College Hoops Barometer: Risers & Fallers

The Texas Longhorns are on quite a run.  Just one week after absolutely destroying Kansas on the road, Texas won a thriller as the visitor against another ranked opponent, this time in the form of the West Virginia Mountaineers.  Andrew Jones nailed the game-winning three-pointer to give the Longhorns the victory, pushing their winning streak to six games.  Texas has just one loss on the season, and that is to highly touted Villanova by four points in early December.  

Though Texas won the NIT in 2019, coach Shaka Smart has been on the hot seat after missing the NCAA Tournament in 2017 as well as 2019.  In fact, even when they made the big dance in 2015, 2016 and 2018, the Longhorns did not have much success.  In fact, Texas hasn't won a single March Madness contest since Smart assumed the position of head coach in 2015.  That appears likely to change this season, as the Longhorns are turning into a juggernaut.  They have the feel-good story in Jones, the cancer survivor.  A group of upperclassmen in Matt Coleman, Courtney Ramey and Jericho Sims hungry for tournament glory before their time in Austin comes to an end.  And impactful freshman Greg Brown, who is freakishly athletic and could end up as a "One-And-Done" NBA lottery pick this June.  

Texas will face Baylor and Kansas in February in matchups which could determine the Big 12 title.  The Bears may be slight favorites as of right now, but the Big 12 is looking fierce as things stand, and Texas figures strongly into that mix for the first time in several years.

Here are some other names making waves in this week's College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

 Sharife Cooper, G, Auburn 

The freshman was cleared by the NCAA and his impact was immediate.  Cooper poured in 26 points to go along with four rebounds, nine assists and three steals Saturday against Alabama.  Though the Tigers dropped the contest by a score of 94-90, it was clear that Cooper is going to be a special player for Auburn.  The point guard is incredibly quick, can score from anywhere on the court and is a superb passer to boot.  He should provide a huge boost for the Tigers, who currently sit at 0-4 in SEC Conference play.

 Trayce Jackson-Davis, F, Indiana 

The sophomore has notched three-straight double-doubles for the Hoosiers.  Jackson-Davis is averaging a robust 20.0 points and 12.7 rebounds during that span, which includes two wins and a double-overtime loss to highly-ranked Wisconsin.  Jackson-Davis had 12 double-doubles as a freshman, and already has five such outputs through 13 games for Indiana.  Overall, Jackson-Davis is fifth in the Big Ten in scoring, third in rebounding and third in blocks.  If not for the fact he plays in the same conference as Luka Garza and on a mediocre squad, Jackson-Davis would be getting much more pub for Big Ten Player of the Year.

 Evan Mobley, F/C, USC 

Mobley has lived up to his billing as one of the top freshmen in the nation.  The seven-footer has registered three-straight double-doubles for the Trojans.  Mobley also swatted six shots in back-to-back games, flexing his muscle on the interior.  Mobley is a perfect big man for this day and age.  He's long and athletic, can step back and shoot the three, while also unafraid to challenge shots at the rim.  A likely lottery pick in this June's NBA Draft, for now Evan will team with his older brother Isaiah in an attempt to get USC to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017.

 PJ Pipes, G, Green Bay 

With a fantastic name that sounds more like a video game character, Pipes already has some notoriety in the Phoenix community.  He can also really shoot, though.  Pipes is shooting 42.5-percent from three-point land.  Perhaps even more impressive, Pipes has yet to miss a foul shot this season.  He is a perfect 30-for-30 from the charity stripe.  He is third on the squad in scoring.  Add in career-highs of 4.4 boards and 2.7 dimes per contest, and Pipes has taken his game to new heights as a senior.  Despite standing at just 6-foot-2, Pipes leads the team in rebounding. He is also tied for second in dishing.  The versatile game with the catchy name, Pipes is one of three talented guards for the Phoenix that have led Green Bay to a three-game winning streak.

CHECK STATUS

 Franz Wagner, G/F, Michigan 

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the surging Wolverines, who are one of only three remaining unbeaten teams in the Top 25.  Wagner is the younger brother of former Michigan star Moritz, and it appears the genes run similarly among the siblings.  Franz is an exceptional rebounder; he is averaging 7.1 boards per contest and has recorded two double-doubles in his last three outings, all wins against ranked opponents.  Michigan won its last three games by an average of 23.3 points.  Franz is a superb passer for his size, too, managing 3.0 assists per tilt.  He is also one of three Wolverines averaging double figures in points this season, and is averaging 16.0 points over the last five games.  The sophomore's stock appears on the rise, though Michigan has so much talent in the frontcourt with Hunter Dickinson and Isaiah Livers that it is possible Wagner gets lost in the shuffle now and again.

 Cameron Thomas, G, LSU 

Thomas has been a scoring dynamo for the Tigers as a freshman, as he currently leads the SEC in scoring at 22.3 points per outing.  While he attempts the most three-pointers per game in the conference, he is also adept at getting to the free-throw line.  Thomas is money from the charity stripe, shooting 91.2 percent on foul shots, which also leads the SEC.  Unfortunately, Thomas injured his ankle Saturday versus Ole Miss, playing just four minutes.  His status is up in the air for Wednesday's clash with Arkansas.  In the three SEC games prior to the injury, Thomas averaged an impressive 28.7 points per tilt.  Though not a huge contributor in other statistical categories, he still manages 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per contest.  Still, Thomas is a scorer at heart.  As the old adage goes, "Shooters gonna shoot".  Thomas just may have to wait a few extra days to keep shooting.

 Caleb Murphy, G, USF 

Murphy has been dealing with a hip pointer, and was clearly ailing in Saturday's win at East Carolina.  The freshman finished with a season-low two points, though the Bulls were still able to triumph over the Pirates by a score of 69-63.  Murphy is one of just three players for South Florida averaging double-figures in points, while also placing second in the team in assists with 3.5 dimes per tilt.  He is tied for 10th in the conference in dishing.  While it does not appear Murphy will miss any time due to the injury, it has the possibility of negatively affecting his output, and upcoming clashes with Houston and Wichita State won't help either.  The freshman may hit a bit of a wall for the near future.

 Marcus Zegarowski, G, Creighton 

Less than a week after singing the praises of Zegarowski and the Bluejays, the Barometer jinx struck again.  Zegarowski was forced to miss Saturday's battle with St. John's due to a hamstring injury.  The Bluejays had no trouble dispatching of the Johnnies, but if Creighton is truly attempting to make noise this season, the squad will need Zegarowski at his physical peak.  Creighton can afford to exercise caution with upcoming games against Providence and Butler, both of which have losing records currently in the Big East.  However, the Bluejays would certainly like to have Zegarowski back for a January 23rd matchup with Connecticut.  Senior Denzel Mahoney leads Creighton in scoring and registered 24 points in Zegarowski's absence last game.

DOWNGRADE

 Jemarl Baker, G, Arizona 

Baker will miss the rest of the season for the Wildcats due to a broken hand.  He suffered the injury in Saturday's loss to UCLA.  The junior had a couple of monster scoring outputs earlier in the season, notching 33 points against Northern Arizona in late November, then scoring 29 points in a narrow loss at Stanford in December.  In fact, the junior was the second-leading scorer for the Wildcats prior to going down with the injury.  It could be a surprisingly mediocre season for Arizona due to a combination of injuries and departures to the NBA from last year's squad.  As an aside, watch out for freshman Azuolas Tubelis.  The 6-foot-11 Lithuanian has combined for 46 points in his last two games, while averaging eight rebounds over his last four contests.

 Makai Ashton-Langford, G, Boston College 

The Providence transfer has missed the last four games for the Eagles due to a knee issue.  Ashton-Langford was filling up the box score prior to the injury, averaging 9.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.9 steals per contest.  He was tied for seventh in the ACC in steals before getting hurt.  BC is off to an absolutely dreadful start this season, with a record sitting at just 3-9, including 1-5 in conference action.  Oddly, Ashton-Langford's younger brother, DeMarr Langford, has started in his place the last three games for the Eagles and managed 10.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals during that time period.  Certainly the Eagles would like to have both brothers back in the lineup soon, though there is currently no timetable for Ashton-Langford's return. 

 CJ Walker, G, Ohio State 

A nagging right hand ailment sidelined Walker for Saturday's win at Rutgers, and could see the starting point guard for the Buckeyes miss even more time.  In his second season in Columbus since transferring from Florida State, Walker is averaging 8.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.  Oddly, Walker's shooting numbers from the field have taken a precipitous nosedive, though certainly the issue with his right hand could be playing a role this season.  He is shooting a putrid 30.1 percent from the floor, including just 20 percent from three-point range.  Perhaps even more curious, though, is the fact that it hasn't affected his free-throw shooting.  Walker has hit 42-of-43 (97.1 percent) from the foul line thus far this season, leading the Big Ten by a wide margin (teammate Duane Washington is second at 91.7-percent).  Maybe Walker just needs to work on his shot selection and efficiency.  However, he won't be able to do that if his hand doesn't heal up, and soon.

Herb Jones, F, Alabama 

The good news?  The Tide improved to 5-0 in SEC conference play with a win Tuesday against Kentucky.  The bad news?  Jones left the game with a hand injury, as did center Jordan Bruner with a knee issue.  While Jones did not break his hand, coach Nate Oats reported that Jones was likely to miss some game action due to the injury.  The senior Jones was leading the Tide in rebounding while placing fourth in scoring at 12.1 points per outing. Villanova transfer Jahvon Quinerly was also sidelined Tuesday due to an undisclosed illness, leaving Alabama possibly shorthanded in the near future.  Look for Alex Reese and James Rojas to fill some of the minutes vacated by Jones.