I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop with college sports realignment and the Tier 2 schools to get into the act. So far, other than today's news that TCU is moving to the Big 12 and BYU leaving the Mountain West, it has been thankfully quiet. Conference USA has been left alone and there are still the somewhat familiar 12 teams involved. As we continue our tour through Tiers 2-4, we examine ten players (in no particular order) that should be involved in most fantasy leagues.
Arsalan Kazemi, forward, Rice Owls
The Iranian-born Kazemi has been a work in progress in his first two years in Houston, but he should burst onto the national scene as a junior. The 6-foot-7 junior averaged a solid double-double (15.2 points, 11.0 rebounds) last year and will be the focus of opponent's defense as a junior. There isn't much defenses can do about his hustle. Kazemi had strong games against Tier 1 competition, including 26 points and 14 rebounds against Miami (a loss) and 19 points and 17 rebounds against LSU (an Owl win). In his final game of the season, he had just 12 points and four rebounds in the loss against Tulsa in the Conference USA tournament, so he may have an ax to grind.
Cameron Moore, forward, UAB Blazers
Moore, a philosophy major, sat quietly on the UAB bench in his first two years with the team. When he finally got his chance to play in 2010-11, he made up for the lost time by averaging 14.0 points and 9.3 rebounds. He used his 6-foot-10 frame to score 20 or more points seven times and had 14 games of at least ten rebounds. The Blazers lost some key backcourt players, but should have one of the stronger frontcourts in Conference USA with Moore and Ovie Soko (9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds). If the guards can dump the ball into the post, Moore should have another fine season.
DeAndre Kane, guard, Marshall Thundering Herd
The Thundering Herd are the exact opposite of UAB. They have a very strong backcourt returning, but have a lot of questions about their bigs. The backcourt is led, statistically at least, by a sophomore. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 15.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. Kane didn't quite have any triple-doubles, but he had 13 assists on Dec. 19 against VMI and ten rebounds in a Conference USA tournament win over Houston. With Damier Pitts and Shaquille Johnson returning, Kane may not have many high assist totals, but he should continue to hit the boards and be a terrific rebounder for a guard.
Keith Clanton, forward, UCF Knights
I am excited about the Knights because they are coming to Lafayette in December, so I am going to see Clanton and Michael Jordan's progeny at the Cajundome - live. My guess is that the Ragin' Cajuns will be hard-pressed to match up with the 6-foot-8 junior who averaged 14.2 points and 7.7 rebounds. Clanton had 28 points and eight rebounds in the home game against Louisiana-Lafayette last year as the Knights got out to a great start (14-0, no losses against non-conference opponents, including Florida). Things were tougher in conference play and Clanton slowed down. It will be interesting to see how Virginia transfer Tristan Spurlock helps Clanton in the low post.
Marcus Jordan, guard, UCF Knights
Michael's younger son nearly doubled his point production as a sophomore. The 15.2-point scorer will be joined by his brother Jeffrey after his transfer from Illinois. In the first four months of the season, Marcus was held to single digits only twice. In March, it was a different story as the 6-foot-3 junior only scored in double figures in two of six games, including a combined 13 points in the final two games of the season. Jordan was adept at getting to the line and attempted more than ten free throws six times. A.J. Rompza and Jordan fit their roles well and Jordan could come close to averaging 20 points.
Kendall Timmons, guard/forward, Tulane Green Wave
Last night, we had our Tier 2 mock draft and for whatever reason, Timmons fell to the 28th pick. His drop caused Asa Tysseling to wonder if there was something wrong with him. There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with Timmons at all (other than the fact that he plays for unsuccessful Green Wave. Tulane won just three conference games last year, but no one could point the finger at the 6-foot-5 Timmons for not giving his all. The junior averaged 17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. Timmons had some massive games in the non-conference schedule, including 24 points and 17 rebounds in the opener against Maryland-Eastern Shore and career bests 33 points and 19 rebounds in a Dec. win over Lamar. Don't let him fall in your draft.
Steven Idlet, center, Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Like most conferences, Conference USA is not blessed with center-eligible players. Perhaps the best of the lot is Idlet, a 6-foot-11, 242-pound senior. He averaged 11.6 points and 6.3 rebounds as the number two option for the Golden Hurricane behind Justin Hurtt, who ran out of eligibility. That means that Idlet will have the opportunity to be not just the center but also the center of attention. Idlet scores 20 points or more four times, but was held down against C-USA competition. Tulsa has other bigs in 7-foot-2 freshman David Wishon and D.J. Magley, but their success will ride on the shoulders of Idlet.
Adonis Thomas, freshman forward, Memphis Tigers
Thomas received the top grade from ESPN compared to all of the other Tier 2 recruits. Consider me wary of Memphis recruits after Will Barton was underwhelming last year. However, it may be unfair to lump Thomas with Barton who clearly bought the hype before averaging 12.3 points as a freshman. Thomas is a tweener forward at 6-foot-6 who can overpower smaller forwards and out-quick bigger players. The Tigers do have other options in Barton, swingman Wesley Witherspoon and Joe Jackson, but if Thomas can forge an offensive identity, he could be an early leader for Memphis.
Miguel Paul, guard, East Carolina Pirates
Using the Barbuti theorem, I look for transfers who have spent a year practicing with a team to get some nice value picks. Paul sat out last season after transferring from Missouri and should be ready to take the reigns of coach Jeff Lebo's team. Paul did not play much for the Tigers and averaged less than four points in his two seasons in Columbia. The Pirates have some frontcourt talent in Darrius Morrow and freshman Yasin Kolo. Paul will have to beat out Corvonn Gaines for the starting spot, but assuming he does that, he may be among the league leaders in assists.
Julian Washburn, freshman forward, UTEP Miners
UTEP is rebuilding, so there are a host of opportunities for young players to make their mark. Washburn is the son of former North Carolina State star Chris Washburn. The 6-foot-8 freshman has incredible quickness, especially for a tall player. He should be one of the top finishers in the conference. He could also be an impact rebounder for the Miners and get some easy baskets on the offensive end. It will come down to minutes for Washburn this season. The Miners also have 6-foot-9 Cedric Lang and swingman Darius Nelson (DeMarcus' brother), but Washburn is a name to keep in the back of your mind, especially in keeper leagues.