College Basketball Players Who Must Step Up to Salvage Their 2016-17 Seasons

Great preseason expectations sometimes turn into great in-season disappointments.

A number of college players with high aspirations have not come close to achieving their goals so far this season. Sometimes injuries have spoiled their season to this point. Other times their team has not produced the success that was anticipated. In some cases the player has inexplicably regressed. Occasionally unanticipated circumstances conspired to make things difficult for the player.

However, with more than a month of the season remaining, there is still time for these players to salvage their seasons.

We take a look at 12 players whose 2016-17 seasons can still be saved if they step up their performances over the final weeks. Some of these players' difficulties have been well publicized; others have gone virtually unnoticed.

Moses Kingsley, Arkansas

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Games: 22

Statistics: 12.2 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.6 bpg

Team's record: 17-5 (6-3 SEC)

Arkansas senior center Moses Kingsley was named the preseason Southeastern Conference player of the year, and it's easy to see why. He made a dramatic improvement from his sophomore to junior season, averaging 15.9 points on 54.8 percent shooting along with 9.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks last year.

As a second-team all-conference selection last season with none of the first-team picks returning this year, Kingsley figured to be a dominant force in the SEC in 2016-17, especially if he continued his rapid improvement. The Razorbacks' hopes of landing an NCAA tournament berth seemed in safe hands with Kingsley as the centerpiece.

Things have not gone as planned. With 22 games in the books, Kingsley's numbers are down in nearly every category. His 12.2 points per game are a drop of nearly four points per game, and his rebounding is down by more than one board per game at 7.9. His blocked shots are up marginally, but his shooting percentage is down to 46.2 percent.

A Dec. 19 Associated Press story noted Kingsley "has struggled to adapt to his new role as one of many offensive options for the rebuilt Razorbacks." His numbers have improved only slightly since then.

At the moment Arkansas is a bubble team for the NCAA tournament, with CBSSports.com's Jeff Palm and ESPN.com's Jeff Lunardi both listing the Razorbacks as a No. 9 seed in their projected fields as of Feb. 2.

The Razorbacks need Kingsley to become a major presence in the middle to make the NCAA tournament, and Kingsley needs to improve his performance for his professional future. NBADraft.net projects Kingsley as a mid-second-round draft pick at the moment, while Draft Express projects him to go undrafted. Kingsley needs to step up his game over the next couple months to have a chance to get drafted.

Kingsley showed signs of a breakthrough when he scored a season-high 24 points in Arkansas' Jan. 21 win over LSU. However, he was 3-of-11 from the field with only four rebounds in the 28-point loss at Oklahoma State on Jan. 28.

Siyani Chambers, Harvard

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Games: 16

Statistics: 8.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 6.0 apg, 

Team's record: 11-6 (3-1 Ivy)

You remember Siyani Chambers, right? As a freshman, he was the starting point guard on the Harvard team that stunned third-seeded New Mexico in the opening round of the 2013 NCAA tournament. The next season, Chambers was a key member of a Crimson team that went 27-5 and ousted fifth-seeded Cincinnati from the NCAA tournament. As a junior, Chambers helped Harvard to a third straight Ivy League title, and the Crimson nearly beat North Carolina in the opening round of the 2015 NCAA tournament. Chambers converted a four-point play to give the Crimson a two-point lead with 1:15 remaining, but the Tar Heels won 67-65.

That is the last we heard of Chambers.

He missed the entire 2015-16 season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament before the season began, according to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports.

Chambers returned for his senior season in 2016-17, but things have not gone as well as they had in the past. His surrounding talent is not what it was in his first three seasons, but Chambers' production has been lacking, too. His scoring average has decreased in each succeeding season. His 12.8 points per game and 5.7 assists per contest as a freshman dropped to 11.1 points and 4.5 assists as a sophomore, then to 9.9 points and 4.3 assists as a junior.

This season, Chambers' scoring average is just 8.3 points per game. Although his assists are up to 6.0 a game, his shooting percentage is at a career low. He has made just 31 percent of his shots overall and just 30.2 percent of his three-pointers. That is down significantly from his freshman season when he made 43.4 percent of his shots from the field and 42.4 percent from long range.

His worst game of the season came in the most important contest so far, a Jan. 28 loss to Columbia in the Crimson's most recent game. Chambers scored just two points on 0-of-8 shooting. He missed a 35-foot three-point attempt at the buzzer that would have tied the game.

That 65-62 loss dropped the Crimson into a second-place tie with Columbia, while Princeton remained unbeaten in conference play. Harvard has finished first in the Ivy League every season Chambers has been on the team, but that run is in danger.

Chambers and Harvard still have a chance to turn that around. This Saturday's home game against Princeton gives the Crimson an opportunity to grab a share of first place, assuming the Crimson win Friday's home game against Pennsylvania first.

Harvard will still have a shot to get to the NCAA tournament even if it does not win the regular-season conference title. For the first time, the Ivy League representative in the NCAA tournament will be determined by a conference tournament. The top four finishers will compete in the two-day Ivy League tournament, and we know how well Chambers has performed in a tournament setting.

James Daniel, Howard

Mel Evans/Associated Press

Games: 2

Statistics: 17.0 ppg, 4.0 apg

Team's record: 5-17 (2-5 MEAC)

Howard has not been to the NCAA tournament in 25 years, but 2016-17 looked like the year that drought might end. The Bison were the preseason choice to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title. A major reason for the high hopes was the return of guard James Daniel, the MEAC player of the year last season after he led the nation in scoring at 27.1 points per game.

However, the 2016-17 season has not been kind to Daniel, and, by extension, to Howard. Daniel missed the first 14 games of the season with a high ankle sprain suffered in preseason practice. He returned for the Jan. 4 game against Florida A&M and tallied 24 points in a loss. But three days later, in a loss to Columbia, Daniel reinjured his ankle and has not played since.

The Bison, who have other injury problems besides Daniel, have lost their last three games and are in 10th place in the MEAC with a 2-5 conference record.

There is hope for Daniel and Howard, though.

The Howard release previewing the Jan. 28 game against Savannah State said Daniel "could be out for at least another week." It suggests Daniel might return in early February, leaving him with about eight or nine games to get back into top form before the MEAC tournament begins. The conference tournament champion will be the MEAC's only representative in the NCAA tournament, and Daniel is capable of turning the Bison around quickly with his scoring skills.

Howard has another player who could salvage his and his team's season after a difficult start. Marcel Boyd, a 6'11" center, was a preseason first-team all-MEAC selection after averaging 10.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks last season. But he missed three games earlier this season with a foot injury, as noted by a Dec. 27 Howard release, and his numbers have shrunk to 5.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game this season.

If he and and Daniel can return to their form of last season, the Bison could still earn their first NCAA tournament berth since 1992, which would transform a disappointing season into a great one.

Phil Booth, Villanova

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Games: 3

Statistics: 5.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.0 apg

Team's record: 21-2 (8-2 Big East)

Had it not been for Kris Jenkins' game-winning shot at the buzzer, Phil Booth might have been the hero of last season's national championship game. Booth was Villanova's high scorer in that contest, collecting 20 points off the bench on 6-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-2 from three-point range. He scored 13 of his points in the final 14 minutes.

With Ryan Arcidiacono being a senior last season, Booth figured to slip into the starting lineup alongside Jalen Brunson as the Wildcats went for a second straight national title.

Booth started the first three games of the 2016-17 season, but he struggled, totaling 17 points on 5-of-19 shooting with as many turnovers (six) as assists (six).

In the Nov. 17 victory over Western Michigan, Booth scored three points on 1-of-6 shooting, with two assists and three turnovers. He sat out the next game against Wake Forest because his left knee that had undergone surgery in the offseason was beginning to act up.

Head coach Jay Wright did not think it was anything serious.

"We believe it's just tendinitis—we believe," Wright said after the victory over Wake Forest, according to Philly.com's Mike Jensen. "But because of the [surgery] we just want to be careful, shut him down, [not play] in back-to-back games like this. We're pretty sure it's just tendinitis but we're going to get it reexamined just to be safe."

Booth has not played since.

Redshirting the season would seem like a possibility, but Booth said this week there is still a chance he will return this season.

"Yeah, there's a chance," he said in Joe Juliano's Jan. 28 Philly.com article.

But he does not know when that would be.

Booth's desire to play this season is understandable. Villanova has a chance to win another national championship, and with three current starters, including Josh Hart, being seniors, the Wildcats may not have that opportunity next season.

Dillon Brooks, Oregon

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Games: 18

Statistics: 13.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.1 apg

Teams's record: 19-3 (8-1 Pac-12)

You're probably surprised to see Dillon Brooks' name here. Brooks, a junior, is the leading scorer for a 19-3 Oregon team that is ranked 13th in the country this week and is also just one game out of first place in the Pac-12. He scored the game-winning basket against UCLA and scored 35 and 24 points in the Ducks' consecutive victories over the Bruins and USC. 

Why does this guy need to salvage anything? 

Granted, he has had a pretty good season. But is it good enough? Brooks is the only returning first-team all-Pac-12 selection from last season, and he was named to the Associated Press, CBS Sports and USA Today five-man first-team preseason All-American teams this season.

The Ducks were ranked No. 5 in the preseason AP poll, suggesting they might be a Final Four team after reaching the Elite Eight as a No. 1 seed a year ago.

In that context, Brooks has fallen a bit short. Certainly a foot injury that caused him to miss the first three games as well as the Jan. 21 game against Stanford has been a hindrance. But the expectation was that he would improve on his numbers from a year ago. Instead he is averaging 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds fewer than he did last season, when he averaged 16.7 points and 5.4 rebounds. The fact that Brooks is averaging 21.7 minutes this season as opposed to 32.8 minutes last season has a lot to do with his injury and the Ducks' impressive depth. However, the simple fact is that his production has decreased when it was expected to increase.

All of this could be dismissed if it weren't for Brooks' recent production, or rather lack of production. In the seven games since his big weekend against UCLA and USC to open Pac-12 play, Brooks has averaged 9.1 points and 2.0 rebounds while making just 4-of-18 three-point attempts.

He was ejected in the first half of the Washington State game for kicking an opposing player during a scramble. What is remembered from Brooks' Jan. 26 performance in the victory over Utah was not the 19 points he scored but his unconvincing, and somewhat embarrassing, flop.

The alarm bell went off when Brooks had just nine points and six turnovers in the Jan. 28 loss to Colorado, which was 1-7 in the conference at the time. 

It was Oregon's first conference loss, so the Ducks are very much in the Pac-12 race. Brooks has more to give, as he demonstrated in this season's game against UCLA and in his 22-point, five-rebound, six-assist, one-turnover performance in last year's NCAA tournament Sweet 16 victory over Duke.

He also has some things to prove to the NBA. He is ranked as the 68th-best pro prospect by NBADraft.net and 72nd by Draft Express. He can always return for his senior season instead of turning pro, but Brooks was projected to be one of the nation's best players this season. A foot injury has hampered his production, but he has enough time left to fulfill the preseason expectations for him and his team.

Luke Nelson, UC Irvine

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Games: 6

Statistics: 13.0 ppg. 2.7 rpg, 2.3 apg

Team's record: 13-11 (6-2 Big West)

UC Irvine guard Luke Nelson just can't seem to get healthy, and you wonder whether the Anteaters have a chance to reach the NCAA tournament if Nelson does not return pretty soon.

Nelson was the only member of last season's first-team all-conference team who returned this season, suggesting he would be a dominant force in the Big West in 2016-17. He was a major reason UC Irvine was picked to finish second in the preseason poll, and with conference favorite Long Beach State floundering, the Anteaters seemed to be in position to grab the Big West title.

However, Nelson missed the first 15 games with a hamstring injury, and after playing the next six games, he was sidelined again after tweaking his hamstring. He has missed the past three games, although Irvine coach Russell Turner said this week, per the Long Beach Telegram's Robert Morales, that he expects Nelson to play in Saturday's road game against Long Beach State.

Does Nelson make a difference? The Anteaters are 6-0 when Nelson played this season and 7-11 when he didn't. With Nelson in the lineup, Irvine started 4-0 in Big West play, including a 22-point road victory over Cal Poly. In the three conference games without Nelson, the Anteaters are 1-2, including a 13-point home loss to Cal Poly.

Nelson's injury-plagued senior season has been a disappointment so far, but if he can remain healthy and regain his top form, he has a chance to save the season for himself and the Anteaters.

Rodney Purvis, Connecticut

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Games: 21

Statistics: 12.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.6 apg

Team's record: 10-11 (5-4 American)

Connecticut is trying desperately to salvage a disastrous season, and senior guard Rodney Purvis is at the heart of that rescue operation.

UConn, which was picked to finish second in the American Athletic Conference and was ranked 18th in the preseason AP poll, dug itself a huge hole at the outset by losing at home to Wagner and Northeastern in its first two games. Purvis was part of the problem, scoring five and seven points in those two games while going 5-of-16 from the field, including 2-of-10 from three-point range with five turnovers.

Things have not improved much since. Injuries have hurt the Huskies, and Purvis has not shot well the entire season. Although his scoring average of 12.4 points per game is down only slightly from last season's 12.8 average, his shooting percentage has been much worse this season. After hitting 43.4 percent of his shots overall and 38.5 percent of his three-pointers last season when he was the team's leading scorer, Purvis is making just 34.9 percent of his shots from the floor and 29.1 percent of his long-range attempts this season.

His play is one of the reasons for the Huskies' disappointing season, but both he and UConn are trying to make a late-season surge.

The low point for the Huskies and Purvis came in the Jan. 19 game at SMU. UConn scored just 49 points in a 20-point loss, and Purvis scored only two points, going 0-of-4 from the field with three assists and two turnovers in 30 minutes of playing time. It left Purvis averaging 12.0 points on 33 percent shooting overall and 28.9 percent on threes. His team was 7-11 overall and 2-4 in the conference.

The season got a little brighter for UConn and Purvis the past three games. Purvis scored 16, 14 and 14 points in those three games. He hit 14-of-28 shots in that span and made 5-of-10 three-point shots in the two most recent games. The Huskies won all three.

The fact that the wins came against the three teams at the bottom of the AAC standings, East Carolina, South Florida and Tulane, minimizes the significance of the streak. However, it gives UConn and Purvis a chance to make something out of what had the look of a lost season.

Grayson Allen, Duke

Timothy D. Easley/Associated Press

Games played: 20

Statistics: 15.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.9 apg

Team's record: 17-5 (5-4 ACC)

Great things were expected of Grayson Allen this season as soon as he announced last spring that he would return to Duke rather than enter the NBA draft. His breakout 2015-16 season, when he averaged 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 rebounds earned him first-team all-conference honors and third-team Associate Press All-American recognition.

Allen entered this season as the top vote-getter in AP's preseason All-American team, and SI.com and CBS Sports were among the media outlets that named him the preseason frontrunner for national player of the year.

However, three problems have conspired to make this a challenging season for the Duke junior.

The first, and most obvious, issue is his drop in production. With the amount of talent surrounding him at Duke, a slight dip in his numbers could be expected. But his scoring average of 15.6 is six points lower than his average of last season. His 39.6 percent field-goal shooting and 33.3 percent three-point shooting are poor numbers and are down considerably from last season's 46.6 percent and 41.7 percent, respectively.

His assists and rebounds are about the same as last season and his turnovers (2.3 per game) are up slightly from last season (2.0).

The second issue is the hit his reputation has taken for getting caught tripping an opponent for the third time in a year and his ensuing tantrum on the bench. That led to a one-game suspension by coach Mike Krzyzewski.

The final issue is the surprisingly inconsistent play of the Duke team. A nearly unanimous choice as the preseason No. 1 team, Duke is ranked 21st this week and is seventh in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings with a 5-4 record.

Allen can still salvage his season with a strong finish. He had encouraging performances in road games against Louisville on Jan. 14 (23 points, nine rebounds) and Wake Forest on Jan. 28 (19 points, 5-of-11 three-point shooting), and the Blue Devils have more than enough talent to finish the season on the upswing.

An omen that Allen and Duke might launch a late-season rally came in the Blue Devils' 84-74 road victory over Notre Dame on Jan. 30. Allen had 21 points on 3-of-7 three-point shooting in that game.

His reputation as a dirty player may be difficult to erase, with the headline of an SI.com article written by Brian Hamilton stating, "Grayson Allen's reputation as a tripper will follow him for the remainder of his career." However, that will fade somewhat over time if he and Duke start producing as expected over the final weeks.

Allonzo Trier, Arizona

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Games: 3

Statistics: 13.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.6 apg

Team's record: 20-2 (9-0 Pac-12)

Big things were expected of sophomore guard Allonzo Trier, who was Arizona's top returning scorer after averaging 14.8 points last season as a freshman. Athlon Sports named Trier to its preseason first-team all-conference team, and USA Today, in its Pac-12 preview, suggested that we "keep an eye on Trier as a conference player of the year candidate."

However, he missed the first 19 games of the season for reasons that went unexplained for a long time. Finally, on Jan. 18, Trier released a statement saying he had been suspended because he had tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance. He was allowed to travel with the team during much of his suspension, but he could not play in games until the substance left his body completely.

The Wildcats did well without Trier, winning 17 of the 19 games. But in Trier's first game back, Arizona pulled off its biggest win of the season, a 96-85 victory over then-No. 3 UCLA at Pauley Pavilion. Trier was a major factor in that victory, collecting 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes off the bench. His dunk with 7:34 left gave Arizona a 78-71 lead, and it may have been the deciding blow.

Trier seems to be in midseason form. With Trier available, the Wildcats are 3-0, with all three wins coming by double-digit margins. Ranked 14th heading into the UCLA game, Arizona moved up to No. 5 this week after three games with Trier involved.

Trier has a chance to save his season and enhance his team's postseason chances if he continues to produce. He also could improve his NBA draft status, which was hurt by his prolonged absence. He is ranked as the 46th-best NBA prospect by NBADraft.net and 67th by Draft Express. 

Thomas Bryant, Indiana

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Games: 23

Statistics: 13.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg

Team's record: 15-8 (5-5 Big Ten)

Thomas Bryant's inclusion on this list has more to do with his team's recent struggles than his shortcomings. His 13.2 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per contest are decent numbers, although a bit more was expected of the 6'10" sophomore, who was named the Big Ten preseason player of the year by NBCSports.com and who has hopes of being a first-round NBA draft pick. Draft Express ranks Bryant as the 23rd-best pro prospect, although NBADraft.net puts him at No. 66 on its list of the top 100 pro prospects.

Bryant needs to do more to assure himself first-round status. More important, with forward OG Onunoby lost for the season and James Blackmon Jr. sidelined for the time being, Bryant needs to do more to ensure the Hoosiers make the NCAA tournament.

The Hoosiers seemed like Final Four material early in the season, when they beat Kansas and moved up to No. 3 in the AP poll. However, Indiana's season has been trending downward ever since. In losses to Big Ten title contenders Wisconsin and Maryland, Bryant had just six points in each game. The Hoosiers have lost six of their past 11 games, and they are unranked this week. At 5-5 in the Big Ten, they have little chance for a conference title that seemed so attainable a few weeks ago.

Suddenly an NCAA tournament berth does not seem assured. Lunardi has the Hoosiers as a No. 9 seed in its projected tournament field, while Palm has Indiana as a No. 10 seed.

Bryant had two of his best games of the season in the Jan. 29 game at Northwestern and the Feb. 1 game against Penn State. He collected 23 points, hit two 3-pointers, pulled down 12 rebounds, and blocked two shots against Northwestern, but Indiana still lost by 13 points. Indiana's NCAA tournament bid would have taken a serious hit if it had lost at home to Penn State, but the Hoosiers pulled out a 110-102 triple-overtime victory to avoid disaster.

Bryant was a major reason Indiana won that game, as he collected 31 points on 13-of-18 shooting and pulled down 11 rebounds in 44 minutes before fouling out. The Hoosiers needed Bryant's production with Blackmon sidelined with a lower leg injury for the past two games.

With Blackmon out indefinitely, the Indianapolis Star's Zach Osterman noted Bryant's importance with this appraisal following the victory over Penn State:

"

The mantle of responsibility for keeping Indiana’s season from careening off the tracks has been passed on more times than Wednesday’s game added overtime periods. Right now, it falls on Thomas Bryant. If there’s any solace to be found in a season still slumping, it’s that perhaps the best player on Indiana’s roster is playing like it, when his team essentially has no other option.

 

"

Marc-Eddy Norelia, Florida Gulf Coast

John Minchillo/Associated Press

Games: 14

Statistics: 8.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg

Team's record: 18-6 (7-1 Atlantic Sun)

Marc-Eddy Norelia has been a bit of a mystery this season. Last season he was Florida Gulf Coast's leading scorer (17.1 points per game) and rebounder (9.3 rebounds per game) and was a first-team all-Atlantic Sun Conference selection. He was MVP of the Atlantic Sun tournament and a unanimous choice as a preseason first-team all-conference player this season.

He has not lived up to those expectations for a variety of reasons.

Norelia missed the first four games of the season because of a broken hand, according to the Naples Daily News' Dana Caldwell, then later missed five games for personal reasons.

A Dec. 29 Naples Daily News report noted that coach Joe Dooley had left the door open for Norelia's return following the leave for personal reasons.

"It's an ongoing evaluation," Dooley told Caldwell in that article. "Marc needs to be comfortable. We need to be comfortable. He's obviously been away from it a little, so he has to readjust to his teammates and they have to readjust to him. We'll see how everything transpires. Marc is evaluating everything right now."

Norelia returned for the Jan. 12 games against Kennesaw State and scored 21 points, although his numbers this season are way down from a year ago. He is averaging just 8.2 points and 3.6 rebounds while being limited to 18.2 minutes per game in the 14 games he has played this season.

Florida Gulf Coast stands alone atop the Atlantic Sun with a 7-1 conference mark, and Norelia's presence seems to make a difference despite his limited production. The Eagles are 12-2 when Norelia plays, and that includes a loss to Georgia Southern when Norelia was limited to eight minutes of court time. Without Norelia, the Eagles are 6-4.

Florida Gulf Coast may need last season's version of Norelia to be a factor in March, but there is no indication the Eagles will get that. He made his first start of the season in the Jan. 30 victory over North Florida, but he played just four minutes and went scoreless.

Dooley told the Naples Herald's R.J. Roan that Norelia's limited playing time in that game was the product of foul trouble and nothing else, but there is no indication that Norelia might be on the verge of a late-season surge. 

Harry Giles, Duke

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Games played: 11

Statistics: 5.4 ppg , 5.0 rpg

Team's record: 17-5 (5-4 ACC)

It may seem unfair to put two players from the same team on this list, but Duke has fallen so short of expectations this season that it is warranted.

Everything has gone wrong for Blue Devils freshman Harry Giles this season. His college career got off to an unfortunate start, as he missed the start of the season following minor knee surgery in early October. He missed the first 11 games, before making his college debut on Dec. 19.

The 6'10" Giles had to play catch-up while trying to fit in with a talented Duke team that had high expectations. The Blue Devils were a nearly unanimous choice as the AP preseason No. 1 team, but they slipped out of the top four in the third week and have not returned. In Giles' third game, and the first in which he got significant playing time, Duke lost to unranked Virginia Tech by 14 points.

Duke is ranked 21st this week and is just 5-4 in the ACC, despite having considerable returning talent as well as the No. 1-ranked recruiting class in the country, according to Scout.com. As the nation's No. 2-ranked recruit, per Scout.com, Giles was the headliner of that recruiting class and was expected to have a major impact. The No.2-rated freshman in the country is expected to average more than 5.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 0.45 blocks, especially if he has started five of the 11 games he has played.

Take a look at the No. 2 recruits over the previous seven years and you see what is expected of that spot: Ben Simmons, Emmanuel Mudiay, Julius Randle, Shabazz Muhammad, Andre Drummond, Kyrie Irving and John Wall.

NBADraft.net projects Giles to be the 10th player selected in the 2017 NBA draft and Draft Express has him in the No. 17 slot of the first round. He has some things to prove to live up to that projection.

Giles' playing time is still limited, as he has played more than 19 minutes just once this season.  He did not start the Jan. 30 game against Notre Dame and played just nine minutes. Since Duke had one of its best performances in that game, Giles' playing time may not increase any time soon.

However, he has shown flashes of the talent that has made him an NBA prospect. He figures to improve as the season goes on, particularly when Mike Krzyzewski returns from his back-related absence. Giles' improvement could correlate directly with Duke's improvement, and that could save his season, his NBA draft status and Duke's season.

(Records and statistics include games through Wednesday, Feb.1.)