior forward, who is currently second on the squad in scoring at 17.9 points per tilt. Williams is also the leading rebounder for the Lobos, pulling down seven boards per game. Fellow senior Obij Aget, a seven-footer from the Sudan, looks to be the chief beneficiary from the injury to Williams. Aget notched his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds in an 80-77 win over UNLV last Wednesday.
I.J. Ready, G, Mississippi State - The Bulldogs have lost four of their last six games, and the status of Ready, a versatile playmaker and catalyst for the offense, is currently up in the air. A leg injury followed by a freak back injury has limited the senior to all but two minutes on the court over the last three contests. Freshman Lamar Peters has already proven he can score the basketball, but will now have to prove he can consistently find his teammates for open looks as well. Peters did manage seven dimes in MSU's last game, a 64-59 triumph over Tennessee. Meanwhile, Ready's injury is not considered season-ending, but it remains to be seen when he will return to the hardwood.
