College Hoops Barometer: Turning Point for UCLA Bruins?

It's time for our weekly highlight of players and teams gaining or losing momentum in the college basketball landscape.

UCLA pulled off a massive upset Tuesday at Pauley Pavilion.  The Bruins took down No. 4 Purdue behind a late three-pointer from the sensational Tyler Bilodeau.  Meanwhile, New Mexico transfer Donovan Dent was the catalyst for the stunner, notching an impressive double-double with 23 points and 13 assists.  The victory is all the more notable considering the injury woes for the Bruins thus far this season.  The aforementioned Dent battled an early season leg issue, Bilodeau had a knee sprain and second-leading scorer Skyy Clark has missed the last five games with a hamstring ailment.  Still, the Bruins showed they can more than hold their own in an extremely top-heavy Big Ten Conference.

College Basketball Stock Report: Which Players Are Seeing Their Value Rise?

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

UPGRADE - College Basketball Top Players

Labaron Philon, G, Alabama – Philon has been the catalyst for the Alabama offense this season.  The sophomore is second in the SEC in scoring at 22 points per contest.  That is a nearly 12-point jump from his freshman campaign.  Philon poured in a career-high 32 points in a recent blowout win at Mississippi State, and is shooting an impressive 53.4 percent from the field overall.  Philon is far from just a one-trick pony, though, as he is also fourth in the conference in dishing at 4.9 assists per contest.  He even collected a double-double with rebounds earlier this season.  Philon is one of the more well-rounded players in the nation and should continue to stuff the stat sheet for the Tide.

Juke Harris, G, Wake Forest – Harris has gone from a reserve role to becoming a 20-point scorer in just one year.  As a freshman in 2024, Harris averaged just 6.1 points per tilt, as he appeared in 30 of 31 games off the bench for the Demon Deacons.  Fast forward to this season, and Harris is one of only four players in the entire ACC averaging at least 20 points per clash.  Harris notched back-to-back 28 point outings recently in losses to Miami and North Carolina, along with 27 points in Tuesday's loss to SMU.  Despite attempting a ton of shots on a nightly basis, Harris is shooting a respectable 46.2 percent from the floor.  Harris is also not afraid to mix it up down low, as he is averaging 6.4 rebounds per tilt, including two double-doubles on the year.  Harris has taken his game to the next level this season for Wake Forest.

Rashaun Agee, F, Texas A&M – A graduate student, Agee has been a double-double dynamo for the Aggies.  Saturday's win at Texas marked his ninth double-double of the season, including his fourth in the last six games.  Agee played more of a complementary role at USC last season following more of a starring role at Bowling Green in 2023.  Agee has started all 18 contests for A&M, compiling averages of 13.3 points and 8.7 rebounds.  Agee is one of the chief reasons that A&M is off to a stellar 4-1 start in SEC conference play.

Darius Acuff, G, Arkansas – Acuff has had a sensational freshman campaign for the Razorbacks thus far.  He leads the SEC in assists at 6.2 dimes per tilt, but has also been one of the conference's top scorers at 19.6 points per contest.  He is a 40-percent shooter from three-point land, and has been virtually automatic from the foul line in conference action.  Acuff has three double-doubles on the season in total.  With the massive hype and performances of the likes of fellow freshmen Cameron Boozer, A.J. Dybantsa and Caleb Wilson, it is easy to forget about Acuff.  However, there's an argument to be made that he has been the best freshman guard in the country so far this season.

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Andrej Stojakovic, G, Illinois – Stojakovic was seen limping off the Court during Saturday's win over Minnesota.  Stojakovic did not return after just seven points in 21 minutes.  His status is currently unknown.  It has been a bit of a down season for Stojakovic, who is on his third school in three years but was the focal point of the offense during his time at Cal last year.  With the Illini this year, Stojakovic is playing fewer minutes and thus, perhaps unsurprisingly, his scoring is a bit down.  His long-distance shooting in particular has been a struggle as well, as Peja's son is hitting just 23.4 percent from beyond the arc.  Stojakovic has still been a solid contributor overall, but not necessarily bringing the star power since coming over from the Bears.  However, with Kylan Boswell breaking his hand in practice Monday and likely missing at least the next month, the Illini will need Stojakovic to pick up the slack.

Keanu Dawes, F, Utah – Dawes was nursing an undisclosed injury which almost sidelined him for Utah's clash with Kansas State on Tuesday.  He managed to suit up and play 31 minutes, though he failed to score in the 81-78 loss to the Wildcats.  Dawes has five double-doubles on the season for the Utes, including one in his prior outing versus TCU.  Overall, he is managing 11.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.5 dimes per tilt.  Dawes is fourth in the Big 12 in rebounding, and has proven a more than capable passer out of the post as well.  After playing more of a complementary role a season ago, Dawes has started every game for the Utes.  However, he may not currently be playing at 100%.

Tayton Conerway, G, Indiana – While the football team enjoyed a storybook ending to a fairytale season this month, January has been far more unforgiving for the hoops squad.  Indiana has dropped four-straight contests on the hardwood, the last three o which have been double-digit losses.  Losing Conerway to an ankle injury just two minutes into their last game at Michigan certainly did not help matters.  The nature and severity of the injury is currently unknown.  The senior transfer from Troy has predictably seen a bit of a downturn in his overall statistics with the step up in competition, though he has still been a stellar addition for the Hoosiers overall.  Conerway leads the squad in assists and steals, is third in scoring and fourth in rebounding.  Fellow transfer Conor Enright would likely take over more ballhandling duties if Conaway cannot suit up in the short term.

DOWNGRADE - Key College Basketball Injuries

Abdi Bashir, G, Kansas State – Bashir suffered a stress fracture in his foot which required surgery.  He will be shelved for at least a few weeks for the Wildcats, if not longer.  The injury is a crushing blow for both the Monmouth transfer as well as Wildcats overall, as Bashir was the No. 2 scorer on the squad. He had been deadly from long range, canning 44.4-percent of his treys to lead the squad.  In Bashir's place, look for David Castillo to start, and C.J. Jones to see more minutes.  Castillo scored 20 points in the upset win over Utah on Tuesday.

Mouhamed Sylla, C, Georgia Tech – The freshman Sylla has missed four of the last five games for the Yellow Jackets due to an ankle injury, though is targeting a return versus Clemson this weekend.  Unfortunately, it appears Sylla tried to return too soon in a recent loss to Miami, playing just two minutes, and subsequently missing an additional two contests with the ailment.  The 6-10 freshman from Senegal has been a force on the interior when healthy, averaging 10.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in 15 starts.  However, it is fair to wonder whether Sylla is truly healthy, and also legitimate to question the recent handling of the injury.  Georgia Tech has dropped three of its last four ACC clashes, though, so even if Sylla is not at full strength, he may be better than the alternatives.  Still, his production could suffer as a result even if he suits up and avoids further injury.