Stockpiling/destocking in NCAA men’s basketball

Over half of the top 25 were in action on Wednesday evening, and four contests featured duels between two ranked teams. In one of those matchups, freshman phenom Cooper Flagg led No. 9 Duke to an impressive victory over Johni Broome and the previously undefeated Auburn Tigers. Meanwhile, No. 1 Kansas also lost, the reason for which will be examined in more detail below. This was the first time in almost a year that both No. 1 and No. 2 lost on the same day. Perhaps the most unlikely squad in action Wednesday was No. 16 Memphis, whose only loss is against the aforementioned Auburn. Penny Hardaway’s team also has a win over the two-time defending champion Huskies. On Wednesday, they held Louisiana Tech to 23 points behind PJ Haggerty. The Tigers appear to be the best in the American Conference heading into this season.

In this edition of the College Hoops Barometer, let’s dive deeper into the best performances from last night’s incredible games and beyond.

UPGRADE

Pop IsaacsG, Creighton – Isaacs scored 27 points on Wednesday to lead the Bluejays to a huge upset win over No. 1 Kansas. The Texas Tech transfer has scored at least 25 points in three of the last five contests. So far in eight games, Isaacs has improved his numbers across the board from last season, averaging 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Perhaps most notably, he achieved career bests in both disciplines

Over half of the top 25 were in action on Wednesday evening, and four contests featured duels between two ranked teams. In one of those matchups, freshman phenom Cooper Flagg led No. 9 Duke to an impressive victory over Johni Broome and the previously undefeated Auburn Tigers. Meanwhile, No. 1 Kansas also lost, the reason for which will be examined in more detail below. This was the first time in almost a year that both No. 1 and No. 2 lost on the same day. Perhaps the most unlikely squad in action Wednesday was No. 16 Memphis, whose only loss is against the aforementioned Auburn. Penny Hardaway’s team also has a win over the two-time defending champion Huskies. On Wednesday, they held Louisiana Tech to 23 points behind PJ Haggerty. The Tigers appear to be the best in the American Conference heading into this season.

In this edition of the College Hoops Barometer, let’s dive deeper into the best performances from last night’s incredible games and beyond.

UPGRADE

Pop IsaacsG, Creighton – Isaacs scored 27 points on Wednesday to lead the Bluejays to a huge upset win over No. 1 Kansas. The Texas Tech transfer has scored at least 25 points in three of the last five contests. So far in eight games, Isaacs has improved his numbers across the board from last season, averaging 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Perhaps most notably, he is posting career-best results from both the field and three-point land. The triumvirate of Isaacs, point guard Steven Ashworth and big man Ryan Kalkbrenner gives Creighton a formidable, experienced group that can beat anyone on a given night.

KeShawn MurphyF, Mississippi State – Murphy almost left the Bulldogs program in the offseason, but the Bulldogs are definitely glad he changed his mind. After struggling with injuries and inconsistency in his first two seasons, Murphy took his game to new levels as a junior. He more than doubled his averages from last year, managing 12.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per contest. Murphy has also proven to be a more than capable passer, averaging 1.9 assists in just 22.6 minutes per shot. Murphy was also a force on defense, averaging 1.1 punches per contest. He scored a career-high 20 points in a 90-57 win over a ranked Pittsburgh team on Wednesday. Despite coming off the bench in the last five games, Murphy is averaging a double-double over that span. Overall, Murphy leads the Bulldogs in rebounding and is second in scoring.

Keeshawn BarthelemyG, Oregon – The soccer team is currently No. 1, and the basketball team is also undefeated in nine competitions. Barthelemy has played a pivotal role, particularly in the last two contests, earning outstanding victories over Alabama and USC. The senior averaged 20 points, three rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals during that span. He was red-hot from distance, shooting 8 of 10 three-pointers during that time. Nate Bittle is healthy at center and the Ducks also have a strong guard group that includes TJ Bamba and Jackson Shelstad, both of whom average double-digit points. The fact that Barthelemy can come off the bench and be so productive speaks volumes about the potential of this team.

Walter ClaytonG, Florida – The Gators are also still undefeated, and Clayton is the main reason why. The senior is averaging 18.4 points per contest, a career-best. He has been efficient from the floor, posting a 48 percent shooting percentage so far this season. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to shoot over 90 percent of the balls from the foul line. Clayton scored 27 points in Tuesday’s 87-69 win over Virginia. The SEC is stacked this season, so it will be interesting to see how the Gators fare once conference play begins. However, the non-conference schedule has certainly been handled effectively and successfully by Clayton and Co. so far.

CHECK STATUS

Magoon GwathF, San Diego State – The 6-foot-1 freshman scored a career-high 25 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Fresno State on Wednesday. Gwath has been a defensive threat for the Aztecs so far, managing an impressive 3.7 shots per contest. In fact, he has already blocked at least five shots in three different appearances. His offensive game is still developing, although as his recent performance clearly shows, there is potential. Gwath even managed 3 of 4 from three-point range. The Aztecs have played an extremely difficult non-conference schedule, including clashes with Gonzaga, Creighton, Houston and Oregon, and have more than held their own, so Magoon and the rest of the SDSU roster should be prepared to dominate the Mountain West in conference action.

JT ToppinF, Texas Tech – The New Mexico transfer with NBA bloodlines was a revelation for the Red Raiders in his first season in Lubbock. Toppin is averaging a double-double with 18.6 points and 11 rebounds per game. He scored at least 22 points in three of his first seven games for Texas Tech. However, Toppin was forced to miss Wednesday’s win against DePaul due to a lower-body injury. The severity of the disease is unknown. There is a crucial in-state clash between Tech and A&M on Saturday, so the hope is that Toppin can return for that matchup. However, the schedule eases up after that until New Year’s Eve, so the Red Raiders could opt to give Toppin a break and avoid a possible re-aggravation.

Chase RossG, Marquette – The Golden Eagles suffered their first loss of the season on Wednesday against Iowa State, due in part to star Kam Jones’ shooting issues but also because Ross suffered an ankle injury in the first half of the contest and did not return. Ross does a little bit of everything for Marquette, averaging 10.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.6 steals per tilt. If Ross is forced to miss the extra time, two rookies will likely benefit. Damarius Owens played a career-high 26 minutes in the loss to the Cyclones, while Royce Parham led the team with a college-best 17 points.

VJ EdgecombeG, Baylor – The prized freshman will undergo an MRI after missing Wednesday’s narrow loss to UConn. Edgecombe’s current injury has not been announced, but he was forced to retire from last week’s win over New Orleans due to a strained hamstring. The sporting phenom already created one of the first viral moments of the season when he upstaged Gonzaga coach Mark Few’s son in a disastrous loss earlier in the season. Overall, Edgecombe is averaging 11 points, 5.4 rebounds, three assists, 2.1 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. Junior Langston Love was in the starting lineup last game in place of Edgecombe. With Duke transfer Jeremy Roach also potentially on hold due to a concussion, freshman Rob Wright could also expect an increase in responsibilities in the backcourt.

DOWNGRADE

Jalen ReedF, LSU – Reed suffered a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the 2024-2025 season for the Tigers. The junior was having his best collegiate season before the injury, averaging 11.1 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting over 60 percent from the field. 6-10 freshman Robert Miller could benefit the most from Reed’s continued absence, as does fellow freshman Corey Chest, who already leads the team in rebounding with 7.6 boards per throw. LSU was one of the better rebounding squads in the country before Reed’s injury; It will be interesting to see how much the loss impacts the Tigers’ future in that regard.

Alex KarabanF, Connecticut – Karaban suffered a head injury at the Maui Invitational last week and missed the following two games for the Huskies. He is currently on the mend, but exactly when he will return to court is unknown. Since arriving at UConn, Karaban has known nothing but championships, as the junior played key roles on both title teams. Due to the predicted mass departures following this success, Karaban has become the Huskies’ leading scorer this season. He is also their best three-point shooter. Karaban is averaging 15.9 points while shooting over 50 percent from the floor and nearly 47 percent from three-point range. He is also second on the squad in dishing, flashing improvement and growth and has a well-rounded skill set. Freshman Liam McNeeley has helped pick up the slack in Karaban’s absence, including leading the Huskies in a win over Baylor on Wednesday.