College Hoops Barometer: Jefferson, Arenas Make Fantasy Impact

Why does it feel like UConn is flying under the radar this season?  The Huskies won back-to-back National Championships in 2023 and 2024, only to fall short of a three-peat by losing in the second round by a bucket against the eventual champion Florida Gators.  

In this new age of transfer frenzy, coach Dan Hurley essentially returned three starters and has a fourth (Braylon Mullins) who is a freshman recruit.  Certainly, transfer point guard Silas Demary from Georgia has helped tremendously to guide the ship, but the Huskies have otherwise largely relied on their own system and development to possess what appears to be yet another juggernaut of a squad.  

Connecticut is currently 22-1 on the season, having won 18-straight contests.  The only loss on the resume was by four points to the No. 1 team in the land, Arizona.  The Huskies also boast wins over several ranked squads like BYU, Illinois, Kansas and Florida.  Make no mistake about it; this team is cohesive, battle-tested, and hungry after falling short of the ultimate goal a season ago.  Senior forward Alex Karaban is looking for his third title in four seasons.  Sleep on the Huskies at your own peril.

College Basketball Stock Report: Potential March Madness Impact Players

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

For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, roles and overall player performance, head to RotoWire's latest college basketball news page or follow @RotoWireCBB on X.

UPGRADE - Who's Hot in College Hoops?

Joshua Jefferson, F, Iowa State – The guards have gotten most of the pub over the last few seasons for the Cyclones, but Jefferson deserves his props as well.  The senior forward is in his second season at Iowa State following a transfer from Saint Mary's, and he seems to just keep getting better.  Jefferson is averaging career-highs of 17.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists per tilt.  He has made himself into an all-around dynamo, tallying two triple-doubles while shooting over 40-percent from three-point land.  By contrast, just two seasons ago with the Gaels he averaged 2.3 assists per contest and shot 26.7-percent from downtown.  The Cyclones are 20-2 on the season and have won by double-digits in four-straight Big 12 contests.  Iowa State is a well-oiled machine, and Jefferson does whatever is necessary to make the Cyclones flow.

Nigel James, G, Marquette – Though the team results have been lackluster, James is still having a stellar freshman campaign for the Golden Eagles.  He leads the squad in scoring and dishing with 15.4 points and 4.6 dimes, respectively.  James also contributes 3.1 boards and 1.8 steals per contest.  He and the experienced Chase Ross form a potent, productive backcourt duo.  James began the season coming off the bench, but quickly earned a starting role and has started in 13-straight contests.  James can do a little bit of everything and is one of the top stuffers of the stat sheet in the Big East.

Luke Skaljac, G, Miami (Ohio) – Another week, and the record remains unblemished.  At the time of the writing of this article, the RedHawks are still undefeated.  Despite some recent scares, their record is 23-0.  The play of Skaljac has been particularly integral of late.  After failing to score in double-digits for eight-straight contests earlier this season, he is averaging 13.4 points per the last 10 contests.  He has been far from a one-trick pony, though, as Skaljac is also managing 3.3 boards and 5.2 dimes over that span.  Add in two steals per clash, and Skaljac has been a catalyst on both ends of the floor for the RedHawks.  Even if the RedHawks eventually drop a game, this Cinderella story looks far from over.

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

CHECK STATUS - CBB Injuries, Breakouts & More

Alijah Arenas, G, USC – Arenas had by far his best game as Trojan on Tuesday, pouring in a career-high 29 points in the 81-75 win over Indiana.  Arenas shot 8-for-9 from the charity stripe and also canned three treys.  Arenas had failed to score in double-digits in each of the previous four games as he is only just beginning to get his feet wet at this level.  While some inconsistent outputs should still be expected in the short term, the talent and potential is certainly evident.  With Auburn transfer Chad Baker-Mazara lending a hand and Ezra Ausar patrolling the interior, the Trojans have a chance to some noise after all this March even without the services of Rodney Rice.

J'Vonne Hadley, G, Louisville – Hadley is nursing an undisclosed injury, and though he is expected to suit up this week for the Cardinals, it remains to be seen how effective he will be.  Overall, Hadley is having a slightly down season for Louisville, playing fewer minutes and thus averaging fewer points and rebounds.  Hadley has still started 19 of 20 tilts for Louisville, and the decline in production is not markedly so.  This may be simply be a case of a slightly shifting role and slightly different personnel affecting Hadley's touches.

Tyrin Jones, F, UNLV – Jones has missed the last two games for the Rebels due to a shoulder ailment after suffering the injury just two minutes into a prior clash with New Mexico.  Before the shoulder issue, Jones was having a solid freshman campaign for UNLV.  Jones had started 10-straight contests and was averaging 13.2 points per clash prior to the injury.  The UNLV frontcourt has battled a variety of injuries this season, with Emmanuel Stephen, Naas Cunningham, Jacob Bannarbie and Ladji Dembele also missing time as well.  Stephen has started the last eight contests at center while the Rebels have otherwise relied on an extremely guard-heavy lineup in the absence of Jones.  It remains to be seen when the freshman will be healthy enough to return to the court, though the ailment does not appear to be threatening his season.

Brandin Cummings, G, Pittsburgh – Cummings has been shuffled in and out of the starting lineup this season, and has also missed five contests for the Panthers.  That includes Tuesday's blowout loss at Virginia due to an undisclosed injury.  The sophomore is actually the leading scorer for the Panthers, but has been wildly inconsistent when on the floor.  Cummings had a 34-point game earlier this season in a loss to Hofstra, and also poured in 29 points last month against Syracuse.  However, Cummings has also failed to reach double figures in scoring in nine other contests.  Whether injury related or otherwise, Cummings is a boom or bust candidate each and every time he steps onto the hardwood.

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

DOWNGRADE - College Basketball Injuries to Watch

Moustapha Thiam, C, Cincinnati – Thiam is day-to-day due to an injured foot, as the Bearcat frontcourt has been decimated by injury.  Power forward Shon Abaev will be sidelined for the foreseeable future due to an ankle issue, and graduate transfer Jalen Haynes has yet to play a single game as he continues to recover from a lower body injury.  Haynes averaged over 14 points per game in each of the last two seasons at stops at East Tennessee State and George Mason.  Thiam had been a mainstay at center for the Bearcats prior to the injury, starting all 22 games en route to averages of 10.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 swats.  Baba Miller will shoulder a huge load if Thiam is shelved, while little-used freshman Tyler McKinley could see extra minutes.

Shawn Phillips, C, Missouri – Phillips was unable to return to Saturday's loss to Mississippi State due to a foot injury, leaving his status in doubt in the short term.  The Arizona State transfer has started 20 games for the Tigers, averaging 7.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per tilt.  Foul trouble continues to be an issue for the seven-footer, which is partly to blame for his rather limited minutes even when healthy.  With Jevon Porter sidelined as well, Trent Pierce could be a key figure for Mizzou alongside former Dukie Mark Mitchell.

Kymany Houinsou, G, Loyola-Chicago – The senior has missed three of the last four contests for the Ramblers due to an undisclosed issue.  Houinsou otherwise has started all 20 games he's appeared in, and contributes in a variety of ways.  He is averaging 6.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 dimes per tilt.  Cal transfer Joshua Ola-Joseph is a player to watch if Houinsou remains sidelined; Ola-Joseph has started seven of the last nine contests for the Ramblers and is averaging 11.9 points per clash during that span. He has hit the 20-point mark twice during that time period.

Taylor Bol Bowen, F, Alabama – Bol Bowen has been in and out of the starting lineup this season, and has also missed three contests for the Tide.  He played just two minutes before exiting Alabama's last game with an undisclosed injury, and is listed as questionable for the short term.  The Florida State transfer has struggled with his three-point shot after canning an impressive 41.4-percent of his treys just a season ago.  He remains a complementary piece for a deep Alabama squad, managing 7.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per tilt.  Newly reinstated center Charles Bediako should see more minutes if Bol Bowen misses time.