This article is part of our College Hoops Barometer series.
Happy New Year! With the calendar changing to 2025, that means a few things in terms of the college basketball landscape. The first is that conference play has begun in earnest. It will be interesting to see how the new "super conferences" shake out. The Big Ten, SEC and ACC have a staggering 18 schools apiece, while the Big 12 is not far behind with 16 programs. Even the A-10 is now stacked with 15 squads. There could be several teams in the big dance with losing records in their respective conferences based upon the new realignment. Speaking of the NCAA Tournament, a new year also means just a couple of months until March Madness. Now we should begin the process of separating the contenders from the pretenders.
Buckle up, roundball fans. This season is about to kick into high gear. Let's take a look at some players in the news in the inaugural College Hoops Barometer of 2025.
UPGRADE
Alijah Martin, G, Florida – The transfer from FAU played a pivotal role in allowing the Gators to knock off No. 1 Tennessee on Tuesday. With leading scorer Walter Clayton in foul trouble, Martin more than picked up the slack with 18 points and six rebounds in the stunning 73-43 thrashing of the Vols. Martin is averaging 16.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.9 steals per contest as a member of the Gators. Martin is second in all of these categories on the squad. After a slow start
Happy New Year! With the calendar changing to 2025, that means a few things in terms of the college basketball landscape. The first is that conference play has begun in earnest. It will be interesting to see how the new "super conferences" shake out. The Big Ten, SEC and ACC have a staggering 18 schools apiece, while the Big 12 is not far behind with 16 programs. Even the A-10 is now stacked with 15 squads. There could be several teams in the big dance with losing records in their respective conferences based upon the new realignment. Speaking of the NCAA Tournament, a new year also means just a couple of months until March Madness. Now we should begin the process of separating the contenders from the pretenders.
Buckle up, roundball fans. This season is about to kick into high gear. Let's take a look at some players in the news in the inaugural College Hoops Barometer of 2025.
UPGRADE
Alijah Martin, G, Florida – The transfer from FAU played a pivotal role in allowing the Gators to knock off No. 1 Tennessee on Tuesday. With leading scorer Walter Clayton in foul trouble, Martin more than picked up the slack with 18 points and six rebounds in the stunning 73-43 thrashing of the Vols. Martin is averaging 16.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.9 steals per contest as a member of the Gators. Martin is second in all of these categories on the squad. After a slow start to the season shooting the rock, Martin is hitting an even 50-percent of his shots from the floor over the last four contests. Even in the extremely difficult SEC, this has the chance to be a special season for Martin and the Gators.
Thomas Sorber, C, Georgetown – Sorber was a fairly highly touted recruit for the Hoyas, but he has still exceeded expectations during his first season at Georgetown. Sorber is averaging 15.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.2 blocks per clash. Sorber has tallied five double-doubles in 15 contests. In fact, he leads the Big East in rebounding and is second in the conference in blocks. Sorber's scintillating start along with the exploits of a talented trio of guards (Jayden Epps, Micah Peavy and Malik Mack) has the Hoyas among the biggest surprises of the season early on. He managed 11 points, 13 rebounds and five rejections in Tuesday's narrow loss to a very talented, ranked Marquette team.
Asa Newell, F, Georgia – Newell has been as good as advertised for the Bulldogs as a freshman. The 6-11 neophyte has scored in double figures in all but one game this season. In fact, he is averaging a robust 15.5 points per contest. Newell also has three double-doubles to his credit, managing 6.9 rebounds per tilt. Newell leads Georgia in both scoring and rebounding. He tallied a double-double in last Saturday's loss to a ranked Ole Miss squad, then subsequently led the Bulldogs in scoring in an upset win over top-10 team Kentucky. Georgia is off to a stellar start at 13-2, and Newell's contributions are one of the chief reasons for early season success.
Cameron Matthews, F, Mississippi State – Matthews does a little bit of everything for the Bulldogs. Mississippi State is turning heads with a 14-1 start, including 2-0 in conference action. Matthews is a certified stat sheet stuffer. He has scored in double figures four times this season, and has notched 13 rebounds apiece in two separate contests. Matthews leads the squad in assists at 4.1 dimes per contest, and also had a five-steal outing at the end of December. In fact, Matthews has notched at least two steals in 12 games this season. He also swatted three shots in MSU's win at Vandy on Tuesday, Shooting a blistering 61.8-percent from the field as well, Matthews is a jack of all trades for the Bulldogs, and the ultimate "glue guy".
CHECK STATUS
Mason Falslev, G/F, Utah State – Those pundits waiting for the other shoe to drop for the Aggies may be waiting for a while. Even after the injury to starting point guard Drake Allen, the Aggies continued to hum. Falslev is a sophomore who leads the squad in scoring and dishing, but his partner in crime Ian Martinez has been nearly as effective in both categories. Falslev also leads the Aggies in rebounding despite standing at just 6-3, which gives him the nod for the purposes of this article. Still, the duo has been simply fantastic thus far this season, as Utah State has surged to as 15-1 start, including an unblemished 5-0 in Mountain West play. With Allen back and a vast array of experienced hoopers filling out the remainder of the roster, the Aggies are a ranked squad that could be a force to be reckoned with come tourney time.
Roddy Gayle, G, Michigan – Gayle was sidelined for Tuesday's win over UCLA due to a knee ailment. It was the first missed outing for Gayle this season. The 6-5 junior had started all 14 games prior to Tuesday, accumulating 12.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per tilt. Gayle made the unpopular transfer from Ohio State, where he started 35 of 36 games last season for the Buckeyes. Gayle has fit in rather seamlessly with the reloaded Wolverines, as Michigan has cruised to a 4-0 start in the Big Ten. However, his injury status will need to be monitored, at least in the short term. At a minimum, Gayle should have the February 16th visit to his former school circled on his calendar, though he should return far sooner.
Anthony Robinson, G, Missouri – 'Tis the season for illnesses and unfortunately, Robinson was one of a plethora of players dealing with a bug. The sophomore missed the December 30th clash with Alabama State. Fortunately, the Tigers were able to handle business in an 82-65 win. Robinson returned on January 4th versus Auburn, but was clearly not himself, failing to score in 14 minutes of a dismal 84-68 loss. He rebounded Tuesday versus LSU, though, notching 16 points, four rebounds and four dimes in an 83-67 triumph over the Tigers. Robinson was a perfect 8-of-8 from the foul line. Robinson has started 12 of 14 games for Mizzou, averaging 10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals per tilt. Robinson leads the team in assists, is third on the squad in rebounding and fourth in scoring. Robinson will look to continue to build off of his return to health.
Owen Freeman, F, Iowa – Freeman missed a recent win over New Hampshire due to an ankle ailment. It was the second game of the season Freeman missed. The sophomore forward was Co-Freshman of the Year last season in the Big Ten, and has been even better in his second campaign with the Hawkeyes. Freeman is averaging 17.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and two blocks per tilt. Freeman leads the squad in all three categories. He is currently ninth in the conference in scoring. Freeman returned to the starting lineup in subsequent contests against Wisconsin and Nebraska, and while he reached double-figures in scoring in both games, his usage rate was not quite what is was pre-injury. Iowa will need him in peak shape if it is to contend in the 18-team Big Ten.
DOWNGRADE
Wade Taylor, G, Texas A&M – Taylor will miss his second game in four contests Wednesday for the Aggies with an undisclosed injury. The senior has been a mainstay during his time at A&M, starting 96 games over the last four years. Taylor's scoring has dipped this season, though, as he is averaging over three points fewer than last year. However, his assists are at a career-high, which could at least partially explain the scoring decline. The Aggies are riding an eight-game winning streak, but A&M will need the services of its floor general to make noise come March. Manny Obaseki started the last time Taylor was sidelined and tallied 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Malik Reneau, F, Indiana – Reneau has been shelved for the better part of the past two games due to a knee injury suffered in the early minutes of a contest on January 2nd against Rutgers. Reneau has been arguably the best player for the Hoosiers this season, averaging 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals per contest. He has started a total of 47 games over the past two seasons for Indiana. While the injury is not considered serious, Reneau has already missed two-straight conference clashes. Additionally, even when healthy, Reneau has battled foul trouble as a junior, which has caused him to average nearly four fewer minutes per game this season. Indiana has a talented frontcourt this season with Reneau, Oumar Ballo and Mackenzie Mgbako, but depth could be an issue if Reneau cannot return to full health.
