With the season about a third of the way over I wanted to pinpoint some players that are exceeding expectations and some that aren’t living up to them as we head into conference action. Let’s take a look back at our preseason Top 50 and see some guys who are rising up the ranks and some that are falling (number in parenthesis is preseason rank).
Risers ↑
Faisal Aden, G, Washington State (NR)
The junior college transfer from Hillsborough CC in Tampa, FL has made quite a splash in the early portion of the season. He is third in the conference in scoring (18.3) and that doesn’t appear to be a fluke. He is shooting 49.6% from the floor and 42.9% from behind the arc while leading the team in shot attempts (14.9). The injury to Reggie Moore in the preseason may have been a blessing in disguise as Aden was forced into the starting lineup and boy did he produce. He has come off the bench the last two games but he has still put 34 points in those two games.
Trent Lockett, G, Arizona State (36)
He showed glimpses last season as a freshman of what could be in store but he has taken his game to another level this season. While Ty Abbott got all the preseason hype, it is Lockett that leads the Sun Devils in scoring (15.6). He has shown an ability to get to the rim with ease which has helped him shoot an outstanding 62.7% in the early going. Scoring isn’t the only thing he excels at as he is second on the team in rebounding (6.9) and assists (3.1) as well.
Joevan Catron, F, Oregon (31)
The bruising forward was known as a rebounder heading into this season but has all of a sudden turned into a scoring machine. He is fourth in the conference in scoring (17.6), 11th in rebounding (6.6) and is shooting 55% from the field. He has topped 15 points in eight of ten games this season so he doesn’t have an average inflated by a couple of big games. Expect him to come down a little once he starts facing better frontlines but he is still way outperforming his preseason rank.
Fallers ↓
Ty Abbott, G, Arizona State (7)
With two senior starters having graduated last summer, this year was supposed to be about Abbott. Unfortunately, he has been eclipsed by Lockett as the best player on the team. He is still scoring decently (12.6) and making three-pointers (2.6) but his real value was in his rebounding from the guard position. He has really regressed in that area and is only grabbing 2.3 boards this season. Combine his lack or rebounding with a low field goal percentage (39%) and you get someone who has no business in the Top 10.
Malcolm Lee, G, UCLA (11)
Lee has dealt with some knee problems this season which has hurt his explosiveness and jump shooting. He was supposed to step up and become the leader for the Bruins, but he hasn’t been healthy enough to make a huge difference on the court. He is only shooting 39% from the field and his scoring (10.8), rebounding (3.3), and assists (1.6) are all down from last season.
Dwight Powell, F, Stanford (13)
I may be a little harsh by putting a freshman in this category but he has failed to live up to expectations early on. The 6-foot-9 Canadian stepped right into the starting lineup and appeared to be headed for double-double on a nightly basis. He has had issues with the physicality of the college game and is only producing 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks. He did grab ten rebounds against DePaul but that was the only game in which he has pulled down more than four rebounds. He still has a shot to be an excellent player but it might take him another year to realize his potential.