As we continue "forwards that can pass, guards that can rebound" week, we take a look at the long ignored SEC. CFHI sends our apologies to the best college football conference. Of course, we aren’t terribly interested in machinations of the BCS, but we will do a better job with John Calipari and his minions – we promise. The SEC is the closest conference I have to a home Tier 1 conference, since the closest major university is LSU. Whether LSU is still a Tier 1 conference is a matter of another debate (losing to Coastal Carolina and Nicholls State doesn’t help that argument). Woops, I guess we’ll need to send out an apology to the Tigers as well. In any case, the conference has many intriguing players that provide helpful stats.
Jeffery Taylor, G/F, Vanderbilt
Taylor is the rare player who qualifies for both lists. His main attribute for fantasy leagues is his ability to score, but the 6-foot-7 swingman who was born in Sweden can rebound and pass as well. After scoring 27 points in the opener against Presbyterian, Taylor hit some rough spots and scored in single figures in three of his next five games. Since the beginning of December, Taylor has scored in double figures in every game and has been hitting the boards for the Commodores as well. He is averaging 14.5 points, 5.1 rebounds (which is a career low), and a career-high 2.5 assists. Taylor is coming off a game in which he provided 15 points, eight rebounds, and six assists – which tied a career high set in his freshman season - in a win over Mississippi. Taylor will need to continue to provide to get Vandy back to the Big Dance for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
Travis Leslie, G, Georgia
Like Taylor, Leslie is on the radar of NBA scouts and it is easy to see why the next level drools about his athleticism. The 6-foot-4 junior has provided some amazing dunks and has used his hops to corral 7.4 rebounds to go along with 14.5 points and 2.5 assists. Leslie suffered through a December slump when Howard Thompkins returned to the Bulldog lineup, but has seven straight games in which he has scored at least 14 points. He has three double-doubles, including most recently against Vanderbilt in a loss with 21 points and 13 rebounds (ten offensive). Leslie has not improved his three-point shot greatly (just 3-for-18), but he is tough to stop when he attacks the rim and is converting 51.6% from the field. Leslie’s aggressiveness sometimes gets him into foul trouble, but for the most part he is a very solid weekly play.
Earnest Ross, G, Auburn
The Tigers are a team in transition. Their new coach, Tony Barbee, had success at UTEP and it may take a few seasons before he gets the Tigers in SEC contention. In 6-foot-5 Earnest Ross, Barbee has a building block. The sophomore leads the team in scoring (12.2 points) and rebounding (6.9), despite being a guard. Like Leslie, Ross has three double-doubles this season. He is not a good shooter and is making just 35.9% of his shots from the field and 28.0% of his three-pointers. Ross did get hot in the first half against the Gators last night and hit three three-pointers, which represented nearly 25% of the Tigers’ points. His shooting has improved from his freshman season and he looks like a good player to hold onto in dynasty leagues as Barbee surrounds him with talent.
Chandler Parsons, F, Florida
I have often mentioned my need to mute my TV while watching sports. For whatever reason, I left the sound up while I watched Florida’s hard fought win over Auburn last night and had the displeasure of listening to Mark Gottfried, the former Alabama coach. I know announcing is a difficult job, but Gottfried told viewers three times that Florida needed Parsons to hit the offensive boards more often. Parsons is already the Gators’ top rebounder, despite a roster that boasts Vernon Macklin, Alex Tyus, and freshman Patric Young. What does Gottfried expect exactly? And why keep repeating it? Parsons is also the Gators’ top assistman because both of the Florida guards, Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton, Jr., are best at setting themselves up. Parsons is averaging 10.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. He has a diverse game, but that diversity does not include free throw percentage (52.9%).
Kodi Augustus, F, Mississippi State
Augustus was helped statistically at the beginning of the season as the Bulldogs were without Renardo Sidney and Dee Bost. The stars are back, but it is the 6-foot-8 Augustus who keeps trucking along despite losing a lot of his shots. He makes the list for averaging 2.2 assists, but his 12.4 points and 8.6 rebounds make him a prime fantasy target. The Baton Rouge native seven double-doubles, but four of them were in the first five games of the season. He slowed down in mid-December, but has bounced back in January and has averaged 9.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in three SEC games. Bost is the main offensive facilitator for Mississippi State, but as long as Augustus keeps getting two or three dimes per game, he enhances his value.