February is the month in which college basketball ramps up to its big tournament (and conference tournaments). In fantasy college basketball, most leagues rap up during the month in something that is often called February Madness (not quite as smooth as March Madness, but perhaps better than February Frazzledness). In any case, our writers have collected in one place and provided players of the month for each Tier 1 conference (and dipped into Tier 2 at the bottom). Take a gander at the best players heading into the month of madness and be ready for your brackets.
ACC
Greivis Vasquez, G, Maryland
Maryland guard Greivis Vasquez has been on a tear over the month of February. He poured in a career-high 41 points in an overtime game against Virginia Tech to close out the month. The senior really struggled coming out of the gates this season but that "slump" was obviously short lived. Over the month of February, Vasquez averaged 24.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.25 steals, while shooting 45% from the field and 93% from the charity stripe. He's been an integral part of Maryland's success as they've gone 7-1 for the month only falling to Coach K and the Blue Devils. Mr. Vasquez has single-handedly pushed the 'Terps into the Top 25 with his stellar play and unwavering commitment to win along with being the second highest scorer in the ACC (19.5) and first in assists (6.4). Vasquez is in a tight battle for ACC Player of the Year along with Jon Scheyer and it very well could come down to the game between Duke and Maryland. This is one game you don't want to miss. He's had an amazing four year "tryout" and won't soon be forgotten by 'Terps fans everywhere.
Others considered: Brian Zoubek, C, Duke Blue Devils, Jon Scheyer, G, Duke Blue Devils, Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest Demon Deacon
Big 10
Evan Turner, G/F, Ohio State Buckeyes
I said last month that Turner's back injury had opened the door for other players to be considered, but a healthy Turner emphatically shut that door in February. The junior star averaged 22.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.1 blocks in eight games during the month. He scored at least 20 points in five of those contests and could have posted even gaudier numbers if not for a foul-plagued 21 minutes against Indiana where he scored just 10 points. Aside from that game, he logged at least 38 minutes in each of the other seven games and played all 40 minutes five times. Always aggressive, he averaged better than eight trips to the free throw line during the month and converted 75.8 percent of his freebies. Turner also grabbed at least seven boards in each game and had four double-doubles. As for assists, he doled out at least five in each game. He registered at least one steal in each game and finished out the month with a four-block effort against Michigan. As has been the case most of the year, the only things not to like about Turner are his turnovers (4.0 per game this month) and his lack of three-pointers (just 1 of 8 in February), but something tells me fantasy owners can live with those shortcomings in exchange for the robust production in every other fantasy category.
Others considered: Talor Battle, G, Penn State Nittany Lions; John Shurna, F, Northwestern Wildcats; JaJuan Johnson, F/C, Purdue Boilermakers; Demetri McCamey, G, Illinois Fighting Illini
Big 12
James Anderson, G, Oklahoma State Cowboys
For the month of February, James Anderson of Oklahoma State was on fire. Anderson averaged 23 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. The month was capped off with an upset win over top ranked Kansas, where Anderson scored 27 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out thee assists. Anderson had one double-double during the month, against Baylor. Anderson, a 6-foot-6 junior, scored at least 27 points in five of eight games and topped the 30-point plateau twice, including wins over Oklahoma and Baylor. Anderson's heroics may buoy the Cowboys into the NCAA tournament should they hold their seed in the Big 12 tournament (or advance to the finals). Anderson leads the Big 12 in scoring at 22.8 and trips to the free throw line (8.1 per game).
Other contenders that were considered: LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor; Denis Clemente, Kansas State; Cory Higgins, Colorado; Ekpe Udoh, Baylor
Big East
Scottie Reynolds, G, Villanova Wildcats
The Big East Player of the Month for February was not an easy decision. South Florida's
Dominique Jones faded after a hot start, while
Kemba Walker of Connecticut struggled at the outset of the month. West Virginia's
Da'Sean Butler was too inconsistent, and Georgetown's
Austin Freeman's illness hindered his numbers. In the end, the honor went to
Scottie Reynolds of Villanova. Despite the Wildcats' struggles lately, Reynolds has not tailed off at all. He scored at least 20 points in five of the eight games in February, and never put up fewer than 15 points. Overall, he averaged 19.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists for the month. His point and assist numbers were better than his season average, but his shooting numbers didn't suffer. Reynolds has always been a high-volume scorer who needs a lot of shots to achieve his numbers. This season, though, has been different. He is playing fewer than 30 minutes per game, but averaging more points and shooting better across the board. With just two games left in the conference season, Reynolds has positioned himself as the favorite for Big East Player of the Year -- especially after his performance in February.
Pac 10
Landry Fields, F, Stanford Cardinal
The month of February showed some clear separation amongst the players in the conference. Jerome Randle, Quincy Pondexter, and Landry Fields all look like locks for first team all-conference selections. Last month Ty Abbott came out of no where to earn POM honors over Landry Fields. This month Fields get his revenge and takes home the award. In his first three years in Palo Alto, Landry Fields accounted for 20.9 points and 11.1 rebounds combined. Needless to say he wasn't someone a lot was expected of heading into his senior season. He has emerged as the best fantasy player in the Pac 10 while leading the conference in scoring (22.1 points, which is also 8th nationally) and is second in rebounding (8.6). So how did he do in February? For the month, Fields averaged 21.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 threes, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks while shooting 56.5% from the floor. He recorded three double-doubles and the fact that his lowest totals of the month were 15 points and six rebounds shows how good he was. Some leagues list him as a guard which gives his owners a huge advantage (I am one of the lucky) in the rebounding department. The guy fills every stat category and never takes a night off. Fields is Mr. Consistency and that is something to cherish coming down the stretch of a fantasy season.
Others considered: Quincy Pondexter, F, Washington Huskies; Jerome Randle, G, California Golden Bears
SEC
DeMarcus Cousins, F, Kentucky Wildcats
I knew exactly where I was going with this selection, but crunching the numbers still makes you a little anxious. What if they don’t tell the story you thought they would? What if a guy who has six double-doubles in eight games during February somehow didn’t average a dub-dub because of a stinker? But never fear - the numbers didn’t lie! Cousins averaged 16.3 points and 12 rebounds during the past month while shooting 51.2% from the field. Throughout the year, I’ve alluded to Cousins’ perceived lack of coachability, and
NBA Draft.net has taken those rumors even further. Allegedly, Cousins’ draft stock is slipping due to “mental issues” and apparently Cousins is heavily medicated. The article goes on to describe Cousins’ challenging month off the court which included harassing phone calls and text messages prior to a hard fought road win at Mississippi State. Read the numbers I mentioned Cousins averaged this month again, and then consider those numbers with these rumors. To me, it makes those numbers that much more impressive. Quite simply, Cousins has been a man among boys throughout conference play and shows no signs of slowing down. At 6 foot 11, 270 pounds, Cousins is the big man a team needs for a deep run in the Big Dance. Yeah, the Wildcats are catching flack for a lack of outside shooting. Guess what? It’s a lot easier to let this guy dunk on someone than let anyone in America hoist it from 20 plus feet out. I don’t care what Cousins is like off the court right now. I know he is the best player in the SEC, he has proven it this month, and he would be a very early selection if you are fortunate enough to be playing in an NCAA Tournament fantasy league. Plain and simple, Cousins is a beast.
Non-Tier 1
Darington Hobson , G/F, New Mexico Lobos
Expectations for Hobson coming into the season were not immense. The 6-foot-7 swingman was noted for his versatility in position by Blue Ribbon, but few people expected him to grow into the Evan Turner of the west. Hobson has been good all season, but he took things up a notch in February with five double-doubles in seven games. The exclamation point on the month came with Hobson's performance in a win at BYU on Saturday. He had 20 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and a critical blocked shot on the final possession of the game. As it happened, that was his first blocked shot of the month. For the month, Hobson averaged 17.9 points, 11 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. Even when his shot wasn't working (like his 1 of 10 performance against Utah on Feb. 13), Hobson found a way to contribute. He had 10 rebounds and 11 assists in that game. While there are other fine candidates listed below, Hobson likely wasn't drafted in any league and deserves a nod for that note alone. Big things are expected in the Mountain West tournament and the NCAA tournament where the Lobos should have one of the better non-Tier 1 seeds.
Others considered: Adrian Oliver, G, San Jose State Spartans; Jimmer Fredette, G, BYU Cougars; Hassan Whiteside, F, Marshall Thundering Herd; Charles Jenkins, G, Hofstra Pride