College Hoops Barometer: Risers & Fallers

Through Michigan's first two games of the season, Hunter Dickinson has found little resistance.  Dickinson is shooting an outrageous 78.6 percent from the field en route to an average of 26.5 points per contest.  Dickinson's feathery touch is also evidenced by his 90 percent shooting mark at the foul line.  He has also snatched 9.5 rebounds per contest to begin the year, including a double-double in the season opener for the Wolverines.  Dickinson continues to show he is a cut above most of the other big men in the country and is currently on pace for his best season yet as a junior in Ann Arbor.

Let's take a look at some other notable performers early on this season in this week's edition of the College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Zach Freemantle, C, Xavier – Freemantle recorded a triple-double Monday for the Musketeers, tallying 15 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the 78-65 win over Fairfield.  With starting point guard Colby Jones sidelined due to an ankle sprain, Freemantle essentially took over the role of chief distributor with the 10 dimes.  Freemantle is looking for a bounce-back year for Xavier, as he battled an ankle issue of his own as well as struggled to share the court with Iowa transfer Jack Nunge a season ago.  The frontcourt duo has appeared in sync thus far this season, though, and Freemantle looks more like he will be able to return to his form from two years ago with the Musketeers when he averaged 16.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest.

Ricky Council, G, Arkansas – The Wichita State transfer has been better than advertised through two games for the Razorbacks, averaging 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per outing.  Interestingly, Council started just eight of 49 games while with the Shockers, but has stepped right in to become the focal point of the Razorback attack thus far this season.  With freshman phenom Nick Smith sidelined with a knee injury and yet to make his debut for the Hogs, expect Council to continue to dominate the stat sheet during the early portion of the season.

Yuri Collins, G, Saint Louis – A dynamite passer, Collins recorded double-digit dimes in each of the first two games of the season for the Billikens.  Though he "only" had nine assists last game, Collins did manage a season-best 22 points in the 90-84 victory over Memphis.  Collins led the nation in assists per outing a season ago, and there is no reason to believe he cannot repeat the feat.  The Billikens are off to a 3-0 start, and Saint Louis is eyeing its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019 with Collins at the helm.

Colin Castleton, C, Florida – Though the Gators lost to Florida Atlantic on Monday, Castleton certainly cannot be blamed.  The big man poured in at least 30 points for the second consecutive game, while also tallying 12 rebounds and five blocks.  Castleton increased his points and rebounds in each of his first four collegiate season, and the fifth-year senior is on pace to shatter last season's career high of 16.2 points per contest.  He has also been a menace on the defensive end thus far, swatting four shots per game through the first three contests for Florida.  He is even dishing out a career-best 2.7 dimes per tilt thus far this season.  Castleton will need some help if the Gators are to return to the NCAA Tournament, but this one-man band should keep rolling regardless.

CHECK STATUS

Tre Mitchell, F/C, West Virginia – Mitchell is on his third collegiate stop after two years at UMass and one season with the Texas Longhorns.  Mitchell found the step up in competition challenging last year.  Though he started 17 of 24 games for the Longhorns, he was no longer a big fish in a small pond and played less than 20 minutes per game for the first time in his career.  This resulted in career lows of 8.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per tilt.  Now with the Mountaineers, Mitchell has experienced the higher level of competition and seems to have adjusted, at least through three contests.  Mitchell is averaging 14.0 points and 5.0 rebounds over that span, shooting a blistering 68.2 percent from the floor.  His three-point shot also appears to be vastly improved.  Mitchell should play a central role for the Mountaineers this season.

Mike Miles, G, TCU – Miles came into the 2022-2023 campaign nursing a toe injury, but shook off the ailment to average 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists through the first two games of the season for the Horned Frogs.  However, he subsequently picked up a wrist injury and was sidelined for Monday's battle with Northwestern State.  TCU perhaps predictably struggled without Miles, falling to the Demons from the Southland Conference by a score of 64-63.  Luckily, the injury for Miles is not considered serious, so the Horned Frogs should have the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year back shortly.

Malik Hall, F, Michigan State – The Spartans may be a lot better than initially expected this season.  Unranked to begin the campaign, Michigan State lost by a single point to No. 2 Gonzaga in the Peraton Armed Forces Classic, then outlasted Kentucky in double overtime of the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday.  Hall registered a season-high 20 points in that contest and has snagged at least five rebounds in each of the first three games of the season for the Spartans.  With Joey Hauser and Mady Sissoko rounding out the frontcourt, Michigan State has taken complementary players from a season ago and turned them into a ferocious starting frontcourt trio.

DOWNGRADE

Marcus Bagley, F, Arizona State – Bagley is nursing an assortment of injuries early on this season, an issue that has plagued him throughout his collegiate career.  Unfortunately, Bagley suffered a fall and hit his head, which also resulted in a hip pointer.  He missed Sunday's clash with Texas Southern, and clearly his absence was felt, as the Sun Devils were upset by the Texas Southern Tigers in overtime.  ASU is extremely thin in the frontcourt, so Bagley's eventual return will be extremely helpful.  The Sun Devils will just have to tread water in the short term without him.

Dashawn Davis, G, Mississippi State – The Bulldogs received some tough news on Davis, as the Oregon State transfer will be sidelined indefinitely due to an ankle issue.  Davis averaged 10.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game last season as a member of the Beavers.  He finished first in the Pac-12 in assists.  With Davis shelved, the Bulldogs will be forced to rely on junior Cameron Matthews, while fellow senior Eric Reed Jr. may also see increased minutes.  The Bulldogs continue to be paced by senior forward Tolu Smith, who is averaging 18.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 dimes through the first three games of the season for undefeated MSU.

Noah Williams, G, Washington – Williams made the perhaps blasphemous transfer from Washington State to rival Washington, though he injured his knee in the first game of the season for the Huskies and has not seen the court since that time.  The best season of his collegiate career came as a sophomore in 2020, when he started 27 games for Wazzu and averaged 14.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.6 steals per tilt.  The statistics for Williams took a dip last season, particularly in terms of his shooting prowess.  Williams shot a career-low 33.2 percent from the floor, and only hit 26.2 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.  Williams is going to first have to prove he is healthy, then will have to show he can return to his prior form, all the while in new surroundings with a brand new squad.