In the next installment of our Tier 3 and Tier 4 profiles, the Big Sky and Southland conferences take center stage. Even though the champions of these leagues always end up on the 15 or 16 seed line in the Big Dance, there is no shortage of worthy fantasy options as you look toward draft day.
Big Sky
Kyle Bullinger, forward, Weber State Wildcats
With Damian Lillard sidelined for the bulk of last season, Bullinger was forced to step up and shoulder more of the load. He responded by averaging 11.2 points and 6.3 rebounds while knocking down nearly 43% of his three-pointers. Bullinger reached double figures in 20 of 32 games and stepped up his game during conference play by scoring 13.9 points per game. He has also proven to be a solid contributor on the glass as evidenced by his stellar 21.2 defensive rebound percentage. While Lillard's return might be viewed as a negative, I tend to believe the opposite. With defenders keying on him, Bullinger should see plenty of open looks, which he proved he could convert last season en route to All-Big Sky honors.
Will Cherry, guard, Montana Grizzlies
Cherry did a little bit of everything last season, posting 14.1 points, 4.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.6 steals. Despite poor shooting percentages, Cherry managed to be a consistent scorer, reaching double figures in 12 straight games at one point in the season. Coach Wayne Tinkle has praised Cherry for spending so much time working on his shot over the summer, which should translate into more efficient shooting. He was adept at getting to the line with 166 free throw attempts on the year, and he converted a respectable 72.9% once he got there, a sharp increase from his freshman year. In addition to an impressive assist rate, Cherry's steal percentage ranked 14th in the nation, which is a real boon in leagues that reward owners for thievery.
Damian Lillard, guard, Weber State Wildcats
After scoring nearly 20 points per game as a sophomore, Lillard was on his way to another huge season last year before suffering a season-ending foot injury. Thanks to some creative scheduling, they were able to position Lillard to take a medical redshirt, and all indications are that he is back to full strength heading into the season. He scored at least 22 points in five of the first eight games last season and will also rack up assists as the team's point guard. A large wingspan also makes him a factor on the defensive end. In short, he's one of the most talented mid-major players in the nation and should be owned in any fantasy league. By the end of the year, expect something along the lines of 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals.
Derek Selvig, forward/center, Montana Grizzlies
My goal was to throw out at least one center-eligible player from each of these conferences, and Selvig fits that bill. The seven-footer posted 10.1 points to go with 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.1 steals. Despite his size, he is just as comfortable away from the basket where he drained 39% of his three-pointers. Selvig's scoring was inconsistent throughout last season, but he will be counted on more with Brian Qvale gone. His rebounding percentages aren't exactly what you'd expect from someone of his height, but he makes up for that with a strong assist rate. Selvig's touch from the outside can make him a tough match up for other big men, and he got the season off to a good start with 20 points in the team's recent intrasquad scrimmage.
Chehales Tapscott, forward, Portland State Vikings
The 6-foot-5 Tapscott is the league's leading returning rebounder after averaging 8.1 boards last year. He also contributed 11.8 points, 1.9 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.8 blocks during his first year with the Vikings. Tapscott missed time in the middle of the conference season with a knee injury, but he showed some terrific potential offensively with 13 double figure scoring games. He was relentless on both the offensive and defensive glass and did a nice job of drawing fouls as well. Tapscott should see his minutes per game eclipse 30 this season, which gives him an outside shot at averaging a double-double. Even if he comes up just short of that goal, he'll be one of the league's top players and can bolster your fantasy team's points and rebounds.
Southland
Jeromie Hill, forward, Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners
The Roadrunners lost top scorer Devin Gibson, but thanks to the next two players on this list, there is still reason for optimism. The 6-foot-8 Hill was the team's led the team in rebouding with 6.6 per game to go with 13.4 points. He has a variety of offensive skills and showed he can step out and hit jumpers by knocking down 40% from beyond the arc. He also hit better than 50% inside the arc and was particularly effective on the defensive glass. Don't be surprised if he improves on his 25 double-figure scoring games as a sophomore and challenges for conference player of the year honors.
Melvin Johnson III, guard, Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners
Johnson is a rail-thin wing who can flat out score. In just 26.9 minutes per game, he poured in 14.9 points while also grabbing 3.5 rebounds. He had 30 double-digit scoring games and scored at least eight points in every game except the season-ending loss to Ohio State. During one stretch late in the season, he averaged just under 20 points over seven games, and he was a big reason UTSA made the Big Dance. Johnson has rarely seen a shot he wouldn't take as evidenced by his low assist rate and 410 field goal attempts, but there's actually a chance he shoots even more with Gibson gone this year. You can always use a guy on your fantasy team who can put up close to 20 points per game, but outside of a handful of rebounds, don't expect Johnson to do a whole lot else for your squad.
Devon Lamb, guard, Lamar Cardinals
Even though Lamb is only 6-foot-2, he finished fourth in the league with 8.3 rebounds per game last season. Lamb added 9.5 points and 1.6 steals and will team with Anthony Miles to give Pat Knight a solid foundation in the backcourt. On the boards, Lamb posted offensive and defensive rebounding percentages that would make many post players envious to go with solid block and steal percentages. His offensive game was a different story at times. Lamb posted four 20-point games but also had five games with two points or less. He did a decent job of getting to the free throw line, but he shot better from the field than he did from the stripe. In the end, Lamb is intriguing because of the rebounding numbers he can provide you from the guard spot, but make sure you have other consistent scorers on your roster if you select him in your draft.
Patrick Richard, forward, McNeese State Cowboys
Richard is the Southland's top scorer heading into this season, and he may need to do even more given how much the Cowboys lost from last year's team. Richard posted 16.1 points. 6.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.4 steals as a junior last season. He got to the line 182 times and hit over 36% of his three-pointers. Richard's effective field goal and true shooting percentages were both well above average, which helped propel him to a strong overall efficiency rating. He scored at least ten points in 28 of 31 games, including the final 21 games of the year. Richard was also a consistent presence on the glass, posting three double-doubles and narrowly missing a few more, and he enters the season as a prime candidate to be the Southland Player of the Year.
Jereal Scott, center, Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
The 6-foot-7 center played just 24.8 minutes per game last season but made the most of it with 13.3 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 60% from the field. Coach Denny Kaspar has spoken about Scott's conditioning, which is one factor limiting him from additional playing time. The other factor is that he committed 4.2 fouls per 40 minutes, but he also drew his share of fouls during his time on the floor. He is effective on both the offensive and defensive glass, which helped him notch three double-doubles last year. Scott scored in double figures 22 times last season, including one run of 12 straight games during conference play. If he can manage to increase his playing time, it's not a stretch to think he could average 16-18 points and around eight rebounds, which are strong numbers from the center position in any format.