College Basketball Grind Down: November 17th

by Jon Schiller (Varncass) Last Updated 2013-11-17 00:56:29

A very short slate for this Sunday, there are 3 games between major conference teams so that is all we in depth preview for today. I have switched up the format a bit so all comments/concerns/questions are welcome. One thing to keep in mind about these stats is that these are tempo-free stats and will help you determine how good a player is at a certain category. Many things should be taken into consideration when projecting the totals of points, assists and rebounds; minutes and the game’s tempo are the 2 most important.

All stats are courtesy of kenpom.com

Michigan T: 65.3

With McGary sidelined with a back injury, Jon Horford has played a bunch of extra minutes and Michigan has rolled with LeVert a ton. I am expecting LeVert to continue his minutes as he has been very efficient and producing incredibly for Michigan in his time on the court. Derrick Walton has been somewhat average and I do not see him as a viable fantasy option. Glenn Robinson III has not been a focal point so far, but I would expect Michigan to get him some more shots coming up in closer games. Stauskas makes an amazing play again on Draftkings if his price is low. He has bulked up his body, and worked on his dribble drive and is a completely different player this year than just a 3 point specialist like last year. Iowa State loves to play an uptempo style and this game should be close so the top 3 options for Michigan are all in play.

Iowa State T: 69.6

Iowa State lost a bunch from last year, but Transfer U brings in another impact transfer in DeAndre Kane. Kane rebounds, gets assists, and has a great offensive game. Guys like Kane in fantasy are gold, as they have the ball in their hands a ton and stuff the stat sheet. Kane will have multiple double doubles this year and makes a great play against the undersized, somewhat defensively challenged guards of Michigan. What is incredible to me is the offensive ratings of all of the ISU starters. This team is balanced and efficient. Georges Niang has not been used as much as I thought he would be, but he has a great assist rate, he rebounds well, and is a good offensive player. He should put up stats in this game as he will get more than the 20 mpg he has been getting so far. A guy who is not listed here who warrants consideration is Naz Long. Long is a 3 point shooter who can get hot, and as seen in the first game, can get close to 30 points. I would only use him in a GPP because last game he only received 15 minutes and did not produce.

South Carolina T: 67

Could we have some consistency here from Frank Martin? He has played Johnson, Thornwell, and Henry a ton of minutes in the first couple of games. Tyrone Johnson, while he is not a great offensive player, is the clear cut point guard and should continue to receive minutes, assists, and get to the freethrow line. If he is cheap again, roll him out with confidence. Sindarius Thornwell is very athletic and should continue to produce as he has a high usage rate in this offense. Michael Carrera as noted before is possibly the most efficient player in this offense and has the most upside, however Frank Martin seems to enjoy benching him, which makes no sense to me. I would avoid Carrera and Thornwell today as they will most likely get matched up with KJ McDaniels who is the most athletic player on the court for Clemson. Demetrius Henry is not an option as he is a bad offensive player and really is not even that great of a rebounder.

Clemson T: 62.5

KJ McDaniels. That is all you need to know for Clemson, as he is their only reliable option. He is athletic and will have SC Top 10 dunks this year, will rebound, and score for Clemson. Other than McDaniels, this team is really devoid of talent. Blossomgame is a promising player but does not get assists and I would avoid him until he proves he can produce. Rod Hall even with his high offensive rating is not much of an offensive threat.

Oregon State T: 70.8

This game has the highest over/under of the night and if you want to stack a game, this one looks as good as any. With Collier and Moreland suspended, Roberto Nelson has taken over this team. Nelson is a great play even at max salary as he has a ridiculous 40% shot rate, along with a 35.7% assist rate which are 2 of the highest in the country right now. Collier is back, and makes a solid play where he is cheap as he should work his way back into the starting lineup. Angus Brandt has really disappointed as he has been in an offensive slump but should work his way out of it. Until Moreland comes back, I would really not advise using anyone other than Nelson Brandt and Collier. Nelson is matchup proof, but Brandt is going to have a huge size advantage against Smotrycz, Mitchell, and Cleare and has a great chance for a breakout game.

Maryland T: 68.9

Mark Turgeon handed the reins to Nick Faust instead of Roddy Peters without Seth Allen, and the jury is still out on that decision. Faust has a ridiculous 31.7% shot rate, and an under 100 offensive rating, so some possessions are being wasted here. Dez Wells is having a terrible season so far, and could make for an interesting value play as he rebounds and assists and the points will come around. I like Wells’ matchup against Nelson as well who is a pretty bad defender and is only concerned with scoring. Jake Layman is having a breakout season, playing the most minutes of all Maryland players, and makes a great play today. Smotrycz makes a good play as well as those 2 are 2 of the most efficient bigs on the Maryland roster.