Miami of Ohio is on the verge of making college basketball history. The RedHawks look to become just the fourth team in the last 20 years to enter March Madness with an undefeated record. A win Saturday over 10-18 Western Michigan would push the 'Miami of the North' to 29-0.
The ranked RedHawks boast one of the top offenses in the country, averaging 91.6 points per clash. Even the MAC title is not currently guaranteed with Akron sitting at 14-1 in the conference, though, and it has been 50 years since any program completed an undefeated campaign (1975-1976 Indiana Hoosiers). Each of the last two squads did make the Final Four, but those were blue blood programs in the form of Gonzaga and Kentucky.
The RedHawks will be doubted given their schedule and level of competition, but the fact remains they could place themselves in rather exclusive company.
College Basketball Stock Report: March Madness Impact Players
Let's take a gander at some players making waves in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer.
UPGRADE
Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois – Wagler has been a revelation for the Illini, stuffing the stat sheet on a nightly basis. He poured in 34 points earlier this month in an OT loss to Wisconsin, and has flirted with a triple-double on several other occasions, including last weekend's narrow loss to UCLA. In sum, Wagler is averaging 18.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest. He is ninth in the Big Ten in scoring,
Miami of Ohio is on the verge of making college basketball history. The RedHawks look to become just the fourth team in the last 20 years to enter March Madness with an undefeated record. A win Saturday over 10-18 Western Michigan would push the 'Miami of the North' to 29-0.
The ranked RedHawks boast one of the top offenses in the country, averaging 91.6 points per clash. Even the MAC title is not currently guaranteed with Akron sitting at 14-1 in the conference, though, and it has been 50 years since any program completed an undefeated campaign (1975-1976 Indiana Hoosiers). Each of the last two squads did make the Final Four, but those were blue blood programs in the form of Gonzaga and Kentucky.
The RedHawks will be doubted given their schedule and level of competition, but the fact remains they could place themselves in rather exclusive company.
College Basketball Stock Report: March Madness Impact Players
Let's take a gander at some players making waves in this edition of the College Hoops Barometer.
UPGRADE
Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois – Wagler has been a revelation for the Illini, stuffing the stat sheet on a nightly basis. He poured in 34 points earlier this month in an OT loss to Wisconsin, and has flirted with a triple-double on several other occasions, including last weekend's narrow loss to UCLA. In sum, Wagler is averaging 18.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest. He is ninth in the Big Ten in scoring, and tied for 11th in assists. Wagler can count himself as one of the top freshmen in the nation, high praise considering the monstrous class this year.
Moe Odum, G, Arizona State – It has been a rough season for the Sun Devils, but Odum has provided the silver lining. Odum has improved his status in each of his four collegiate seasons en route to becoming a budding star. Odum is averaging 17.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists per contest. He is shooting career-bests from both the charity stripe as well as three-point range while starting every game for ASU. Odum is 12th in the conference in scoring, and third in the Big 12 in dishing. The Sun Devils will look to play the role of spoiler with games remaining against Kansas and Iowa State.
See how these players stack up among other power conference talent in RotoWire's fantasy college basketball rankings.
CHECK STATUS
T.O. Barrett, G, Missouri – Barrett has been one of the keys to success this season for Mizzou, but his production is not always a guarantee. Barrett has scored in double-digits in seven of the last nine outings for the Tigers. Missouri is 6-1 in those contests. That includes Tuesday's career-high 28 points in a win over a ranked Tennessee squad. By contrast, the Tigers lost both games in which Barrett scored fewer than 10 points during that span. Since entering the starting lineup, Barrett is averaging 15.0 points along with 4.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.7 steals per clash. Barrett's recent surge has helped catapult the Tigers into NCAA Tournament contention.
KJ Lewis, G, Georgetown – Lewis left Tuesday's loss to Marquette in the first half due to an ankle injury. The severity of the ailment is currently unknown. The transfer from Arizona has brought his game to new heights as a member of the Hoyas, starting 27 of 28 contests en route to career-highs of 14.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 dimes per tilt. Isaiah Abraham hit double figures in scoring for just the fifth time this season last game, and looks like he would be the chief beneficiary if Lewis misses additional time. Unfortunately, the absence of Lewis will not help the Hoyas overall, though, they've dropped five games in a row even with him in the starting lineup.
Garrett Johnson, F, George Washington – It has been an injury-plagued collegiate career for Johnson. He started 23 games as a freshman, averaging 13.4 points and 5.6 rebounds. However, a hip injury caused him to miss significant time towards the end of that season. He subsequently tore his ACL and underwent surgery, missing the entire 2024-2025 campaign. He has been in and out of the starting lineup for the Colonials, managing 12.9 points and 3.8 rebounds. However, he has also missed five games this season, including Tuesday's win at La Salle. Johnson had started the previous nine contests for George Washington. It remains to be seen if Johnson is nursing a new injury, dealing with old issues, or simply receiving a maintenance day.
Check out how key injuries are affecting March Madness contenders on RotoWire's college basketball injury report.
DOWNGRADE
Jalen Haralson, F, Notre Dame – The freshman has been one of the few bright spots for the Irish this season, though an ankle injury kept him out of Tuesday's dismal defeat to Duke. In fact, it was the third-straight absence for Haralson, who has otherwise been arguably the most consistent performer for Notre Dame, especially since the injury to star guard Markus Burton. Haralson. Prior to the injury, Haralson had hit the 20-point scoring mark in three of five contests. Overall, he is averaging 15.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per tilt. In a lost season for the Irish, Notre Dame could exercise caution with their prized phenom and simply shut him down for the remainder of the campaign.
Parsa Fallah, F/C, Oklahoma State – Fallah's collegiate career will end prematurely due to a torn ACL. The graduate student was on his third stop and performing at a high level prior to the injury. Fallah was managing 14.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per tilt. In fact, he was leading the team in rebounds, and was second in scoring. The Cowboys are awfully thin up front without Fallah; expect Andrija Vukovic and Ben Ahmed to get the first crack at filling the void left by Fallah down the stretch.
Riley Kugel, G, UCF – The well-travelled senior was shuffled between the bench and the starting lineup during his previous three seasons, two with Florida and the last with Mississippi State. Now at Central Florida, Kugel had started each of the first 25 games of the season for the Knights. However, an undisclosed injury has subsequently sidelined Kugel for the last two contests. UCF was still able to win both outings, but the Knights will need Kugel to secure an at-large berth to the big dance. Kugel is second on the squad in scoring and dishing. Jordan Burks and Themus Fulks each had 24 points in Tuesday's upset win over BYU.
For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, roles and overall player performance, head to RotoWire's latest college basketball news page or follow @RotoWireCBB on X.
