College Basketball Waiver Wire: Pickups of the Week

If you figure that most college basketball teams play 30 games, we are beyond the halfway point of the season. Where is the All-Star game? Now that I think of it, a college basketball All-Star game would be incredible and nigh impossible. I guess that is what the All-American team and the NBA draft are for after the season.

The following players are not All Stars, but they could provide some help to your lineup as we reach the stretch run of college fantasy basketball.

ACC

Jack White, forward, Duke Blue Devils

If Zion Williamson is forced to miss any games due to his eye injury that caused double vision on Saturday, White would likely be the main beneficiary. The 6-foot-7 junior has largely been content to be a role player: he provides defense and is a solid rebounder. In 25.1 minutes off the Blue Devil bench, he is providing 6.7 points and 6.6 rebounds. He did not score in the win at Wake Forest, but supplied eight rebounds and five blocks. Even if he is forced to start, his offensive production won't change greatly. There will be more rebounds and blocks. Duke hosts Syracuse and Virginia this week.

Michael Devoe, guard, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Coach Josh Pastner has put together a fine defensive team in Atlanta. Devoe is a 6-4 freshman who is getting plenty of playing time. Things looked good to start ACC play with 16 points in the win over Wake Forest on Jan. 5. It was the fourth time he had scored at least 11 points in his five previous games. He has cooled off considerably in his last two games with a combined 12 points and 1-of-7 on 3-pointers. Freshman are inconsistent. Georgia Tech heads to Clemson before coming home to face Louisville.

Big 10

Jordan Bohannon, guard, Iowa Hawkeyes

It sometimes feels like fantasy players are like vultures: just waiting for injuries to find value in teammates. Tyler Cook left Saturday's game with a leg injury, which might open up more shots for Bohannon. The junior guard has not been knocking down much. He only combined 14 points in the wins over Northwestern and Ohio State after torching Nebraska for 25 points. The 6-1 guard is hitting just 36.0 percent of his 3-pointers after hitting better than 40 percent in his first two seasons in Iowa City. Bohannon can bounce back against Penn State and Illinois this week.

Mike Watkins, center, Penn State Nittany Lions

After missing the first five games of the season while suspended, Watkins took some time to get up to speed with the Nittany Lions. He may have been sour after the team went on an NIT run without him last year. In his last four conference games. the 6-9 junior looks like he is back. Although the team has not won any of the games, Watkins has averaged 11.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. Penn State has played some of the better teams in the conference, but Watkins could find success this week against Iowa and Minnesota.

Big 12

Derek Culver, center, West Virginia Mountaineers

Like Watkins, Culver started the season under suspension. He did not play in his first 10 games, but things have opened up for the 6-10 freshman. With Sagaba Konate going down with a knee injury, the Mountaineers needed a low-post offensive option. Culver has been happy to step in. In four conference games, he has supplied 15.3 points and 11.0 rebounds. West Virginia has not been able to break into the win column (even against Oklahoma State at home), so coach Bob Huggins might miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. Competition does not lessen against TCU and Kansas.

Jared Butler, guard, Baylor Bears

The Bears lost Tristan Clark for the season with a knee injury. He was the team's leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker. Butler will not be able to replace that production, but the 6-3 freshman is going to step into the starting lineup. He played 31 minute against Kansas on Saturday and had 14 points, four rebounds and four assists. Butler went 4-of-8 from 3-point land after hitting just 10 treys coming into the game. He could provide nice value until his price tag catches up with him. Butler will make acquaintance with Oklahoma and Texas Tech.

Big East

Paul Reed, forward, DePaul Blue Demons

Break up the Blue Demons! They have won two straight conference games for the first time since 2014-15 when they beat the same two teams, Seton Hall and St. John's. The team has a three-player platoon in the frontcourt with Reed, Jaylen Butz and graduate transfer Femi Olujobi. Reed is coming off his best game of the season with 18 points on 7-of-11 from the field and 19 rebounds in the win over St. John's. In conference play, the 6-9 sophomore has provided 13.8 points and 8.3 rebounds. The Blue Demons will go for three in a row (or more) against Butler and Seton Hall.

Drew Edwards, guard, Providence Friars

It appeared as if coach Ed Cooley had had enough of his freshman in Saturday's double-overtime loss to Georgetown. He dusted off Edwards from deep on the bench and the 6-4 junior came through with 19 points, five rebounds and three assists. If Cooley continues to cool on David Duke and Jimmy Nichols Jr., Edwards could get more run. He had only scored six points coming into Saturday. The Friars will look to snap their three-game losing streak against Seton Hall and Marquette.

Pac-12

Remy Martin, guard, Arizona State Sun Devils

Not being much of a cognac drinker, I did not know that Martin's name had another connotation. Despite some recent hiccups, the 6-0 sophomore has had some blasts of lucidity of late. Martin led the Sun Devils to victory over California with a season-high 24 points. It was his third 20-point game of the season. Luguentz Dort has found himself in foul trouble often of late, so the team has had to rely on Martin. He is averaging 12.6 points and a team-high 4.1 assists. Arizona State hosts Oregon State and Oregon this weekend.

Justice Sueing, forward, California Golden Bears

Not much has gone right for coach Wyking Jones in his tenure at California. Sueing has been one bright spot. He was good as a freshman and has improved incrementally across the board as a sophomore. The 6-7 has improved from the 3-point stripe and free-throw line and is averaging 14.4 points and 6.5 rebounds. He scored a season-high 27 points in Saturday's loss to Arizona, which was the team's fifth straight defeat. Sueing opened Pac-12 play with his lone double-double against USC. Cal heads to Washington to play the Beavers and Huskies.

SEC

Hassani Gravett, guard, South Carolina Gamecocks

The Gamecocks' performance in the non-conference slate was not impressive. The team lost at home to Stony Brook and Wofford, and on the road at Wyoming. Things have flipped against SEC competition and the squad has beat Florida, Mississippi State and Missouri in that order. Gravett has saved his best play for familiar foes. He has averaged 17.0 points in the three wins. He missed all six of his field goals against Missouri, but went 12-of-12 from the free-throw line. The Gamecocks hit the road this week for games at Vanderbilt and LSU.

TJ Starks, guard, Texas A&M Aggies

Confidence is a prime attribute in a shooter. Starks had missed his first five 3-pointers on Saturday against Alabama, but hit a buzzer-beater to help the Aggies snap a three-game losing streak. He was just 4-of-17 from the field in the game, but came through when it mattered most. Starks is a volume shooter who is making just 25.6 percent of his 3-pointers. He is leading Texas A&M with 14.4 points and 3.6 assists. The 6-2 sophomore has scored in double digits in all but two games. Starks will face more excellent competition at home with games against Auburn and Missouri.

Smaller Conferences

Nathan Knight, forward, William & Mary Tribe

The Tribe do not play much defense and that puts a major onus on its offense. The team relies on Justin Pierce and Knight to do the bulk of their scoring. The 6-10 Knight has been a nice roll. In his last three games, he has provided 25.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists, which are nice bumps up on his season averages (19.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists). William & Mary has only won one of those games, but the team will have a chance to even its CAA record against Elon and UNC-Wilmington.

JaKeenan Gant, forward, Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns

After losing Malik Marquetti for the season with a knee injury, the Ragin' Cajuns figured to have a more diversified offense. That has not been the case as Gant has taken over. The Missouri transfer scored a career-high 45 points in the Jan. 5 win over Little Rock and has supplied 58 points in his last two games. In his three-game scoring spike, he has converted 64.4 percent of his field goals and 61.5 percent of his 3-pointers. He also has not missed from the free-throw line in 19 attempts. Gant will look to keep the good times rolling against UL-Monroe and South Alabama.

Jeremy Harris, guard, Buffalo Bulls

When people think about Buffalo, they probably conjure CJ Massinburg or big man Nick Perkins in their minds. Lately, it has been the 6-2 Harris who has been leading the squad. He put a career-high 34 points in the big win over Toledo on Jan. 8 and has scored at least 17 points in four of his last five games. While Harris has only converted 32.6 percent of his 3-pointers on the season, he has nailed 48.5 percent of his long-range shots in those five games. The Bulls will look to continue their stampede through the MAC when they meet Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan.

Jimond Ivey, guard, Akron Zips

It is a little surprising that Ivey had not had a triple-double this season. The 6-5 senior has handed out seven assists twice and had three double-doubles. He had one of his better games with 24 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in the overtime loss to Central Michigan on Jan. 8. Ivey fell off to eight points, three boards and two dimes in the loss to Northern Illinois on Saturday. It was the first time since Dec. 15 that he did not score that he failed to score at least 10 points. Akron plays Eastern Michigan at home before heading to play Miami, Ohio.

Nate Pierre-Louis, guard, Temple Owls

Conference play has been good for Pierre-Louis. The 6-4 sophomore has averaged 20.5 points as the Owls have burst out to a 3-1 start in American Athletic play. He does the majority of his work in the paint and has attempted 34 free throws. Pierre-Louis had only scored more than 20 points once in non-conference play, which was the last game against Drexel on Dec. 22. Temple takes on East Carolina before their final non-conference game against Penn on Saturday.