College Hoops Barometer: Bryce + Pryce Lead the Way

Happy New Year!  As we turn the page on another year, college basketball's top players move from intriguing, unique matchups to familiar conference action.  This is where the contenders are separated from the pretenders.  Which school played a cupcake schedule thus far and is not what it seems?  Which program is battle-tested and primed for the challenge?  Are there any surprises lurking?  

College Basketball Stock Report: Who's Hot to Start 2026

Let's take a look at some players who could have an impact in the first edition of the College Hoops Barometer of 2026.

UPGRADE - Top Risers in College Hoops

Malik Reneau, F, Miami – The 'Canes are one of the more interesting stories of the young season thus far.  New coach Jai Lucas brought in a bevy of big-time transfers, including Reneau.  Miami went 11-2 in non-conference play, with both losses coming to ranked squads (BYU and Florida).  However, Miami's non-conference slate was otherwise fairly soft, and the Hurricanes went down by double-digit to Pitt in the ACC opener before storming back for the victory.  Reneau is currently third in the ACC in scoring, shooting nearly 60-percent from the field.  Though Tre Donaldson will also have a say as to how good this 'Canes team can actually be, Reneau should ultimately be the deciding factor as to whether Miami can make the NCAA Tournament.

Barrington Hargress, G, Colorado – The Buffs snatched Hargress, a 20-point scorer at Cal-Riverside a season ago, from the transfer portal this offseason.  For a 6-1 guard, Hargress is shooting an absurd 58.5-percent from the field.  This includes 58.6-percent from three-point range.  The junior is far from a one-trick pony, though, as he also acts as the floor general en route to leading the team in assists as well.  Colorado currently sits at 11-3, though did not really test itself in non-conference action.  In a Big 12 with some juggernauts like Houston, Arizona, BYU and Iowa State, it will be interesting to see where the Buffs fit when all is said and done, and Hargress will likely play a crucial role.

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

Bryce Lindsay, G, Villanova – After struggling to navigate the post Jay Wright era, are the Wildcats back in business under Kevin Willard?  Lindsay was a transfer from JMU and has actually exceeded his production from last season thus far.  Lindsay leads the Wildcats in scoring at 16.9 points per clash.  The sharpshooter is taking a staggering 7.4 treys per contest.  Villanova and UConn are the only remaining undefeated squads in Big East play, and the Wildcats have only lost twice overall this season, both to current top 10 squads.  Multiple remaining dates with Connecticut and St. John's will be better gauges of this team's potential in March.

Pryce Sandfort, F, Nebraska – Some of the usual suspects in the Big Ten like Michigan, Purdue and Michigan State are currently top 15 squads.  Nebraska, on the other hand, was picked to finish 14th in the conference.  The game is not played on paper, though, and the Cornhuskers have been arguably the biggest surprise of the young campaign.  They currently sit at 15-0, including 4-0 in conference action.  The point guard is the coach's son, and mammoth big man Rienk Mast dominates the interior.  However, Sandfort's emergence has been perhaps the biggest factor in Nebraska's sudden ascendance.  He started just two games in two previous seasons at Iowa.  Meanwhile, Sandfort has started all 15 outings for Nebraska, nearly doubling last year's points per game figure to 15.9. He is also managing 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals per tilt.  It remains to be seen how long this fairy tale will last, but suffice it to say this unit has already exceeded expectations.

CHECK STATUS

Skyy Clark, G, UCLA – Clark left UCLA's contest over the weekend with hamstring cramps, did not suit up yesterday at Wisconsin, and remains questionable for Saturday's clash with Maryland.  The issue should not linger long-term, though, a welcome sign for a Burins squad that started the season 10-3 but has lost its last two Big Ten contests by a combined 21 points.  Clark is currently tied for second on the team in scoring with Donovan Dent, but is also second on the team in thievery and third in assists.  UKMC transfer Jamar Brown should see a few extra minutes until Clark returns.

Kerr Kriisa, G, Cincinnati – Kriisa is now at his fourth different school in six years, and his third different program in three seasons.  After starting over 30 games apiece at Arizona in back-to-back seasons in 2021 and 2022, Krissa has battled the injury bug in stints at West Virginia, Kentucky and now Cincinnati.  On the plus side, he has already played in more games this season (14) than all of last year at UK (9).  However, he missed Tuesday's clash with West Virginia due to a shoulder issue.  On the season, Kriisa is averaging 7.3 points and 3.8 dimes per tilt.  Unfortunately, his lack of availability has dimmed his proverbial star in recent years, and he will remain more of a complementary piece upon his return to the hardwood.

DOWNGRADE - Key College Basketball Injuries

Wesley Yates, G, Washington – Yates underwent wrist surgery and will be sidelined indefinitely for the Huskies.  The loss will loom large for U-Dub, as Yates was third on the team in scoring at 14.9 points per contest.  The USC transfer was also tied for the team lead with 1.6 steals per tilt.  The Huskies have limped to a 1-2 start in the Big Ten, and Yates had started every contest prior to the injury, including playing the second-most minutes per game on the squad.  Quimari Peterson has started the last three outings in place of Yates, though with mixed results.  Look for Desmond Claude and Zoom Diallo to pick up most of the slack in the absence of Yates.

Dedan Thomas, G, LSU – The UNLC transfer was spotted wearing a walking boot and has missed the last two games with a foot injury.  Though the ailment is not considered season-ending, Thomas could miss some time for the Tigers.  His production will be extremely difficult to replace.  Thomas led the Tigers in both scoring and dishing prior to the injury.  In fact, Thomas leads the entire SEC in assists by a fairly wide margin.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, LSU lost both games played without Thomas, the Tigers could be in for a rough stretch in an ultra-competitive conference.  Freshman Jalen Reece has started in place of Thomas, though has struggled mightily with his shot thus far.

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

Brandon Noel, F, Ohio State – Depth up front could be tested for the Buckeyes, as Noel will be shelved indefinitely with a foot ailment.  The transfer from Wright State started the first 10 games of the season for the Buckeyes, which included one double-double as well as a 29-point barrage in a win at Northwestern.  However, Noel had otherwise struggled with the step up in competition, and had been relegated to the bench prior to suffering the foot injury.  Noel was averaging just 7.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per clash.  By contrast, he averaged 19.0 points and 7.6 rebounds as the big fish in a small pond just a season ago.  Nevertheless, Noel provided solid minutes up front for OSU, and freshman Amare Bynum will be asked to pick up the slack without the services of Noel.

Sean Jones, G, Marquette – A turf toe injury has caused Jones to be shuffled in and out of the starting lineup, as well as in and out of street clothes, thus far this season.  Jones has appeared in eight games, three of which have been starts.  However, he has missed seven other contests, including the most recent loss to UConn.  With or without Jones, it has already been a trying season for the Golden Eagles, who are 5-10 overall, including 0-4 in the Big East.  Chase Ross and Nigel James will continue to do all they can to keep Marquette relevant, but admittedly this will be a difficult task regardless of whether Jones can return and provide a boost.