In many of the smaller leagues, conference tournament play begins in less than a month. For most of them, it will be the only chance for teams to earn a bid to the Big Dance and consequently the only opportunity for the stars of these leagues to make their way onto the national radar. In the third installment of Lords of the Big Dance, I'll take a look at the favorites in some of these one-bid leagues and which names you'll want to remember when drafting your roster for March Madness.
Big South
Joseph Harris, F, Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
If you looked only at Harris' averages of 15.5 points and 9.7 rebounds along with his 13 double-doubles in 25 games, you'd likely assume he's at least 6-foot-8. And you would be wrong. Harris is just 6-foot-5, and he's come up one rebound short of two more double-doubles and two boards short of another four. Harris has scored in double figures in all but three games, including nine 20-point efforts. His 55.3% field goal shooting is actually down from last season, and his scoring could be even better if not for 64.2% efficiency from the free throw line. On the glass, Harris has been held to fewer than seven rebounds just twice, and he averages 3.1 offensive boards as well. With 1.8 steals and 0.8 blocks per game, he's also proven to be a solid defender. The fact that he does all that in just over 30 minutes per game is even more impressive, but don't think his playing time has been impacted by foul trouble. Harris has been whistled for more than three fouls just once this year. Even at 21-4, the Chanticleers likely need to win the Big South Tournament to make it into the field of 65, and Harris seems prepared to carry them there if need be.
Mid-American
Chris Singletary, G, Kent State Golden Flashes
The 6-foot-4 senior doesn't lead the Flashes in scoring (that's Justin Greene with 13.6 ppg), but he's the best all-around fantasy option with averages of 11.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.8 steals. Singletary missed four games earlier this year following knee surgery, and it took him a while to shake off the rust. Since the start of MAC play, though, his shooting has really improved (47.4% in the MAC vs. 38.0% in non-conference games), and consequently his scoring has increased to 13.7 points per game. On the glass, he has at least five boards in four straight and 12 of 20 games this year. He has 20 dimes in the last three contests with at least four assists in 11 games. Kent State has won seven straight, and with four guys averaging at least 11.0 points, they have the depth and balance to be a tough out in the tournament if they can emerge victorious from the MAC Tournament.
Missouri Valley
Jordan Eglseder, C, Northern Iowa Panthers
It's rare for teams outside of the Tier 1 conferences to have an interior player with Eglseder's size (7-foot, 280 pounds), let alone one who can actually play. The big man's size leads to his minutes being relatively limited (just 21.9 per game this year), but he makes the most of his time on the floor with 12.3 points and 7.7 boards. Eglseder has been held to single-digits six times in 23 games, but he does have three 20-point efforts and six double-doubles. Surprisingly his field goal percentage has fallen slightly from last year's 58.5 down to 53.9 in his senior season. He's been a consistent contributor on the glass with at least six rebounds in 17 games and at least nine boards in 10 contests. Eglseder won't give you much in the way of assists, and given that his vertical rivals mine, he contributes relatively few blocks (0.8 per game) based on his size. Still, if the Panthers want to make some noise in March, their center will certainly be a big factor. For what it's worth, he led the team with 13 points in last year's opening round loss to Purdue.
Ohio Valley
Take Your Pick, Murray State Racers
At 13-0 in the OVC, the Racers are clearly the favorite to win the league. However, with six players averaging between 10.0 and 10.6 points per game, no one player sticks out as the go-to guy for Murray State. Allow me to briefly profile your options. 6-foot-7 soph Ivan Aska leads the team in scoring at 10.6 points per game and is second in rebounding with 5.0. He makes the most of his 23.0 minutes by making 60.3% of his shots. Liberty transfer B.J. Jenkins is second in scoring with 10.4 points and leads the team in assists (3.6) and steals (2.2). He has 27 points in the last two games and 14 double-digit scoring efforts. With 5.7 rebounds per game, 6-foot-9 forward Tony Easley paces the team on the glass. He also averages 10.1 points and leads the team in blocks with 2.6 rejections per game. Easley has a pair of double-doubles and shoots a staggering 68.0% from the field. The other double-digits scorers are Danero Thomas (10.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.8 steals), Isaiah Canaan (10.0 points, 44.1% three-point shooting), and Isacc Miles (10.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists).
Patriot
C.J. McCollum, G, Lehigh Mountain Hawks
The Mountain Hawks boast four players averaging in double-digits, but they are led in scoring by McCollum, a 6-foot-3 freshman guard. He made a great first impression, opening his college career with five straight games in double figures but was inconsistent over the next six contests. Starting with a 21-point effort against Longwood on December 28, McCollum has been lights out over his last 12 games. Over that span, he's averaging 20.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 53.6% from the field and 52.5% (31 of 59) from beyond the arc. He's scored at least 20 points in six of those contests and is coming off of his first career double-double, where he had 19 points and 13 boards against American. Fantasy owners in dynasty leagues have likely already snapped him up, but those of you gearing up for tournament leagues should keep him in mind.
Southern
Andrew Goudelock, G, Charleston Cougars
Back when people thought North Carolina was good (yes, there was a time this year where people believed that), Goudelock knocked down a rainbow three to send Charleston and the Tar Heels to overtime, a game the Cougars eventually won. He scored 24 points in the win, which to this point was his lone to chance to showcase his skills for a wide audience. Goudelock may well get another chance if Charleston can win the SoCon Tournament. His scoring numbers are tremendous this season with 13 20-point games in 25 contests, including one stretch with at least 22 points in nine out of 10 games. Goudelock has knocked down at least one three-pointer in every game, and he makes 40.5% from deep overall. Even with those gaudy scoring numbers, he still provides fantasy value in other categories with 4.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He's posted a pair of double-doubles and has ramped up his assists lately with 34 dimes in the last six games. The Cougars have a few other talented players, but it's the scoring and all-around game of Goudelock that could give a highly seeded team fits in March.
Southland
Corey Allmond, G/Gilberto Clavell, F,Sam Houston State Bearkats
At 8-0, the Bearkats remain the only undefeated team in the Southland Conference, and to find out why you need look no further than the dynamic duo of Allmond and Clavell. With 16.2 points and 12.5 shots per game, the "volume shooter" moniker fits Allmond pretty well. He averaged 15.3 points last season as a junior, and busted out with 37 points against Kentucky on November 19. Allmond has scored at least 11 points in 18 of 21 contests this year, and he's responded nicely after scoring a season-low two points against Stephen F. Austin on January 9. In the seven games since, Allmond is averaging 17.6 points with at least 13 points in each contest. He doesn't get to the line much since 60% of his shots come from beyond that arc, where he makes 41.4% of his attempts. From a fantasy perspective he'll give you a couple rebounds and assists each game, but count on him mostly for scoring. The 6-foot-6 Clavell has given the Bearkats an inside complement to Allmond in his first year with the team. He's shooting 54.0% from the field and averaging 15.8 points and a team-high 6.1 boards. Clavell has scored in double-digits in 16 of 21 games and 12 of the last 14 contests. During one particularly impressive stretch, he had 101 points in four games. His seven 20-point games are actually better than Allmond's, and the fact that he contributes in another fantasy category makes him the more desirable option come tournament time.
Southwestern (SWAC)
Garrison Johnson, G, Jackson State Tigers
Most projections have the 11-11 Tigers taking on Lehigh in the Play-In game, and a potential matchup of Johnson and the aforementioned McCollum at least gives the game some life. The 6-foot-5 senior started strong with 82 points in the first four games, including 29 at Alabama. His next six contests were forgettable with five single-digit scoring performances and atrocious shooting. Johnson has proven to be resilient based on his performance in the last 13 games. He's scored in double-digits in 12 of them with the lone exception a nine-point effort against Southern. During that stretch, he's averaging 18.6 points and 4.7 rebounds while knocking down 44.0% of this three-pointers, which ironically is better than his 42.5% shooting inside the arc. Johnson won't do much for you in the way of assists, although his average of 1.6 dimes is the best of his career. He does chip in with 1.3 steals though, but his main fantasy value still relates to his scoring along with his improved rebounding.
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*All statistics through the games of February 8.