College Hoops Barometer: One-Punch KO for TCU

College basketball stars who are heating up and cooling off are broken down in this week's edition of the College Basketball Barometer.

College Basketball Stock Report: Who's Hot in December

Through the first month or so of the college basketball season, though plenty of standout performances have occurred, Duke freshman Cameron Boozer looks to be the best player in the country, and it does not appear to be particularly close.  Boozer is averaging 23.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per contest.  He leads the nation in scoring and is tied for second in the ACC in rebounding.  He even paces the Blue Devils in assists.  The 6-9 phenom is shooting a blistering 56.2 percent from the floor.  

Boozer has been particularly impactful of late against top-notch, ranked opponents.  He poured in 35 points in a Thanksgiving win over Arkansas, then scored 29 points in a 67-66 triumph over defending champion Florida.  Boozer subsequently posted an 18-point, 15-rebound double-double in a victory at Michigan State.  A more consistent three-point shot is just about the only thing standing in the way of utter domination.  The rest of the ACC, as well as the nation at large, is certainly going to have to worry about Duke and Boozer come tourney time.

Let's take a peek at some other ballers making moves on the hardwood in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer.

UPGRADE

Cade Tyson, G, Minnesota – Tyson was a sharpshooter in two seasons at Belmont, then transferred to North Carolina last year.  He barely saw the court, appearing in 31 games as a reserve only while managing just 7.9 minutes per game.  He subsequently transferred to Minnesota, where he has become the focus of the offense for the Gophers.  Tyson is averaging an impressive 22.6 points per tilt.  In fact, Tyson leads the Big Ten in scoring, and is fourth in the entire nation.  The 6-7 senior has been incredibly efficient, shooting a career-best 52.2-percent from the floor, including 40.7-percent from three-point range.  He poured in 38 points, including eight treys, in an 89-53 thrashing of Texas Southern over the weekend.  Tyson is also managing 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per clash as well.  The conference slate will be difficult, but Tyson and company have already knocked off a ranked squad in the form of Indiana, and the senior should continue to get plenty of shots up as the season progresses.

David Punch, F, TCU – Punch has gone from a solid complementary piece to an integral part of the squad for the Horned Frogs.  As a freshman, Punch did start 27 of 32 contests, but he only played 20 minutes per game, averaging 6.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per tilt.  He is playing over 30 minutes per tilt as a sophomore, and has seen a notable rise in his production and efficiency.  Punch is averaging 13.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.4 blocks per tilt.  He is second in the Big 12 in blocks and seventh in rebounding.  Punch has also seen a significant bump in his shooting percentage, as he is hitting 56-percent of his shots from the floor.  Punch has notched back-to-back doubles and swatted five shots in a victory this past Monday.  He certainly appears to be surging at this time.

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

Nijel Pack, G, Oklahoma – A sixth-year senior, Pack is at his third school following an injury-riddled campaign at Miami.  Pack was solid both at Miami as well as Kansas State before that, though, never averaging less than 13 points per contest.  He has shot the ball extremely well through 11 games with the Sooners, hitting 49.3-percent from the floor, including an outstanding 47.2-percent from three-point land.  Pack is far from a one-trick pony, though, as he is also averaging 3.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per tilt.  Pack leads the squad in scoring and is second on the team in dishing.  The tandem of Pack and St. Joseph's transfer Xzayvier Brown gives the Sooners a solid base in the backcourt heading into SEC conference play.

Jamichael Stillwell, F, Central Florida – The transfer from UW-Milwaukee has not seen much of a dip in his numbers despite the step up in competition.  In fact, Stillwell has three double-doubles in his last five contests after averaging a double-double a season ago.  Stillwell is sixth in the Big 12 in rebounding.  Stillwell has increased his shooting percentage from the floor, and shown a rather remarkable improvement in his free-throws.  He hit just 56.2-percent from the charity stripe last season.  By contrast, Stillwell is 30-for-37 (81.1-percent) thus far for the Knights.  The Knights are 8-1 to start the season, including wins over Texas A&M and Pittsburgh, and Stillwell's stellar contributions are amongst the chief reasons for the early success.

CHECK STATUS

Justin Pippen, G, California – Pippen missed Cal's last game for an undisclosed reason, a 79-70 win over Northwestern State that was much closer than it should have been.  Nevertheless, Pippen is one of four players currently averaging double-digits in points, though he also leads the squad in dishing and is third on the team in rebounding.  However, that scoring balance between Pippen, Dai Dai Ames, John Camden and Chris Bell has allowed the Bears to post a 10-1 start to the season, including wins over UCLA and Utah.  Pippen's injury is not considered serious, and he will look to return at the latest for the first ACC clash for Cal at the end of the month versus a ranked Louisville squad.

Donnie Freeman, F, Syracuse – Freeman has missed six-straight contests for the Orange, though will be a game-time call Wednesday versus Mercyhurst.  Freeman was off to a sensational start to the season prior to suffering a foot injury.  The sophomore was averaging 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per tilt.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, Syracuse has dropped four of the six games Freeman has been shelved, including an ugly 70-69 loss to lowly Hofstra over the weekend.  Sadiq White would continue to see added run in Freeman's absence, though the Orange remain hopeful that a return for Freeman is imminent, which would be a huge boost for the scuffling squad. 

Eli Ellis, G, South Carolina – The experienced Meechie Johnson leads the backcourt for the Gamecocks, but the freshman Ellis has been a standout off the bench thus far this season.  Ellis is averaging 10.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.6 dimes per tilt.  Despite technically being a reserve, Ellis is fourth on the team in minutes per contest and third in scoring.  Unfortunately, Ellis suffered an ankle injury and was seen in walking boot prior to missing Tuesday's loss to Clemson.  The nature and severity of his injury is unknown at this time.  Known for his forays to the basket, Ellis has also struggled with his shot from long range, hitting just 23.2-percent from beyond the arc.  Once Ellis returns from injury, he will need to improve on his long-distance shooting, especially considering his lack of height and size.

Bryce Ford, G, Arizona State – Ford missed Arizona State's last game, a narrow win at Santa Clara, due to an undisclosed injury.  Prior to that contest, Ford had started all 10 games for the Sun Devils, managing 9.1 points and 2.2 rebounds per clash.  The Toledo transfer has improved his scoring numbers in each of his first three collegiate seasons, moving from the bench to the starting lineup in the process.  Anthony Johnson started in his place against the Broncos and tied for the team lead with 15 points.

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

DOWNGRADE

Baye Ndongo, F, Georgia Tech – A knee ailment has sidelined Ndongo for the last two contests for the Yellow Jackets.  Ndongo has now missed three games on the season in total.  In between the missed outings, Ndongo had started eight tilts with averages of 11.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.  Though he had been shooting a career-best 60.3-percent from the field, Ndongo's other numbers were actually slight down as compared to his first two campaigns with the Ramblin' Wreck.  Still, Ndongo has two double-doubles to his credit already this season, and coach Damon Stoudamire would certainly like to have the junior back the New Year's Eve matchup with Duke.

Zac Foster, G, Clemson – Foster suffered a knee injury after playing just two minutes in Tuesday's 68-61 win over South Carolina.  He was helped off the court and seen later using crutches.  An MRI will determine just how long Foster will be sidelined.  The 6-4 freshman had played a key reserve role through 12 games prior to the injury, averaging 6.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per tilt.  Fellow freshman Ace Buckner scored a career-high 19 points last game in the absence of Foster and would appear to be the chief beneficiary of minutes if Foster remains shelved.