Non-conference games can be very telling for a lot of things, including which teams were overrated or underrated heading into the season, which players are poised for breakout campaigns, etc. However, they can also be misleading - especially for freshmen. First-year players are more likely than upperclassmen to hit a wall midway through conference play, or have their production limited once they start playing better teams in league play. The 25 points he scored against Tennessee-Martin? Suddenly, he's averaging 5.5 points and struggling to get minutes against more physical, experienced players. The beginning of conference play is the best time to get a read on which players are bound to hit the dreaded "freshman wall" and which guys are ready to fight through until the end of the season. Which guys have already peaked this season, and which guys are just getting started? Take a look.
BUY
Cleveland Melvin, F, DePaul: The one-time Connecticut commit has become one of the top freshmen in the conference over the past few weeks. After scoring only 25 points in a six-game stretch in the early part of the season, he has scoring in double-figures in eight consecutive games. In fact, Melvin is averaging 18.9 points and 5.6 rebounds during that stretch. Expect these numbers to continue - someone has to score for DePaul.
Cameron Clark, G/F, Oklahoma: Going into the season, I thought Clark was the type of player who could make an immediate impact in the Big 12. He's a difficult player to match-up with and Oklahoma isn't exactly loaded with scorers. However, he struggled for most of the first month, scoring in single-digits in seven of his first eight games. Over the last six, though, he is averaging 13.7 points and 6.2 rebounds - Oklahoma has actually gone 5-1 in that span.
Melsahn Basabe, F, Iowa: Just look at Basabe's numbers against Jared Sullinger at Ohio State from earlier this week. The Long Island native (sorry, always have to shout out the Island) put up 22 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks. Although it might have been an anomaly, given his struggles in the prior three games, Basabe has shown plenty of flashes so far. He had 13 and eight against Wake Forest, and 12 and 14 against Iowa State.
Fuquan Edwin, G/F, Seton Hall: With Jeremy Hazell and his non-stop gunning out of the lineup, the Pirates need someone to provide offense on the perimeter. Edwin has certainly filled that void. Since December 11, Edwin has scored in double-digits in eight consecutive games, averaging 13.1 points and 6.0 rebounds in that span. He had 18 points and nine rebounds against Louisville in a blowout loss earlier in the week. Expect the numbers to continue rolling.
SELL
Joe Harris, G, Virginia: Back in early December, Virginia was rolling and Joe Harris was one of the hottest freshmen in the country. He had scored 24 points at Minnesota, and then scored double-figures against Virginia Tech in the next game. Since dropping 14 against Radford, he has had only one double-digit scoring game. If you remove a 16-point game he had against Howard on Tuesday, Harris is averaging 5.4 points since Dec. 7.
Andre Stringer, G, LSU: Let's be clear - I love Stringer. I love his determination, his three-point shooting range, his quickness, his fearlessness, everything. However, the same thing that limited him in high school - his 5-foot-9 size - could lead to struggles in SEC play. He's never been the most accurate shooter; he's clearly a high-volume shooter and scorer. When that shot isn't falling, he's in for a rough night. Stringer has had three single-digit games in the last four.
Brandon Young, G, DePaul: As Cleveland Melvin increases his production, Young continues to struggle. When he scored five points on Dec. 8, it looked like an anomaly. It turned out the 23 points he scored the following game was the anomaly. Young has scored in single-digits in five of his last six games, averaging 7.7 points and 5.0 assists. His dimes might increase with passes to Melvin, but the 16-18 points he was averaging in November isn't happening.
Maurice Jones, G, USC: This has more to do with the arrival of Jio Fontan than anything that Jones has done; the Trojans simply don't need his scoring as much anymore. Since Fontan became eligible against Kansas, Jones is averaging just 6.6 points in five games. He is dishing out 3.4 assists, but Fontan and Nikola Vucevic are going to be doing most of the scoring for this team. Teammate Bryce Jones is another freshman that isn't worth owning.