Stock Watch

Max Abmas

Remember him? The dynamic little guard who led Oral Roberts to the Sweet 16 with upsets of Ohio State and Florida two years ago? Well, he’s back and so are the Golden Eagles, who sit atop the Summit League at 6-0 led by the 6-foot guard from Texas who is averaging over 22 points per game. Abmas has received some help from key Arkansas transfer Connor Vanover, a 7-foot-5 big man who can shoot it from deep, and fellow guard Issac McBride, giving Oral Roberts needed scoring depth.

Villanova

There was bound to be a step back. Regression was expected. You don’t lose a Hall of Fame coach like Jay Wright and your three best players, Justin Moore, Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels, and not lose something. The absence of a true, difference-making point guard, a staple under Wright, has been glaring. Still, it is jarring to see how far Villanova has fallen so far this season under new coach Kype Neptune, having lost five of its last six games. An NCAA Tournament bid is almost dependent at this point on the Wildcats winning the Big East Tournament.

Clemson

Only one ACC team is still undefeated in conference play, and it’s nobody from Tobacco Road. It isn’t Virginia, either. It is surprising Clemson, which was picked to finish 11th in the league. Which is coming off a dismal 17-16 season. Which lost three of its top five scorers from that team. Beyond impressive. It may be time to rank Clemson after it took down Duke on Saturday afternoon for its fourth Quad 1 win of the season.

Connecticut

A few weeks ago, the Huskies looked like a heavy favorite for the coveted No. 1 seed in the East Region, which will be played at Madison Square Garden. But after four losses in five games, UConn is falling fast. The first three setbacks, at Xavier, Providence and Marquette, were understandable. Even expected. Sunday’s was not. Coach Dan Hurley’s team was a 14-point favorite over St. John’s, and was overwhelmed by 11. It is closer to seventh in the Big East than first.