This article is part of our College Hoops Barometer series.
The SEC seems like it will have a say in determining this year's ultimate champion on the hardwood. Tennessee had the early season publicity in the SEC before Auburn and Florida came to the forefront of the national consciousness. While Auburn still looks like the cream of the crop in the conference, the Gators lost Tuesday to a Georgia squad that was 4-10 in the SEC prior to that contest. It would be foolish to write off Florida based upon this one loss, but the SEC currently has five schools with double-digit conference wins, and that does not include ranked squads like Texas A&M and Mississippi State. The sheer strength of the SEC is going to make decisions difficult on Selection Sunday; the mega-conference could have as many as 12 or 13 teams in the Big Dance.
In terms of surprising squads that could win the whole enchilada from this conference, Alabama seems to be overlooked despite residing in the top-10 for most of the season. The Tide have a huge non-conference win over likely Big 12 regular season champion Houston, along with a stellar 12-3 mark in SEC action. Mizzou has also turned some heads of late, beating Alabama as well as Florida. The Tigers are one of the highest scoring teams in the country, which could provide for a fun run through the NCAA Tournament. Mizzou has never reached the Final Four, making the Elite Eight five times, the last being in 2009. One thing is certain; the
The SEC seems like it will have a say in determining this year's ultimate champion on the hardwood. Tennessee had the early season publicity in the SEC before Auburn and Florida came to the forefront of the national consciousness. While Auburn still looks like the cream of the crop in the conference, the Gators lost Tuesday to a Georgia squad that was 4-10 in the SEC prior to that contest. It would be foolish to write off Florida based upon this one loss, but the SEC currently has five schools with double-digit conference wins, and that does not include ranked squads like Texas A&M and Mississippi State. The sheer strength of the SEC is going to make decisions difficult on Selection Sunday; the mega-conference could have as many as 12 or 13 teams in the Big Dance.
In terms of surprising squads that could win the whole enchilada from this conference, Alabama seems to be overlooked despite residing in the top-10 for most of the season. The Tide have a huge non-conference win over likely Big 12 regular season champion Houston, along with a stellar 12-3 mark in SEC action. Mizzou has also turned some heads of late, beating Alabama as well as Florida. The Tigers are one of the highest scoring teams in the country, which could provide for a fun run through the NCAA Tournament. Mizzou has never reached the Final Four, making the Elite Eight five times, the last being in 2009. One thing is certain; the top conference in the nation will bring plenty of firepower next month.
As the calendar turns to March, let's take a look at some players making headlines in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer.
UPGRADE
Dawson Garcia, F, Minnesota – Though the team results have been missing for the Golden Gophers, Garcia remains one of the top big men in the Big Ten. Garcia is second in the conference in scoring behind Northwestern's Nick Martinelli. Garcia has hit the 30-point mark three times this season, effectively adding a three-point shot to his low-post arsenal. He is close to an 80-percent foul shooter for his collegiate career as well. Garcia has also played all 40 minutes in three of the last four contests for Minnesota, showing his durability. Likewise, Garcia has notched seven double-doubles on the campaign. Garcia should continue to flex his muscle down the stretch as the Golden Gophers attempt to play spoiler.
Jamir Watkins, G, Florida State – One of the leading scorers in the ACC, Watkins has hit the 20-point mark in two-straight games, and 10 times overall this season. The 6-7 senior has been firing away from long range this season, shooting almost twice as many treys as he did just one year ago. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he is averaging a career-best 18.4 points per contest as a senior. Watkins is also a solid rebounder with 5.3 boards per tilt, and a capable playmaker to boot, dishing out 2.1 assists per clash as well. Especially with second-leading scorer Malique Ewin suffering an ankle injury last game for the Seminoles, the offense should continue to run through Watkins for the foreseeable future.
Collin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina – As referenced above, the SEC is extremely unforgiving, and the Gamecocks currently sit dead last in the conference with a putrid 1-14 record. Murray-Boyles has been a bright spot, though, and deserves individual kudos despite the team's struggles. The sophomore is one of the leading scorers and rebounder in the conference, notching 16.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per tilt. He has eight double-doubles on the season, including two in the last three outings. One of those double-doubles came in SC's first conference win, an 84-69 triumph over Texas. He tied a season-high with 27 points in Tuesday's loss to Mizzou. Murray-Boyles shot 10-for-11 from the floor and 7-of-7 from the charity stripe. Hats off to Murray-Boyles for the continued stellar efforts and outputs in the face of continuous defeats.
Oscar Cluff, C, South Dakota State – Cluff played more of a complementary role with Washington State a season ago, averaging 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds for the Cougars. Since shifting to the Jackrabbits, though, Cluff has assumed a starring role. The sophomore leads the nation in rebounding, pulling down 12.5 boards per clash. He has recorded four-straight double-doubles, and nine in his last 10 contests. He has 20 such outputs on his resume this season. Cluff is also managing 17.3 points per tilt, shooting a blistering 64-percent from the floor. The Australian product certainly has the Jackrabbits positioned for a run at the Summit League title and potentially its third NCAA Tournament appearance in the last four years.
CHECK STATUS
Arturo Dean, G, Oklahoma State – A transfer from FIU, Dean sparked the Cowboys to Tuesday's win over Iowa State. Dean stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and seven steals in the 74-68 upset. He started the season coming off the bench, but subsequently entered the starting lineup and has remained there in his past 14 games played. Known chiefly for his defensive prowess and dishing skills, the diminutive Dean has slowly worked his way towards more minutes as trust has been built with the coaching staff. His shooting still leaves something to be desired, and he is capable of the occasional clunker, but Dean's ability to impact the game in a variety of ways certainly makes him an intriguing option.
Max Klesmit, G, Wisconsin – The senior has been battling a nagging lower body injury, and he was forced to leave Tuesday's thrashing of Washington after just five minutes due to the ailment. Klesmit has been a consistent contributor for the Badgers during his time in Madison, starting every game (96 in total) over the past three years since transferring from Wofford. Though his long-range shooting has taken a nosedive this season, Klesmit is still averaging 9.7 points per tilt along with a career-best 2.7 dimes per tilt. The Badgers have won six of their last seven games to position themselves nicely for an NCAA Tournament berth, but they may have to deal with the loss of Klesmit in the short term. Kamari McGee and Jack Janicki could see additional minutes if Klesmit is sidelined.
Coleman Hawkins, F, Kansas State – Hawkins is likely to miss his second-straight contest for the Wildcats while battling a knee injury. The Illinois transfer has become the primary catalyst for the KSU offense this season, averaging a stellar 4.5 assists per contest. Hawkins is also averaging a career-best 6.7 rebounds per game. Unfortunately his shot still leaves something to be desired. Hawkins is shooting under 40-percent from the field for the first time since his freshman campaign with the Illini, and his three-point percentage has plummeted to close to 30-percent. The talented 6-10 senior continues to prove a matchup nightmare when healthy due to his size and skill set, but his status for the remainder of the regular season remains very much in doubt.
DOWNGRADE
Jamal Mashburn, G, Temple – The son of the legendary Kentucky forward bearing the same name, the younger Mashburn was one of the top scorers in the country before a lower body injury derailed his season. Mashburn has missed five of the last six games for the Owls, and his future status is currently unknown. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Temple has lost each of the last six games, in which Mashburn was either sidelined or clearly not healthy. With just three regular season games remaining, the injury and subsequent slide has put Temple's postseason chances in serious jeopardy. A return for Mashburn is not out of the question, but the Owls would likely have to run the table even if he did in order to gain entry in the field of 68.
Matt Allocco, G, Notre Dame – The Princeton transfer has been shelved for five of the last six games for the Irish due to a wrist issue. A member of the first Princeton squad to make the Sweet 16 in over 50 years, Allocco continued to put up similar numbers for Notre Dame prior to the injury. Allocco was averaging 9.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per tilt, having started 21 of 22 contests. Notre Dame has struggled this season, limping to a 12-15 record, and the absence of Allocco of late certainly has not helped matters. Markus Burton continues to shoulder the lion's share of the load in the backcourt.
