College Hoops Barometer: Mayo, Ejiofor Stuffing Box Scores

Michigan State has been simply scorching of late.  The Spartans are riding a 13-game winning streak for the first time in six years.  Depth has been the strong suit for MSU.  Jaden Akins is the only player averaging double-figures in points, but the Spartans have a staggering 10 players managing at least 15 minutes played per tilt.  In the same vein, unselfishness shows for this squad, as the Spartans are currently ninth in the country in assists per contest.  Michigan State is also among the top rebounding teams in the country, while also averaging over 81 points per game as a unit.  Michigan State also has a nice mix of youth (freshmen Jeremy Fears and Jase Richardson) and veteran experience (Akins, Frankie Fidler and Tre Holloman, among others).  The Big Ten schedule gets considerably tougher in February with matchups against three ranked squad in the first two weeks of the month, but this Spartans squad looks poised to not only weather the storm but make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Let's take a look at some players making waves in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Zeke Mayo, G, Kansas – Hunter Dickinson gets the pub and notoriety for the Jayhawks, but Mayo has barely missed a beat since coming over from South Dakota State.  Despite the step up in competition from his time with the Jackrabbits, Mayo is averaging 15.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists thus far this season.  He tallied 24 points, nine rebounds and five dimes in Tuesday's win over UCF.  Mayo canned a season-best six triples in the 91-87 win, helping Kansas avoid back-to-back losses at home for the first time in over 35 years.  If Dajuan Harris misses any more time due to an ankle ailment, Mayo would be in prime position to pick up the slack there as well.

Zuby Ejiofor, F, St. John's – The Red Storm are a force to be reckoned with this season.  The Johnnies have won seven-straight and 13 of their last 14 contests.  Ejiofor has been incredibly consistent in the frontcourt, scoring double-digits in 13-consecutive contests.  He has also grabbed at least seven rebounds in 18-straight tilts.  Overall, he has six double-doubles as a junior.  St. John's has retooled through the transfer portal, and perhaps most impressively, the Johnnies have been ripping off wins of late without floor general Deivon Smith on the court.  Smith has missed three of the last four games due to a shoulder injury.  If Smith returns to health, this could be a dangerous squad come tourney time.

Chance McMillian, G, Texas Tech – McMillian mostly came off the bench last season for the Red Raiders, but he has started every contest this year.  His efficiency and shot-making from the floor has been most notable.  McMillian is shooting career-highs both from the field (55.4-percent) as well as from three-point land (47.4-percent).  In fact, he leads the conference in three-point shooting percentage.  McMillian has scored in double-figures in all but two games this season.  He has also played much bigger than his 6-3 height of late, snatching at least six rebounds in four of the last six outings for Texas Tech.  The Red Raiders have won four in a row, six of their last and are currently ranked in the Top 25.  McMillian is one of the chief reasons for the team's success.

Gibson Jimerson, G, Saint Louis – Gibson Jimerson is taking the Animal House or Van Wilder route, as he is currently in his sixth season with the Billikens.  Jimerson has started a staggering 137 games during his time at Saint Louis, and he has remained steadily productive throughout.  In fact, he is having arguably his best season, averaging 17.6 points and 4.4 rebounds, both career-bests.  He poured in 26 points in Tuesday's win over VCU, which moved the Billikens near the top of the standings in the Atlantic 10.  Saint Louis has won seven of its last nine contests overall, and Jimerson, Isaiah Swope and Cream Abdul-Jabbar (Robbie Avila) have Saint Louis legitimately eyeing an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 2019.

See how these rising players stack up among other power conference talent in RotoWire's fantasy college basketball rankings.

CHECK STATUS

Mark Sears, G, Alabama – Sears shockingly was held scoreless over the weekend versus LSU.  The Tide still managed to vanquish the Tide by a score of 80-73.  Sears remains one of the top guards in the SEC, if not the country, but we would be remiss if we did not point out that he is shooting a career-low 39.6-percent from the field this season.  He is also hitting just 34.8-percent from three-point land.  Sears continues to get to the charity stripe with great frequency, and his shot from the foul line has remained true and kept his scoring average afloat.  Still, this is the second time this season he was held scoreless in a game for 'Bama.  Nevertheless, Alabama has a deep, extremely talented squad around Sears, which allows him to have the occasional off night.  Look for Sears to rebound in a big way as well as the schedule stiffens; Alabama plays an astounding seven ranked opponents to end the regular season.

Matthew Cleveland, G, Miami – With coach Jim Larranaga stepping down earlier this season, the Hurricanes have had a simply disastrous campaign.  Winless in the ACC and with just four wins overall on the year, this squad is a far cry from the Miami team that went to the Final Four just two years ago.  However, Cleveland has been one of the few bright spots for the 'Canes.  He has scored at least 30 points in two of the last three games.  Sandwiched in between those outings was a 23-point performance against Stanford.  Cleveland is averaging a career-high 15.1 points per contest and should continue to see plenty of shots for the shorthanded, underachieving 'Canes down the stretch.

Tyler Bilodeau, F, UCLA – Bilodeau missed Monday's victory at USC due to an ankle injury initially suffered in the previous clash with Washington.  While the ailment is not considered serious, Bilodeau is in danger of missing crucial conference matchups in the short term as UCLA attempts to navigate its first season as a member of the Big Ten.  The Bruins are more than respectable at 6-4 in conference play, but Bilodeau is the leading scorer for the squad, so UCLA can ill afford an extended absence for the Oregon State transfer.  However, 7-3 sophomore Aday Mara stepped into the starting lineup in place of Bilodeau and shined, tallying 12 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks, so perhaps the Bruins may not be as shorthanded as initially thought if Bilodeau continues to be sidelined.

Check out how injuries are affecting the status of other players & teams on RotoWire's college basketball injury report.

DOWNGRADE

BJ Freeman, G, Arizona State – Freeman was forced out of Tuesday's win at Colorado due to an apparent leg injury.  The severity of the ailment is currently unknown.  The transfer from Wisconsin-Milwaukee had predictably seen his scoring dip with the level-up in competition, but was still averaging 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per tilt prior to the injury.  Freeman leads the squad in scoring and is second in dishing, so an extended absence would certainly not bode well for the Sun Devils, who are already scuffling in their first season in the Big 12 at 3-6 in conference action. Fortunately, ASU did just get talented freshman Joson Sanon back from an injury of his own, but it could still be a struggle for the Sun Devils down the stretch if the injury bug continues to rear its ugly head.  Arizona State only played an eight-man rotation even when everyone was completely healthy.

Dre Davis, G, Ole Miss – Davis missed the last game for the Rebels due to an undisclosed injury.  On his third school after stops at Louisville and Seton Hall, Davis started 36 of 37 contests last season for the Pirates en route to averages of 15.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per clash.  His shooting has suffered since transferring to Mississippi, both in terms of efficiency as well as opportunities.  For starters, he is taking four fewer shots per contest as compared to a season ago.  Likewise, even when receiving the opportunity to shoot, Davis has been off.  He is hitting just 44.3-percent from the floor and 32.5-percent from three-point range.  Perhaps most startlingly, Davis was an 85-percent free-throw shooter during his time at Seton Hall, but is managing just 67.7-percent from the charity stripe this season, which is a career-low.  Davis has scored a combined 11 points over the last three games.  Whether injury, inconsistency or something else entirely, Davis has struggled to find any sort of scoring rhythm with the Rebels.