There's a logjam atop the Big Ten, while Kansas is looking like the favorite to win it all. Northwestern and Minnesota seem determined to play themselves out of the tournament discussion, and Texas is in a free fall. These things make college hoops exciting to watch, but they mean nothing to fantasy owners as the fantasy playoffs tip off. Owners are still trying to get that edge a late bloomer might be able to give them, so this week I'll break down a few hot hands while also looking at a couple guys coming up big when their teams need them most.
Big Ten
Chris Allen, G, Michigan State Spartans
Don't worry, things haven't gotten so desperate that I'm profiling former American Idol contestants. And besides, almost everyone knows the guy who won last year spells his first name differently. Anyway, amidst Michigan State's three-game losing streak and the injury to Kalin Lucas, Allen has stepped up in the last two contests with 36 points and 8 of 13 shooting from beyond the arc. That hot streak has his three-point shooting up to 39.8% for the year. The Spartans are struggling on offense and have been searching for consistent three-point shooting all year, so Tom Izzo is bound to give Allen a chance to keep things rolling. With games on tap against Penn State and Indiana, he might be worth the gamble.
Jason Bohannon, G, Wisconsin Badgers
Bohannon is one of those guys who seems like he's been around forever. Not as long as Evan Eschmeyer was at Northwestern but still. At any rate, Bohannon has been using his wily veteran skills to the tune of 52 points in the last three games. He's always been thought of as a gunner, and his 10 of 22 shooting from deep has done little to dispel that label. Bohannon has scored in double-digits 16 times in 24 games this year, including 9 of the last 11, while knocking down 38.3% of his triples. With at least four rebounds in five straight games and 3.7 rebounds per game, he's showing signs of becoming more than just a scorer. J-Bo also has eight assists in the last two games and is posting a career-best 2.2 dimes per game. The Badgers have a relatively favorable schedule down the stretch, making Bohannon a potential sleeper to close out the year.
Aaron Fuller, F, Iowa Hawkeyes
There hasn't been much good news in Iowa City, but Fuller's play of late has definitely been a bright spot. The 6-foot-6 sophomore has posted double-doubles in each of the last two games and all four of his double-doubles have come in the last nine games. During that nine-game stretch, he's averaging 13.6 points and 8.9 rebounds. Fuller has scored in double figures in seven of those contests and has at least eight boards in eight of them. Interestingly, his boards have been split pretty evenly with 4.2 offensive and 4.7 defensive rebounds. During his hot streak, Fuller is knocking down a decent 45.2% from the field, but he's shooting around five free throws per game and making 74.5% of them. Don't let Iowa's poor record scare you away from a potential rising star.
Demetri McCamey, G, Illinois Fighting Illini
I featured McCamey earlier this year in a column on point guards, but his recent performances make him worth another look. With the Illini's tournament life in doubt, the junior guard scored 49 points and dished out 18 assists in their biggest two wins of the season. McCamey now has 20 double-digit scoring efforts, including nine 20-point performances. His 49.8% field goal percentage and 39.2% three-point shooting are both career highs, and he's already shattered his free throw total from last season with six regular season games remaining. McCamey has also seen his rebounding creep up to 3.1 boards per game and he's averaging 1.4 steals to boot. But those totals pale in comparison to his assists, which have increased from 4.6 dimes per game last season to 6.4 this year. McCamey has at least five assists in 16 of his last 17 games and has a dozen contests with at least seven. The Illini still have some tough games left, but McCamey has them in the thick of the Big Ten race.
Big 12
J'Covan Brown, G, Texas Longhorns
For the second straight week, a Longhorn is coming off of an unexpected scoring outburst. For Brown's sake, let's hope he fares better than Jordan Hamilton who scored a total of eight points in two games after his 27-point effort against Oklahoma State. Brown entered the game against Kansas with five single-digit scoring efforts and 29 total points in the previous six games, but he was one of the only bright spots in a loss to the Jayhawks with 28 points on 9 of 19 shooting. The Longhorns' season is in a tailspin, and they desperately need consistency in the backcourt. Dogus Balbay is the best defender and passer but can't shoot a lick, and Jai Lucas isn't getting much run, so it seems like Rick Barnes may as well give Brown the starting gig. Before you go and scoop him up, keep in mind that he shoots 35.4% from the field and 28.1% from three-point range. He also has more turnovers than assists, so the odds of him posting similar numbers seem remote, especially since at least some of his points came in garbage time. Temper your expectations if you grabbed him off the scrap heap.
Cade Davis, G, Oklahoma Sooners
Not only has Davis resisted the urge to shoplift from Dillard's (unlike some of his Sooner teammates), he's also playing decent basketball lately (again, unlike some of his Sooner teammates). In his first two years, he'd been nothing more than a role player, and he'd played that part again for most of this season. In the last four games though, Davis has scored 65 points and hit 12 three-pointers (albeit in 32 attempts). So with Steve Pledger suspended for some period of time, Davis is in line to get a few more minutes and shots. But that doesn't mean he's worth adding in your fantasy league. A closer look at his scoring outburst shows that 37 of those points came against Big 12 bottom-feeders Nebraska and Iowa State, and 20 came against the defensively challenged Longhorns. Davis was held to eight points on 3 of 10 shooting against Texas Tech this week, which seems like a more reasonable expectation. Outside of a couple big rebounding games, he hasn't done much in other fantasy categories, so leave him on the waiver wire.
Xavier Henry, G, Kansas Jayhawks
After scoring in double figures in his first 11 college games, Henry was widely regarded as the best freshman not wearing a Kentucky uniform. It's hard to say whether he's hitting the wall recently, but he's been held to single-digits in five of the last six games. Henry did bounce back to score 15 against Texas on February 8, but any numbers posted against that defense should be taken with a grain of salt. In leagues that require you to start a freshman, you most likely don't have better options, but based on his recent play, I'd make him string together a couple more solid games before locking him in. Henry does have some decent match ups left, making a resurgence possible, but with all the offensive options on the Jayhawks, they won't be force-feeding him the ball either.
John Roberson, G, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Like McCamey, I profiled Roberson in my point guard edition of this column. Shortly thereafter, he hit rock bottom, playing 37 scoreless minutes in a loss to Oklahoma State. Since then, the junior PG has responded extremely well with five 20-point games in eight contests. During that stretch, Roberson is averaging 19.1 points and 5.6 assists while shooting 48.9% (22 of 45) from beyond the arc. Overall, his assist numbers are down slightly this season, but he's offset that to some extent with improved scoring and three-point shooting (42.2%), along with a decrease in turnovers. Every game from here on out is critical for the Red Raiders' tournament hopes, and Roberson came up big in a sweep of the state of Oklahoma with 50 points in the last two games. Look for continued production from the unheralded point man.
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*All statistics through the games of February 11.