Maybe I've been watching too much basketball, but I feel compelled to write this intro in the style of ESPN's Steve Lavin, or the Master of Synonyms as I like to call him. So as I sat down to write, or pen, this column, or article, I found it hard, or difficult, to find players I had not previously written about, or profiled. However, I managed to find, or identify, a number of players making fantasy headlines, or news, due to their play in recent games, or contests. In case you find this excessive, or over-the-top, use of synonyms annoying, or agitating, this will be the last, or final, sentence written in this manner, or format. Seriously, I don't think I could keep it up the whole article even if I wanted to.
Big Ten
William Buford, G, Ohio State Buckeyes
From a fantasy standpoint, you know you can trust Evan Turner to produce night in and night out, but which other Buckeyes can be counted on? While David Lighty and Jon Diebler have been able to put up some big numbers at times, they have proven to be relatively inconsistent, even since Turner's return. Buford, on the other hand, has been an effective Robin to Turner's Batman in virtually every game. Over the last 16 games, Buford has scored at least 11 points on 14 occasions and is averaging 15.8 points over that stretch. The talented sophomore has also proven to be a contributor in other fantasy categories with 5.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.0 steals in those 16 games. He continues to display a solid shooting stroke by making 46.8 percent of his field goals, 40.7 percent of his three-pointers, and 82.7 percent from the line. With Iowa and Indiana up next on the schedule, Buford should be able to extend his hot streak.
David Jackson, F, Penn State Nittany Lions
I'd be lying if I said it wasn't difficult to find fantasy options not named Talor Battle in Happy Valley this year, but the 6-foot-7 Jackson is making a late push to become relevant. Over his last six games, Jackson has five double-digit scoring efforts and is averaging 11.2 points. He's also been a consistent rebounder with 4.8 boards per game during that stretch. While Jackson won't provide much in the way of assists, he does boast a 50.0 percent shooting mark from the field. Overall, he's nothing to get too excited about outside of deep or Big Ten-centric leagues, but he has scored in double figures in 11 of Penn State's 22 games and should be a good bet for around 12 points and five boards from here on out.
Korie Lucious, G/Durrell Summers, G, Michigan State Spartans
As of press time (yes, I'm using that to make this sound more official), the availability of Kalin Lucas for Saturday night's game is in doubt. This has a number of impacts to the Spartan backcourt. First, Lucious would start at the point. Over MSU's first 23 games, Lucious is averaging 5.2 points and 3.8 assists in 21.0 minutes, so if you assume he ramps up to around 30 minutes, he'll get you about 7.5 points and 5.5 dimes, meaning he's really only an option for you if you're desperate for assists. To that end, he has at least four helpers in 12 games with high marks of nine against Valparaiso and eight against Florida Gulf Coast. He does have three double-digit scoring efforts and had nine points in relief of Lucas against Wisconsin. Still, the scoring void created by the potential loss of Lucas is more likely to be filled by Summers, who seems to be heating up lately. He's averaging 13.2 points over the last five games along with 6.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists. The 6-foot-4 guard has even posted a pair of double-doubles over that stretch. After starting the season with five straight games with at least 10 points, Summers went through a pretty inconsistent stretch, but he's typically been a streaky shooter and may be peaking just in time for the stretch run. With Lucas out, he's sure to have a few additional shot attempts coming his way.
Ralph Sampson III, F/C, Minnesota Golden Gophers
In this world, there are many things I don't understand, particularly how The Clapper works, what my daughter finds enjoyable about The Wiggles, and why Sampson hasn't shown more improvement this season. For the year, the 6-foot-11 post man is averaging a mere 8.1 points. He has just five double-digit scoring games in 19 contests along with only one double-double. He's also taken fewer than six shots per game, which means the team either isn't making an effort to get him the ball in the post or he isn't being aggressive enough in asking for it. It's probably a little of both, but between injuries, suspensions, and departures, the Gophers aren't nearly as deep as they were expected to be. Sampson is one of few post options on the team, which makes his production and general lack of shots even more puzzling. His lack of aggressive play is also illustrated in his free throw attempts with just 55 all season. The one area where he does continue to excel is on the defensive end where he's rejecting 2.1 shots per game. With two double-digit scoring games in his last four, it's possible RS3 is turning the corner, but with the wheels coming off of Minnesota's season, I'm not betting on it.
Big 12
Jordan Hamilton, G/F, Texas Longhorns
If anyone out there claims to have seen Hamilton's 27-point outburst coming on February 1, they're lying. In the previous five games, Hamilton had a total of 21 points and played a season-low two minutes in Texas' loss to Baylor. One of the great things about college hoops, though, is that a guy in that kind of a slump can bust out to score 27 points on 11 of 16 shooting (including 5 of 8 from deep) in just 19 minutes. Now the question becomes whether we can expect more scoring explosions from the 6-foot-7 freshman. The one thing I can tell you is that he won't be afraid to shoot it. I joked earlier this season on Twitter that I didn't know if Hamilton had a nickname but I knew it wasn't "Shot Selection." Still, a young scorer playing with confidence can be a scary thing, and he did have 10 other double-digit scoring games before his breakout. Would I pick him up in the hopes that he stays hot? I absolutely would if I had the roster space. I'm just not sure I'd immediately plug him into my lineup, especially since he's rarely playing more than 20 minutes given the glut of depth on the Texas roster.
David Loubeau, F, Texas A&M Aggies
Since losing second-leading scorer Derrick Roland to an ugly leg injury, the Aggies have been looking for consistency outside of Donald Sloan. It's probably too early to declare Loubeau that guy, but he's been impressive over the last three games at least. The 6-foot-9 forward was terrific in the season opener with 20 points and nine rebounds, but numbers like that mean a bit less when amassed against Angelo State. Over the next 18 contests, Loubeau reached double-digits just three times and grabbed more than five boards just twice. However, in the last three games, he's tallied a total of 50 points and 21 rebounds. During that span, he's making 63.6 percent from the field, although his 56.1 percent mark for the year is solid as well. His point total might be even higher if not for going a combined 8 of 16 from the foul line. On the glass, Loubeau has pulled down 14 of his 21 boards on the offensive end, leading to a number of easy buckets. The reality is that he's rarely getting significantly more than 20 minutes per game, but perhaps his recent play will earn him additional playing time. For now, you might be able to catch lightning in a bottle.
Obi Muonelo, G, Oklahoma State Cowboys
Over the first couple months of the season, Muonelo had been relatively inconsistent, but he seemed to be turning the corner before hitting rock bottom in a January 11 game at Oklahoma where he went 1 of 12 from the field and recorded zero assists. I'm not pointing that out because he makes a habit of dropping dimes, but at some point, when you're shot isn't falling, you have to pass the rock, right? Muonelo bounced back the following game with 21 points against Baylor and hasn't looked back since. Over his last six games, he's averaging 16.0 points with at least 12 points in five of those contests. In that lone single-digit game, Muonelo salvaged his fantasy day with 11 rebounds and four assists. Not coincidentally, his shooting has been red hot as Muonelo has knocked down 19 of 35 (54.3 percent) from deep. Interestingly, that's higher than his mark on two-pointers (44.4 percent) and even his free throws (53.8 percent) during the same stretch. Given the Pokes' uptempo style, getting possessions and shots is never a concern. With defenses honed in on James Anderson, there is opportunity for other guys to step up, and as of late, Muonelo has been able to do just that. At 6-foot-5, he has good size for a guard and can help you on the glass as well.
Marcus Relphorde, F, Colorado Buffaloes
With CU's second-leading scorer Alec Burks sidelined with a knee injury the better part of the last two games, Relphorde has take the opportunity to step up his scoring with 29 points in those two contests. He also grabbed 11 rebounds to post his first double-double of the season in an overtime loss to Kansas. Earlier in the year, the 6-foot-7 forward had some solid scoring efforts with six double-digit scoring efforts in the first eight games. On the year, Relphorde now has 14 games in double figures and is averaging 10.8 points. There have been five contests where he's been held to six points or less, so there's no guarantee he won't break your heart if you pick him up. With roughly four boards and one steal per game, Relphorde does provide at least some other fantasy value, but given his shooting percentage (40.7 percent), I think his ceiling is relatively low unless Burks is expected to miss significant time.
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*All statistics through the games of February 4.