College Hoops Barometer: Risers & Fallers

The feeling in recent years is that the Pac-12 has become somehow inferior to the other major conferences.  Is that warranted?  The overall statistics may have a point.  The Pac-12 has had just one Final Four appearance in the last decade (Oregon, 2017).  The last National Champion from the conference?  Arizona in 1997.  Since the inception of the current version of the conference in 2010, the Pac-12's won-loss record in the NCAA Tournament is 26-24, or a winning percentage of just .520.  Taking an even longer view, since 2000, the Pac-12 has the fewest wins, Sweet 16 and Final Four appearances of the six major conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East and SEC).

In 2019, the last time the NCAA Tournament was held, the Pac-12 had just three bids, and even that was viewed as generous.  According to Joe Lunardi of ESPN, the Pac-12 would have five bids into the big dance if the tourney started today.  Yet only one school (USC) is currently ranked.  Rankings are inherently subjective and each season stands on its own, but it appears that the mediocre performance of the conference in recent years is certainly playing a role in how teams in the Pac-12 are being viewed.

Let's take a look at some players making headlines in this week's edition of the College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Aaron Henry, G, Michigan State

This season hasn't quite gone as planned for the Spartans, though Henry has provided something of a silver lining.  Henry was able to halt Michigan State's four-game losing streak with a versatile performance Saturday against Nebraska, tallying 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks in the 66-56 triumph over the Cornhuskers.  In the prior contest at Iowa, Henry did all he could to keep the Spartans within striking distance, compiling 24 points, nine rebounds and five dimes in an 84-78 loss to the Hawkeyes.  Henry has scored in double figures in all but two games this season, and has reached the 20-point mark in three of the last seven outings.  In the last three tilts, Henry is managing 20.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.3 dimes.  Sparty is in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997, but it certainly won't be Henry's fault if they do.

Rasir Bolton, G, Iowa State

It's been largely a season to forget for the Cyclones, who currently are winless in Big 12 conference play.  Bolton has been one of the few bright spots, though.  The junior who began his collegiate career at Penn State but left amid tumultuous circumstances has found a new home in Ames.  With Tyrese Haliburton now in the NBA, Bolton has assumed the lead role for the Cyclones.  He has scored in double figures in all but one game this season.  He has stuffed the stat sheet in the process.  Bolton racked up 26 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals Tuesday at TCU.  The 26 points set a season high.  Bolton accumulated 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists Saturday at Oklahoma.  He tallied 16 points, six rebounds and seven assists in the game prior to that against West Virginia.  The Cyclones managed to hang close in all three of those contests against ranked opponents, and Bolton gets the credit for keeping the squad afloat.  He is fifth in scoring, assists and steals in the Big 12.

Jahvon Blair, G, Georgetown

Blair's statistics have improved in each of the last three seasons for the Hoyas, culminating in what has been a sensational senior season.  Blair is averaging 17.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest.  He had a double-double with 16 points and 10 assists in early January versus Syracuse.  Blair is fourth in the Big East in scoring and seventh in dishing.  Just for the sake of statistical comparison, the Big East Preseason Player of the Year was Marcus Zegarowski of Creighton.  Zegarowski is averaging 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest.  Of course, Creighton ranks near the top of the conference while Georgetown is towards the basement.  Still, from chiefly a numbers perspective, Blair is outpacing Zegarowski and is surprisingly one of the top players in the Big East this season.

Jalen Crutcher, G, Dayton

Crutcher has been the heart and soul of the Flyers for the past four seasons, even with Obi Toppin's high-flying dunks from a season ago.  Crutcher is third overall in scoring in the Atlantic 10.  Crutcher has never averaged less than 31 minutes played per game throughout the entirety of his collegiate career at Dayton.  In fact, he has played every minute of the last five games for the Flyers.  He had been on a hot streak prior to last game, averaging 22.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists over four outings.  The Flyers won three of those four contests.  Dayton has some work to do if it wants to advance to the NCAA Tournament this season Tuesday's loss to VCU will not help matters), and due to a rash of injuries Crutcher will continue to shoulder a heavy burden.

CHECK STATUS

Myles Johnson, C, Rutgers

The backcourt gets the pub for the Scarlet Knights, but Johnson has been a steadying force on the interior this season.  Johnson has amassed double-doubles in two of the last three games for Rutgers, all wins.  Johnson has also hosted a block party of late, swatting 14 shots in the last four contests.  He is second in the conference in blocks shots per game.  Since entering the starting lineup, Johnson is shooting an impressive 68.8-percent from the floor.  He has been even better recently, shooting an absurd 81.6-percent from the field over his last six outings.  Overall, Johnson is third in the Big Ten in field goal percentage.  He can get lost in the shuffle occasionally due to all the firepower in the backcourt, which includes Ron Harper and Geo Baker.  However, Johnson has cleared asserted himself as a vital part of what has been a successful season thus far for the Scarlet Knights.

Kalib Boone, F, Oklahoma State

It's easy to get overshadowed when you share the floor with Cade Cunningham, but Boone has more than held his own of late.  Boone had a mammoth outing in Saturday's thrilling double overtime win over Texas, dominating the interior with 22 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots.  It was the second double-double in three games for the 6-foot-9 sophomore, who has played some inspired ball of late.  In the last six games since re-entering the starting lineup, Boone is managing 13.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks.  The only thing left for Boone to accomplish is consistency.  At TCU last week, Boone had a miserable outing with one points and three rebounds in just 12 minutes.  In the middle of January, he was held to only two points and one rebound versus Kansas. Boone's stock is still on the rise, but he must perform night in and night out to become an elite option.

Justyn Mutts, F, Virginia Tech

With Jalen Cone injured and Tyrece Radford suspended, Mutts has been forced to shoulder an even heavier burden than usual for the Hokies.  Mutts responded with a near triple-double in Saturday's OT win at Miami, tallying 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.  He also recorded two steals in the 80-76 triumph.  Mutts has reached double-figures in points in three of the last four contests for Virginia tech, including a double-double in late January at Notre Dame.  Despite the absences noted above, the ranked Hokies have still won three of the last four games.  The return of both Cone and Radford would know the usage of Mutts down a peg or two, though it is clear Mutts will continue to play an integral role on this squad.

Marek Dolezaj, F, Syracuse

Dolezaj's game has undergone an interesting transition.  Two years ago, he attempted to add a three-point shot to his arsenal.  He shot 37.9-percent from beyond the arc, in 29 attempts.  However, since that time, he has taken just nine three-pointers combined over the last two seasons with the Orange.  The 6-foot-10 forward has kept his shots inside the arc, and he does appear to be slightly more efficient on the offensive end.  Dolezaj is also an extremely capable passer for his size, averaging 3.4 assists per contest.  In fact, the Orange have four players averaging at least three dimes per contest.  While Dolezaj sees heavy minutes, he loses out on some rebounds to Quincy Guerrier and Alan Griffin, and guards like Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard take away some of Dolezaj's assists.  Dolezaj still has a unique, versatile skill set, but he's struggled with consistency due to the amount of cooks in the kitchen. 

DOWNGRADE

CJ Fredrick, G, Iowa

Fredrick has missed three of the last four contests for the Hawkeyes due to an unspecified lower leg ailment.  The sophomore guard was having a down year prior to suffering the injury as well.  As a freshman, Fredrick managed 10.2 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest.  By contrast, as a sophomore Fredrick has been averaging 8.7 points, 1.1 boards and 2.3 assists per tilt.  A deadly long range shooter, Fredrick is shooting 50-percent from three-point range.  However, his lack of health along with the heavy depth Iowa possesses at guard has limited his impact overall this season.  Nevertheless, it appears the Hawkeyes could use Frederick's services, as they've dropped three of the last four tilts.

Jabari Walker, F, Colorado

Walker has picked up a foot injury and was seen sporting a walking boot over the weekend.  The freshman forward will likely miss the next week or two due to the ailment.  Walker had been impactful for the Buffs prior to the injury despite limited playing time.  In just 13.9 minutes per game, Walker was averaging 8.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest.  As a result, Walker placed 12th in the entire country in Player Efficiency Rating (PER), ahead of the likes of Evan Mobley of USC, Jared Butler of Baylor and Corey Kispert of Gonzaga.  The Buffs will rely more heavily on Evan Battey and Jeriah Horne as long as Walker is shelved.

Nate Reuvers, F, Wisconsin

Arguably the best player on the Badgers a season ago, Reuvers has taken a step back as a senior.  His points and rebounds are down from last year, and his three-point percentage hasn't been this low since his freshman campaign.  After starting the season with four-straight double-digit outputs in scoring, Reuvers has hit double figures just five times in the subsequent 16 games.  His poor play caused his removal from the starting lineup, where he has come off the bench in the last seven contests.  The mediocre play of Reuvers is one of the chief reasons why the Badgers, selected by most outlets to win the Big Ten, are currently tied for fourth in the conference.

Eric Williams, F, Oregon

Like teammate Chris Duarte, Williams is unlikely to return before Saturday at the earliest.  However, while Duarte is dealing with an ankle ailment, Williams is sidelined du e to COVID-19 protocols.  The Duquesne transfer sat out last season but has had a major impact for the Ducks in his first season playing in Eugene.  Williams is second on the team in rebounding and one of five members of the squad averaging double-figures in points.  Williams has missed the last two games; Eugene Omoruyi has exploded over that span, averaging 23 points, six rebounds and two assists.