College Hoops Barometer: Lanier, Fland, Wolf Rising

While it is way too early to try and make sense over the standings or rankings, there have certainly been some surprises to begin the 2024-2025 campaign, perhaps none greater than Oklahoma.  The Sooners were predicted by most outlets to finish 15th of 16 schools in their first basketball season in the SEC.  While conference play has not begun just yet, those pundits might end up mistaken.  Oklahoma is one of only three undefeated SEC squads left.  While the Sooners do have their fair share of wins over patsies, Oklahoma has also beaten Arizona, Louisville, Georgia Tech and Providence en route to a 9-0 start.  The Sooners are led by freshman sensation Jeremiah Fears, who originally committed to Illinois for 2025 but reclassified and instead enrolled at Oklahoma to begin the 2024 school year.  The leading scorer for the Sooners is actually forward Jalon Moore, though, who is in his second season at Oklahoma.  The season is still young, and SEC play is likely to be an unforgiving gauntlet.  That being said, whether due to the reclassification of Fears or simply undervaluing the remainder of Oklahoma's roster, the Sooners could be far better than anticipated when all is said and done.

Let's highlight some notable player performances in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Chaz Lanier, G, Tennessee – The transfer from North Florida has not missed a beat in his first season with the Vols.  Lanier is leading the squad in scoring at 19.1 points per tilt.  He is shooting a blistering 48.6-percent from three-point land.  Lanier has scored at least 22 points in four of the last five outings.  Lanier averaged 19.7 points during his final season at North Florida, so the step up in competition certainly does not appear to be bothering him thus far.  Tennessee remains undefeated and is currently ranked No. 1 in the country, with Lanier's shooting prowess a huge reason why, especially when taking into account the void he has filled from the departed Dalton Knecht.

Boogie Fland, G, Arkansas – The freshman from the Bronx is the catalyst for coach John Calipari's squad.  Fland tallied 20 points and seven dimes in Tuesday's 89-87 victory over Michigan in something of a homecoming in the Jimmy V Classic played at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  Fland chose not to stay local for school, though, and was the prized recruit in the revamped squad for his famous (or perhaps infamous) coach.  In a stacked freshmen class, he has not disappointed thus far this season.

Danny Wolf, C, Michigan – Speaking of the Wolverines, Wolf nearly tallied a triple-double in the aforementioned contest with the Razorbacks.  The Yale transfer accumulated 14 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in defeat.  A seven-footer with guard skills, including a deft passing touch and an unsurprisingly exceptional basketball IQ, Wolf can impact the game in a variety of ways.  He has notched four double-doubles this season, swatted five shots in a recent win over Wisconsin, and is averaging 3.5 assists per tilt.  Wolf and fellow seven-footer Vladislav Goldin give the Wolverines a mammoth, talented front line usually unseen in the likes of college basketball.

Jason Edwards, G, Vanderbilt – Edwards can really fill it up.  From Dodge City Community College to North Texas and now Vandy, Edwards has a nose for the bucket.  Despite shuffling between the bench and the starting rotation with the Commodores, Edwards is averaging over 19 points per game in only 24.6 minutes of action per contest.  He scored 30 points in 28 minutes off the bench over the weekend in an 83-74 triumph over TCU.  Edwards has a knack for getting to the foul line, as witnessed by his 13-of-14 line from the charity stripe in his most recent outing.  Overall, Edwards is third in the SEC in scoring.  Alongside fellow transfers AJ Hoggard and Devin McGlockton, Edwards has the Commodores off to an impressive 9-1 start to the season.

CHECK STATUS

Andrej Stojakovic, F, California – The move down the coast from Stanford has boosted Stojakovic's game to new heights.  Peja's son played more of a complementary role last year with the Cardinal, averaging just 7.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per contest.  He transferred to Cal and has become the focal point of the Golden Bears attack.  Stojakovic is averaging 18.8 points through 10 games.  He scored 25 points against his former school over the weekend.  He is currently third in the ACC in scoring.  Cal could struggle this season, perhaps as evidenced by their loss Tuesday to Cornell, but Stojakovic should keep firing from the field regardless.

Kobe Johnson, G, UCLA – Another in-state transfer story, Johnson moved from USC to UCLA this offseason.  Though he will never be much of a scorer, Johnson can be a stat-sheet stuffer.  He is managing 7.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals per contest.  Johnson had a performance against Cal-State Fullerton earlier this year in which he tallied 12points, six rebounds, five assists and six steals in the 80-47 win.  With fellow transfer Tyler Bilodeau manning the frontcourt, the Bruins are off to a 2-0 start in their new conference, the Big Ten, which now consists of a staggering 18 schools.

Lamont Butler, G, Kentucky – The veteran Butler of previous San Diego State fame is in his first season with the Wildcats after playing in 131 games with the Aztecs.  Butler is second on the team in scoring behind Oklahoma transfer Otega Oweh, though missed Kentucky's last game due to an ankle injury.  The ailment is not considered serious, though two of the next four contests for the Wildcats are against subpar caliber opponents, so coach Mark Pope could choose to be cautious with Butler in the short term. Butler has flashed his versatility through eight games with Kentucky, posting career-highs in points, rebounds and assists, while shooting an extremely efficient 55.1-percent from the floor.

DOWNGRADE

Tucker DeVries, F, West Virginia – DeVries will be sidelined indefinitely due to a non-specified upper body injury.  The Drake transfer has been excellent in his first season with the Mountaineers prior to the injury, averaging 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per contest.  DeVries was off to a particularly hot start from beyond the arc, shooting 47.3-percent from three-point range.  Eduardo Andre entered the starting lineup in place of DeVries last game and tallied three points, eight rebounds, two steals and four blocks in the 79-45 thrashing of North Carolina Central.  That being said, even most of the added pressure will be felt by standout guard Javon Small.

Jayden Dawson, G, Loyola-Chicago – Dawson started all eight games for the Ramblers before injuring his ankle just one minute into their last contest, a thrilling 74-72 win over South Florida.  Dawson is expected to miss the next 4-6 weeks due to the ankle issue, a disheartening blow to the currently 8-0 squad.  Dawson is second on the team in scoring, averaging 12 points per contest.  He also leads the team in steals.  Look for Sheldon Edwards and Jalen Quinn to see more minutes in Dawson's absence.  Fortunately, though, the Ramblers could have Dawson back in time for A-10 conference play if his recovery goes smoothly.

Caleb Grill, G, Missouri – A neck injury will sideline Grill for the foreseeable future.  For those uninformed, Grill had a scary midair collision involving his head and neck towards the end of November in a win over Lindenwood.  He was placed on a stretcher and taken to the hospital directly from the game.  Thankfully, Grill appears to have avoided serious injury, but he remains sidelined due to the nature of the injury.  Grill was the second-leading scorer for the Tigers behind Tamar Bates prior to the injury.  Surprisingly, Mizzou knocked off Kansas last game without services of Grill, as Bates poured in 29 points in the 76-67 upset of the Jayhawks.  It will be interesting to see if Bates catches fire in the absence of Grill, though sophomore Anthony Robinson also appears capable of helping to pick up the slack.