There are a number of great things about College Fantasy Basketball, not the least of which is that it allows you to hear about players from smaller conferences and actually care about them before March. Leagues like the Big Sky, Big South, and Summit certainly don't get much pub except for when they become early season fodder for College Basketball's big boys, but that doesn't mean there aren't talented players lurking in these conferences. In fact, one of this year's best fantasy players calls the Big South home and has a name that will drive writers and editors crazy.
Big Sky
G Anthony Johnson, Montana Grizzlies
The 6-foot-2 senior guard is a pure scorer who finished last season by averaging 21.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists over the final 16 contests. Unlike most guards with gaudy point totals, Johnson doesn't shoot many threes, attempting just 55 last season. Instead, he attacks the rim to score or draw contact, which led to a couple things last year. First, he shot 50.3% from the floor, a mark some forwards can't even reach. Second, he got to the foul line 186 times, converting on 87.1% of his attempts. In all, he averaged 17.6 points to lead the conference, scored in double figures in 25 of 29 games, and netted 15 points or more 21 times. While his 2.8 rpg and 3.1 apg aren't huge, they still contribute to his overall fantasy effectiveness.
G Amorrow Morgan, Idaho St. Bengals
I'm not sure how Idaho State decided to select the bengal tiger as their mascot, but I do know that Morrow can help your fantasy squad. The 6-foot-5 senior guard had a nice all-around season in 2008-09 with 13.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.7 apg, and 1.1 spg. Like Johnson, Morrow managed those scoring numbers without shooting a ton of threes, but I swear the Big Sky uses the three-point line. Morrow finished the season with 23 double figure games out of 31, and if he can slightly improve his 71.1% from the free throw line, that number should increase. He also tallied four or more rebounds in 15 games and four or more assists in 17 contests, so he'll provide your team with multi-category contributions. He's likely to slide over to shooting guard now that Matt Stucki has graduated, which should lead to a potential increase in his scoring.
Others to watch: G Cameron Jones, Northern Arizona Lumberjacks; G Damian Lillard, Weber State Wildcats; F/C Brandon Moore, Eastern Washington Eagles; G Benny Valentine, Eastern Washington Eagles
Big South
C Al'Lonzo Coleman, Presbyterian Blue Hose
At 6-foot-7, Coleman is undersized for a center, but his game more than makes up for it. Last year he averaged 15.0 points, 8.4 boards, and 1.5 steals. He shot 51.7% from the field and got to the free throw line with regularity, making 69.1% of his 178 attempts. That translated to 25 double-digit scoring games out of 29 contests. On the boards, Coleman was even more of a factor with 10 double-doubles and 23 games with at least six rebounds. His board work was effective at both ends as he averaged 3.1 offensive rebounds a game, which no doubt helped out his field goal percentage and free throw attempts. The biggest knock on him is that he fouled out seven times and finished 24 games with at least four fouls. If he can cut down on those whistles, his numbers could see a nice bump as a junior this year.
F Joseph Harris, Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
The fifth-year senior forward is a double-double machine even at 6-foot-5. In all , Harris had 19 double-doubles last season, including 16 of the last 20 games. That said, his 15.2 ppg and 11.4 rpg were not a surprise. Harris also chipped in with 2.0 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.2 blocks to round out his productive season. Overall, he scored at least nine points on 28 occasions and shot an impressive 57.6% from the field. His 63.2% free throw shooting could use some work, and it's actually surprising he got to the line "only" 144 times. On the glass, he had double-digit rebounds a staggering 23 times. Given his experience, he'll be leaned on even more this season, and based on last year's results, that can only mean good things for your fantasy team.
G Austin Kenon, VMI Keydets
In case you forgot how many threes VMI likes to shoot, Kenon alone shot 305 last year. He shot 19 triples twice and jacked up fewer than seven three-pointers just six times. Thanks to a solid 39.0% conversion rate from beyond the arc, Kenon proved to be one of the team's best scorers with 16.3 ppg. In fact, he scored in double figures the first 23 games of the season and ended with 29 double-digit scoring efforts in 32 contests. While the bulk of Kenon's fantasy value comes in the scoring column, he did grab at least three rebounds in 20 games and dished out at least three assists 15 times. If your league counts steals, he put up 1.4 thefts per game last season. The 5-foot-11 guard will only be a junior this year. Given VMI's style of play and the graduation of the Holmes twins, he's a terrific fantasy selection.
C Artsiom Parakhouski, Radford Highlanders
There, I typed the name once, but from here forward I will refer to him as A.P. At 6-foot-11, A.P. provides size that few teams in the Big South can match, and the numbers prove it. For the year, he averaged 16.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks. He had at least nine points in 31 of 33 games and made 53.7% from the field. He got to the line 200 times, and improvement on his 65.5% success rate there could easily net him a couple more points per game. A.P. is a monster on the glass, averaging 4.0 offensive rebounds per game. He also had 17 double-doubles, 19 games with double-digit boards, and 27 games with at least eight. The Highlanders have a terrific frontline and should ride that to another NCAA Tournament berth, with A.P. leading the way as one of the nation's top college fantasy basketball options.
G Jamarco Warren, Charleston Southern Buccaneers
At 17.8 points per game, the 5-foot-11 Warren was among the Big South scoring leaders as a sophomore last season. He shot 249 three-pointers and made 39.8% of his attempts from beyond the arc, which translated to some explosive scoring games. He posted at least 11 points in 26 of 29 contests, and scored at least 20 a dozen times. Warren won't provide a ton of value with his rebounds and assists but he'll typically chip in a few of each. Last year he had at least three rebounds in 17 games and at least three dimes in 15. With another year of experience under his belt, it's conceivable that Warren improves on his solid performance from last season.
Others to watch: G Nick Barbour, High Point Panthers; G Grayson Flittner, Gardner-Webb Bulldogs; F/C Joey Lynch-Flohr, Radford Highlanders; G Kyle Ohman, Liberty Flames; F John Williams, UNC-Asheville Bulldogs
Summit
G Davis Baker, Southern Utah Thunderbirds
Baker proved to be one of the best scorers in the Summit League as a junior, scoring at least 20 points in 14 games. On the season, he averaged 17.4 points and also chipped in 4.5 rebounds. Baker didn't shoot as many threes as some of the gunners above, but he did make 40.9% of the 115 triples he took. He got to the line 106 times as well and made 87.7% from the stripe. All of that terrific shooting led to at least 11 points in 26 of 31 games. At 6-foot-4, Baker was a factor on the glass as well with at least five rebounds in 14 games. Draft him for the points and boards, but don't expect many assists (1.4 apg last year).
C Keith Benson, Oakland Golden Grizzlies
If you're looking for a capable center from outside of the major conferences, you could do a lot worse than the 6-foot-11 Benson ,who is coming off of a terrific sophomore season. He put up 15.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg and 2.6 bpg and managed to shoot nearly as well from the field (63.1%) as he did from the free throw line (66.3%). Overall, he had at least nine points in 30 of 36 games. On the glass, Benson snatched at least six rebounds in 27 contests and had 10 double-doubles. He also averaged 2.7 offensive boards per game, which undoubtedly aided that hefty field goal percentage. On the defensive end, Benson was an imposing presence in the lane with at least three blocks in 17 contests, making him even more valuable if your league rewards rejections.
G Johnathon Jones, Oakland Golden Grizzlies
Along with Benson, Jones forms a formidable inside-outside duo. The 5-foot-11 guard is a decent scorer with 13.3 ppg, but his major value comes from his gaudy 8.1 assists per game. Last year he posted double-digit points in 27 games and made 77.1% of his 144 free throw attempts. As for the assists, Jones had 11 double-digit assist games and posted at least six dimes in 27 contests. Beware if your league penalizes for turnovers as Jones averaged 3.4 per game. Despite his limited size, Jones grabbed at least three rebounds in 21 games to provide some added value. The graduation of Erik Kangas will hurt, but the return of Derick Nelson from a foot injury gives the Grizzlies another strong scorer.
Others to watch: G Garrett Callahan, South Dakota St. Jackrabbits; F Anthony Cordova, South Dakota St. Jackrabbits; F Robert Glenn, IUPUI Jaguars; F Derick Nelson, Oakland Golden Grizzlies