College Basketball Waiver Wire: PIckups of the Week

In most fantasy college basketball leagues, the regular season is just about over. February is the month of fantasy college hoops tournaments, also known as February Madness. Hmmm… doesn't quite have the ring of the following month. As we head into the shortest month of the year, there is still time to find a player to augment your squad. In the latest College Hoops Waiver Wire column, we'll try to find a player for you to give your team a leg up.

ACC

C.J. Bryce, North Carolina State Wolfpack

Bryce followed coach Kevin Keatts from UNC-Wilmington and had to sit out last season after transferring. He scored 17.4 points in his sophomore season with the Seahawks and started the season with his new team a bit slowly. In his last four games, the 6-foot-5 junior has provided 17.5 points on 52.9 percent from the field with 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He has hit 65.0 percent of his 3-pointers. The Wolfpack will need more of that play to compete with Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Christen Cunningham, guard, Louisville Cardinals

Cunningham has taken command of the Cardinal offense. The fifth-year senior who transferred from Samford has provided 35 assists over his last five games and the Cardinals have won all five. His minutes have ramped up during league play as he's earned coach Chris Mack's trust. The 6-2 guard has had flurries of accurate 3-point shooting, but has only hit two of his last nine 3-pointers in the winning streak. Louisville heads to Wake Forest before hosting North Carolina in what could be a big revenge game for the Tar Heels.

Big 10

Montez Mathis, guard, Rutgers Scarlet Knights

The Scarlet Knights could have easily folded up the tent after forward Eugene Omoruyi went down with an injured kneecap. The forward returned Jan. 21 in the win over Nebraska, but Mathis has taken a larger role in the offense. The 6-4 freshman has scored 16.5 points in his last four games. He is not a volume 3-point shooter and does his best work attacking the basket. Mathis will have to improve his free-throw stroke because he is making just 63.8 percent of his freebies. Rutgers has won two straight games and will play Indiana and Ohio State this week.

Luther Muhammad, guard, Ohio State Buckeyes

Speaking of the Buckeyes, Muhammad has become a key player for the team as a freshman. The 6-3 freshman is a defensive ace, but showed he could put up points by scoring a season-high 24 against Nebraska on Saturday, which helped the Buckeyes snapped a five-game losing streak. His previous high was just 15 points. Muhammad is averaging 9.9 points on 44.9 percent from the field while hitting 42.9 percent of his 3-pointers, though he takes just 2.7 per game. Ohio State will need a remarkable turnaround to make the NCAA Tournament and they head to Michigan before hosting Rutgers.

Big 12

Makai Mason, guard, Baylor Bears

Coach Scott Drew gets plenty of credit for being a recruiter, but his coaching is sometimes questionable. No one would have been surprised if the Bears crumbled after losing Tristan Clark for the season. The team has responded by winning four straight games. Yale transfer Makai Mason has been a big part of this sustenance. He has averaged 17.8 points over the winning streak and had 29 points in the win over West Virginia on Jan. 21. After struggling with injuries during the Ivy League, he has been healthy. Baylor heads to Oklahoma before playing TCU in the Big 12 gauntlet.

Mario Kegler, forward, Baylor Bears

Kegler is the type of player who has not met a shot he didn't like. The Mississippi State transfer took some time to adjust to playing with the Bears. In Big 12 play, he had been held to single-digit scoring in his first five games. In his last two games, the 6-7 sophomore has come alive and provided a combined 35 points, adding seven rebounds in both games. Kegler has only converted 15.4 percent of his 3-pointers, but is a fine scorer within the arc. He is hitting 52.6 percent of his 2-point shots. Kegler will need to continue his offensive renaissance for Baylor to continue the winning streak.

Big East

Colin Gillespie, guard, Villanova Wildcats

The Wildcats are led by their twin poles of their offense, Phil Booth and Eric Paschall. Gillespie may be waiting in the wings for stardom. He is another outside shooting option for Villanova that happens to be hitting 40.7 percent of his long-range shots, despite taking twice as many as he did as a freshman. The 6-3 sophomore hit six 3-pointers in the Xavier on Jan. 18 and has hit 15 treys in his last four games. Gillespie can facilitate the offense too -- he's dealt 2.9 assists. Villanova will try to continue its undefeated Big East start against DePaul and Georgetown.

Nate Watson, center, Providence Friars

Watson is another sophomore in the Big East who has made huge strides into productivity. The center slimmed down a great deal after a decent freshman season. He has moved into the starting lineup and has a strong post game. Watson is averaging 11.1 points on 57.0 percent from the field. He adds 5.5 rebounds and 0.8 blocks. The 6-10 center had a pair of 21-point games in losses to Georgetown and Marquette. The Friars have won three of their last four games and play Seton Hall and DePaul for the second time each. Watson was held to nine point and four boards in the win over Pirates on Jan. 15 and had 14 points and five rebounds in the win over DePaul on Sunday.

Pac-12

Paul White, forward, Oregon Ducks

White has been the prime beneficiary for shot attempts with Bol Bol out. The Georgetown transfer was always a solid scorer. Other than being held to five points in the loss to Washington on Thursday, the 6-9 senior has scored at least 12 points in his other seven most recent games. He is hitting 38.3 percent of his 3-pointers and put 18 points in the win over Washington State on Sunday. On the season, White is providing a career-high 10.5 points. The Ducks head to the Rockies for games against Utah and Colorado.

Prince Ali, guard, UCLA Bruins

When one thinks about the Bruins, there are other players who come to mind before Ali. Yet, it is the 6-4 junior who has helped the team win over Oregon on Jan. 10 with 22 points. He has scored in double digits in six of his last seven games and provides the Bruins with a defensive presence on the perimeter. Ali melds with Jaylen Hands smoothly in the UCLA backcourt. He is hitting 36.0 percent of his 3-pointers and is averaging 10.4 points. UCLA goes to Washington to play the Cougars and Huskies.

SEC

Skylar Mays, guard, LSU Tigers

I happened to draft Tremont Waters and Naz Reid to a number of my fantasy teams. Waters, in particular, has been playing well after a slow start. However, basketball is more than a two-man game and the Tigers would not be undefeated in the SEC without the 6-4 Mays. In his last two games, the guard has provided 44 points and has gone 18-of-20 from the line in wins over Georgia and Missouri. LSU has won two road games in overtime, so they have been a little lucky to be undefeated. Mays is averaging 13.8 points and is nailing 38.0 percent of his 3-pointers.

Kavell Bigby-Williams, center, LSU Tigers

The 6-11 transfer from Washington has helped Reid in the defensive trenches. The center is leading the team with 2.2 blocks/game. He had five blocks per game in the wins over Alabama and Ole Miss. He has blocked at least one shot in six straight games. He also has five double-doubles, so Bigby-Williams is not a one-dimensional player. Although he is not a prime consideration on offense, the British born center has converted 66.7 percent of his field goals. LSU faces Texas A&M and Arkansas in a pair of winnable games to keep the streak alive this week.

Smaller Conferences

Kevin McClain, guard, Belmont Bruins

The Ohio Valley is a good conference this year. Of course, there is Ja Morant and Murray State, but Jacksonville State, Belmont, and Austin Peay are all good teams. McClain combines with Dylan Windler to give Belmont senior leadership. The 6-3 guard has been on a scoring tear. In his last five games, he has averaged 21.0 points and 4.8 assists. The Bruins have won four of those games to keep pace in the OVC. On the season, McClain is averaging 15.2 points and 4.1 assists. After winning its last three games (including a win over the Racers), the Bruins host Southeast Missouri State and UT-Martin this week.

Marcus Shaver, guard, Portland Pilots

The Pilots are not going to figure into the WCC championship. Coach Terry Porter's team has not won in conference play, but they are young and have a solid building block in the 6-2 Shaver. The guard leads the team with 15.9 points and is coming off a 30-point performance in the loss to Pacific. He went 9-of-14 from the field and 9-of-13 from the line in the loss. Shaver has scored at least 20 points five times and has hit at least three 3-pointers in four of his last five contests. Portland will look to get off the conference schneid against Pepperdine and Santa Clara.

Nathan Cayo, forward, Richmond Spiders

Like Portland, Richmond is a team that is trying to build into a winner. The Spiders have lost their last four games, but Cayo has been productive. The 6-7 sophomore has averaged 18.5 points on 70.7 percent from the field in the losing streak. He and Grant Golden can grow into one of the best frontcourt duos in the A10. Cayo is averaging 13.0 points on 63.2 percent from the field and 4.4 rebounds. Richmond faces a tough challenge in a road trip to Saint Louis, but could beat La Salle at home on Saturday.

Ryan Swan, forward, Air Force Falcons

Check out Air Force! The Falcons have won four of their last five games in the Mountain West and even captured a road win against woeful San Jose State on Saturday. It took two overtimes and a superlative performance from Swan on the boards to get it done. The 6-7 junior had a career-high 17 rebounds to go along with 12 points in the win over Spartans. Swan started the streak with 15 points and 15 boards in the win over San Diego State on Jan. 12. He has three double-doubles, all in conference play. Air Force vies against the Aztecs again on Wednesday before hosting Colorado State.

Marreon Jackson, guard, Toledo Rockets

In the MAC, the two best teams might be in the East Division. Buffalo and Bowling Green do not play in the same conference as Toledo. The Rockets only lost once in non-conference play, but have dropped three games already in MAC play. They are vying for the top spot in the MAC West with Northern Illinois. Jackson, a 6-0 sophomore, has been the field marshal for the Rockets. In his last five games, he has averaged 13.6 points, 5.8 assists, and 2/6 steals. He has scored in double digits in all but one conference game. The Rockets hit the road to play Miami Ohio and Northern Illinois.