College Hoops Barometer: Risers & Fallers

The big men have received a lot of the publicity thus far this season, especially with the return stalwarts Armando Bacot, Hunter Dickinson and Zach Edey to the college ranks.  However, the leading scorer amongst the power conferences is actually a smaller player, Washington's Keion Brooks.  Though Brooks is still a forward listed at 6-7, the development of his outside shot has been part of the reason for his uptick in scoring this season.  Brooks is shooting 35-percent from three-point range to begin the year.  While that percentage may not be viewed as anything notable, Brooks failed to shoot over 29-percent in any previous season, whether at Kentucky or at Washington.  Brooks is also getting to the charity stripe with increased frequency as well, managing a career-best 6.8 free-throw attempts per contest.  The addition of two quality point guards via the transfer portal in the form of Sahvir Wheeler and Paul Mulcahy has also played a role in finding easier looks for Brooks.  Points should continue to come in bunches for Brooks.

Let's take a look at some other noteworthy names in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer.  Happy Thanksgiving!

UPGRADE

Osasere Ighodaro, F/C, Marquette – The Golden Eagles dispatched of No. 1 Kansas on Tuesday during a heated Maui Invitational clash, and the senior Ighodaro was arguably the chief reason for the Marquette victory.  Ighodaro collected 21 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the 73-59 triumph over the Jayhawks.  Through five games, Ighodaro is averaging career-bests of 14.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per tilt.  This includes a double-double earlier in the season versus Rider.  Tyler Kolek gets the notoriety as the catalyst for the offense, and Kam Jones is the squad's leading scorer, but the dominant interior play of Ighodaro early on this season has had just as much of an impact.

Graham Ike, F, Gonzaga – Ike sat out the entire 2022-2023 campaign while at Wyoming due to a foot injury, then chose to transfer to the 'Zags.  He averaged 19.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per tilt during his only full season at Wyoming, and Ike's potential has been on display through four contests with his new school.  Ike has already collected two double-doubles, including 16 points, 14 rebounds and four steals against Syracuse on Tuesday, simply overwhelming the Orange frontcourt of sophomore Chirs Bell and 7-4 Naheem McLeod.  The step up in competition from the Mountain West has posed little issue to Ike thus far, and it appears he is also fully recovered from the aforementioned foot ailment.  Ike should be a double-double candidate each and every time he steps onto the hardwood.

Terrence Edwards, G, James Madison – Edwards has been simply sensational for the Dukes, as the squad is currently undefeated and ranked in the top 25.  The 6-6- junior is averaging 21.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists thus far this season.  He notched 24 points in the stunning season-opening win against Michigan State, then followed up that performance with nearly a triple-double in the subsequent win versus Kent State.  With TJ Bickerstaff manning the interior and two other starters averaging double figures, not to mention the contributions of South Dakota State transfer Noah Freidel, the Dukes could be poised to be the surprise squad of the 2023-2024 campaign.

Tucker DeVries, G, Drake – DeVries was instrumental in Drake's success last season, but he has arguably been even better to begin this year.  DeVries is averaging 21.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per contest.  He lit up Akron for 33 points in Tuesday's 79-59 thrashing of the Zips.  Always an elite scorer, DeVries has been working on getting his teammates more involved thus far this season.  He is averaging nearly double the assists as compared to a season ago.  This Bulldogs squad may not be as well-rounded as the NCAA Tournament team from last year, though, meaning DeVries will have to take on even more responsibility.  That should continue to yield impressive numbers for the 6-7 junior.

CHECK STATUS

Fletcher Loyer, G, Purdue – The younger brother of former Michigan State and Davidson guard Foster, the younger Loyer has already shown the growth of his game as a sophomore, though continues to battle inconsistency.  In Monday's 73-63 win over Gonzaga, Loyer could not buy a bucket.  He went 0-for-6 from the field, including 0-of-3 from three-point range.  Fast forward to Tuesday's battle with Tennessee, and Loyer poured in 27 points, tying his previous career-high set last year.  This including 10-of-11 from the foul line in the 71-67 victory over the Vols.  The skill of Loyer is evident, he simply needs to bring it on a nightly basis.

J'Wan Roberts, F, Houston – The Cougars lost three of five starters from last year's squad that earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.  Roberts is the only holdover in the frontcourt, though the senior has only been mediocre to begin the season.  While he did notch a double-double against Utah in the Charleston Classic, Roberts has collected over 10 points in just two of the first six outings of the season.  Though Roberts currently leads the squad in rebounding, his numbers are still merely in line with his statistics from a season ago.  Perhaps Roberts will flex his muscle a bit more with the additional opportunities once the competition stiffens, but for now, the vacuum created by the departures from last year's team has not yet fully paid dividends for Roberts and his production.

Lazar Stefanovic, F, UCLA – Stefanovic has similarly been logging heavy minutes for the Bruins, but the ensuing production has only been modest.  The Utah transfer is playing seven more minutes per game than he did a season ago, yet is still only averaging around 10 points, while also managing fewer assists per contest.  His rebound figures have improved, but his shooting percentage has not.  As Stefanovic continues to see plenty of time on the hardwood, his floor should remain high, but he has not quite tapped into all of his potential at this time.

Bryce Thompson, G, Oklahoma State – Thompson has missed the last two games for the Cowboys due to a leg injury.  Thompson started all 36 games played last year for Oklahoma State, averaging 11.8 points per contest.  He was off to a fast start prior to the injury as well, shooting 50-percent from both the field as well as three-point territory.  Junior Javon Small has been shouldering the increased scoring burden in Thompson's absence, tallying 45 points over the last two outings.  While Thompson's injury is not considered serious, the Cowboys could exercise caution with him in the short term.

DOWNGRADE

Coleman Hawkins, F, Illinois – This year was supposed to be the breakout campaign for Hawkins, who started all 33 games for the Illini a season ago, and even tested NBA waters before ultimately deciding to return to school.  The 6-10 senior flashed his versatility a season ago, including tallying a triple-double versus Syracuse.  However, he struggled shooting the ball through the first three games of this year, then suffered a knee injury, which has kept him sidelined for the last two contests.  The severity of the injury is currently unknown.  Hawkins has the ability to impact the game in a variety of ways, but, of course, he needs to be on the floor for that to happen.

Devin Askew, G, California – Askew has been nursing a foot injury of late, which has caused him to miss the last two games for the Bears.  Though the injury does not appear serious, he missed a large majority of last season due to a sports hernia.  When healthy, Askew was the leading scorer for Cal, averaging 15.5 points per tilt.  He had gotten off to a slow start this season, averaging just 10 points per contest prior to the foot issue.  Askew has the potential to not only contribute in the scoring column, but also on the glass and with assists.  However, that is clearly contingent upon his health.