This article is part of our College Hoops Barometer series.
How about the respect being put on the name of the Creighton Bluejays? They've lost twice thus far this season yet are still ranked in the Top 10 of the current rankings. Creighton could be on the verge of establishing a program akin to Gonzaga, the mid-major turned college basketball giant. Of course, Gonzaga still resides in the West Coast Conference, while Creighton has graduated from the Missouri Valley Conference to a much more notorious league, the Big East. Still, Creighton has made the tournament five times since 2012, and the Bluejays are stacked this season. Marcus Zegarowski was the Preseason Big East Player of the Year and is one of five players currently averaging double figures in points for Creighton. They start four seniors and a junior, and just torched Seton Hall by 36 points; the Pirates were 5-1 in conference play prior to this shellacking. Villanova remains the class of the Big East, but Creighton could be building a powerhouse.
Let's take a look at the rest of the hardwood landscape in this week's College Hoops Barometer.
UPGRADE
Chris Duarte, G, Oregon – The Ducks also start five upperclassmen (four seniors and a junior), but all of them are transfers, virtually unheard of at a Power 5 program. Duarte is a JUCO transfer now in his second season in Eugene, and is a big reason why the Ducks have rattled off eight-straight wins after an opening loss to Mizzou (currently a ranked squad as well). In
