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College Basketball Bellwethers

Here is a list of the unsung players in college basketball that will play a prominent role in their team's success this season.

The college basketball world is well-acquainted with the contender for National Player of the Year. Luka Garza, Jared Butler, and Corey Kispert headline the list of well-known faces across the country in college hoops.

But what about those unsung players that are often the best barometer’s for their team’s success?

Here is a list of the unsung players in college basketball that will play a prominent role in their team’s success or failure over the final two months.

College Basketball Bellwethers

Player:  Sharife Cooper
Team:  Auburn
Statistics: 22.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 8.7 apg, 1.1 spg

Few players have been more integral to their team’s recent success than Auburn’s Sharife Cooper. The five-star freshman has only been eligible for six games, but has buoyed the post-season aspirations for the inexperienced Tigers. Prior to Cooper being eligible, Auburn was middling at 6-5 overall with an 0-3 SEC conference record. In the six games since, Auburn has gone 4-2, with wins over Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Missouri.  Cooper’s presence as the offensive catalyst has also raised the production of his fellow starters, such as:

The Tigers have also seen a huge improvement in their free-throw percentage, which is 66.2% overall but 75% in SEC play. Against Alabama and Georgia, Auburn shot a combined 66% (51-of-77) from the floor and 81.4% from the charity stripe. The Tigers are ineligible for this year’s NCAA tournament, but Cooper will become a nationally-recognized talent by the end of the season.

 

Player:  David McCormack
Team:  Kansas
Statistics: 11.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 84.6% FT

On a Kansas team lacking a true alpha-scorer, David McCormack’s production is critical to the Jayhawks’ success. He replaced last year’s Big 12 Player of the Year, Udoka Azubuike, from last year’s 28-3 team, and serves as the clear bellwether for the Jayhawks success. As the only inside presence for the Jayhawks, he needs to play well and stay out of foul trouble.

In three losses to Gonzaga, Texas, and Baylor, the 6-foot-10, 265 lb junior averaged just 7.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 17.6 minutes. Against the Longhorns, McCormack was overmatched and only tallied 14 minutes in an 84-59 loss at Allen Fieldhouse, tying the most lopsided loss in program history. When McCormack plays well and stays on the floor, Kansas can beat anyone in the country. He logged a season-high 32 minutes against West Virginia, notching a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double in the Jayhawks 79-65 win. With upcoming games at Tennessee, at West Virginia, and at home to Oklahoma State, McCormack’s interior presence will again be the foundation for Jayhawks’ victories.

 

Player:  Liam Robbins
Team:  Minnesota
Statistics: 13.3 ppg, 6.9  rpg, 2.6 bpg, 40.1% 3P

Few players have been more integral to their team’s success than 7-foot, 235 lb sophomore Liam Robbins. The Drake-transfer has made an immediate impact in Minneapolis. He ranks second on the team in per game averages for points (13.3), and first in rebounds (6.9) and blocks (2.6). Robbins had a brilliant performance against Michigan with 22 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, two steals and 3/3 from beyond the arc. Robbins again defined his value in the Gophers recent 63-49 home loss to Maryland. Limited to 22 minutes due to foul trouble, he only produced six point and and a season-low two rebounds. Minnesota needs Robbins to be a strong complement to All-American candidate Marcus Carr (20.9 ppg) as they enter the second half of Big Ten play.

 

Player:  DeJean Jarreau
Team:  Houston
Statistics: 8.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.3 spg

The versatile Jarreau serves as Houston’s “swiss army knife” with his box score-stuffing performances. The 6-foot-5 senior has four games of 10 or more points, five games of eight or more rebounds, and eight games of five or more assists. With the surprising mid-season transfer of AAC preseason Player of the Year, Caleb Mills, to Florida State, Jarreau will now be asked to do even more for the Cougars. He has been a critical part of every big win this season, including Texas Tech (8 pts, 9 rebs, 5 asts, 3 stls) and Wichita State (13 pts, 10 rebs, 5 asts).

 

Player:  Jaden Ivey
Team:  Purdue
Statistics: 7.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.6 apg, 17.8 mpg

The four-star freshman is forcing his way into more minutes for Matt Painter‘s Boilermakers. Ivey has posted double-digits performances in the biggest wins of the season for Purdue. Ivey opened with 12 points (5 of 7 FG) in a short-handed opening win against Liberty. Next, he tallied 11 points, five rebounds, and, four assists in a 73-70 win over Maryland. Finally, he posted 13 points in an 81-69 win at rival Indiana, and hit the game-winning 3P shot in last week’s 67-65 win at Ohio State.

 

Player: Neemias Queta
Team:  Utah State
Statistics: 12.4 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3.1 apg, 3.1 bpg, 1.3 spg

The 7-foot junior center only averages 12.4 ppg but he is one of most under-the-radar dominant players in college basketball. Injured for the majority of last season, Queta was the centerpiece of an 11-game winning streak for the Aggies. Over a magnificent four-game stretch, Queta has averaged 13.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, three blocks, and 1.75 steals per game. He also averaged just 2.4 fouls per game. Not surprisingly, Queta was in foul trouble against Colorado State, and the Rams finished off the 84-76 upset to give the Aggies their first conference loss of the season. The Utah State big man is one of the valuable players in the country.

 

Player: Roman Penn
Team:  Drake
Statistics: 12.6 ppg, 3.1rpg, 5.5 apg, 55.7% FG, 42.9% 3P

The junior point guard is the head of the dragon for a Drake team that is still presently undefeated (15-0). Penn is one of the most efficient point guards in the country, shooting 42.9% from 3P and an even-more impressive 55.7% overall from the field on only 24.3 minutes per game. His eight consecutive game double-digit scoring streak was ended by a comfortable 86-55 blowout win over Southern Illinois. Fans of the Bulldogs are hardly surprised, as Penn scored a career-high 26 points to lead Drake to a 77-56 first-round Missouri Valley Conference Tournament upset of No. 1 Northern Iowa last season.

 

Player: Chandler Vaudrin
Team:  Winthrop
Statistics: 12.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 7.6 apg, 1.5 spg, 37.5% 3P

The 6-foot-7 senior is the leading-scorer for the undefeated Eagles, who continue to fly under the radar nationally. The box score-filler already has two triple-doubles on the season, against Campbell and USC Upstate. He is the only player on the deep Winthrop roster to average over 25 minutes per game ( 32.3 mpg), and he creates shots for an offense that ranks second in the Big South with a 36.4% 3P. The Eagles are 15-1 in the Big South Conference, two full games ahead of second-place Radford.

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