NCAA LEAGUE BANTER

State of the NCAA After 4 Weeks!
It’s time to take a look at what’s been “hoopening” in the NCAA league. I will go from the bottom to the top, using a team’s highest lineup scoring average by position, team by team and not by conference/division this time. ***Remember too, that I am not using each player’s ACTIVE scoring average (games when he was in the lineup and active for the week) but am using each player’s total average for all games played during the season.

I am NOT listing the teams in order of who I think is worst to first. My opinion will come in future analysis. For now, I am just letting the numbers speak, although it’s obvious that in looking at the lineups that there will be a team or two, etc., etc., ranked higher than teams below them who have significantly better lineups. So, the schedule has likely been “unkind” at this point of the year. As we get deeper into the season, organic corrections will show up.

1st Note: I am including players recently acquired who have NOT been in the lineup for the first 4 weeks, since they will be in the lineup going forward and therefore affect the analysis-and, that means that their numbers are inflating the team numbers-but again, moving forward, they will be doing that.

NOTE: Although you will use points & not averages in the playoffs, since teams play different numbers of games, averages are a better indicator of strengths & weaknesses IMHO.

Rant to note: Every year, all teams need a certain position. Every team may need a forward, a center, a freshman, a guard. But, it’s not difficult to find a forward, a center, and, even a freshman during the season. But, every single fricking year I do this I am writing about so many teams that need a guard. The thread that runs through all those teams is they drafted a freshman in the first round, and/or picked up another player who looked better at another position after the first round and come December, they don’t have a guard and their season is gone. This is why you take the best FA’s FIRST, in the draft, before even thinking about a freshman. After all, how fricking wonderful is Emoni Bates right now? And, he’s not the only one I can name. An undrafted freshman currently has the 4th highest fantasy average among freshman. Need I say more?!!!$$#$#%#&^$**$&%^(*()@(@^%$@#@!!!

All That Beef Is Making The GM So Flatulent He Can’t See What’s Really Happening With His Team
#16: South Austin Horns
Analysis: One stud in Roddy. One good guard in Barcello. A great freshman who has to play center leaving a not good enough freshman to play the frosh slot. A good forward in Kensmil. An erratic guard in Pride, a forward who doesn’t get touches but boards like a beast in Lindo. It all adds up to good looking bunch of nothing. Granola needs something to elevate it from just being…granola.
Problem: The problem is that because the Horns are scoring well the GM cannot see that there’s smoke, and, where there’s smoke there’s carcinogens. In other words, with Pride (especially) and Lindo having an occasional big game, the GM thinks he’s fine and he’s not. Meaning the real problem is that the GM has NOT made a move and has all 3 available. He could’v easily had me writing about his team being the favorite for the championship.
Need: Must get the best center available, ditto for the guard position, and, then just take the BPA. DeVries has to be out and Banchero in at the center position-that’s a plus 10 fantasy points right there. Get another center who is 20-22 and you have still gained 6.5-10 fantasy points. Add a guard who gets 22 and you’ve added another 4.5-5 fantasy points. Ditto for the 6th man which equals another 5 fantasy points. At worst, that adds 14 fantasy points per game to this lineup.
G-Barcello: 22.1
G-Pride: 18.1
F-Roddy: 27.9
F-Kensmil: 21.6
C-Banchero: 21.9
6th-Lindo: 17.1
FR-DeVries: 12.4
Lineup average: 141.1

My Dutch Apple Pie For A Guard, Or, Two, Or, Three
#15: Yoder Dame Fighting Amish
Analysis: Yet another team/GM that doesn’t understand math. There are a limited number of impact FA’s pre-draft. Another handful will emerge during the season. But, waiting, waiting, and, waiting, reduces the number of available impact FA’s…dramatically! They have all 3 of their moves left. What are they waiting for? Ach, the Amish, they should stick to milling flour, tilling the fields, and, fashion…
Problem: They got no guards, average center play, average 6th man play, and, two forwards whose numbers will be declining. Other than that, there is always a bread in the oven out there in PA.
Need: A lobotomy! Take the three best BPA’s you can find and give it a shot. They can’t win anything but they can be much more comptitive.
G-Green 16.8
G-Flowers: 16.3
F-Vrankic: 28.0
F-Funk: 23.7
C-Groves: 20.5
6th-Kreuser: 21.0
FR-Holmes: 15.0
Lineup average: 141.3

They Can Get A Free Yearly Pass On The Bart And Still Not Get Anywhere
#14: Cal Bears
Analysis: No real oomph anywhere!
Problem: Bothwell, Williams, Allen, Kinsey, Sherfield. Bothwell is doing well now but has already started to become erratic and can’t be a starter for a strong team. Williams is doing well but has lost minutes and doesn’t figure to be what everybody thought he would be this year. Allen is doing better than expected after transferring but is it sustainable? On the plus side, Basile’s numbers will go up after a tough non-con schedule and Kinsey has a good chance to get back to being more like the 2020-2021 Kinsey after a horrible start. Sherfield should be 20+-21, which isn’t great but would provide some solid depth.
Need: They need some KABOOM guys in their lineup. They have all three moves available. What are they waiting for? The good acid to kick in?
G-Miller: 23.0
G-Sherfield: 19.0
F-Williams: 20.6
F-Allen: 18.9
C-Basile: 21.7
6th-Kinsey: 18.6
FR-Brown: 20.3
Lineup average: 142.1

Afraid and/or Incapable (or dead?) Of Making An Add
#13: The Walk Ons
Analysis: They are the “vanilla” Walk Ons. Not one impact player, a bunch of guys hovering around the 20 fppg mark. Bland and not productive enough to do anything.
Problem: Not much returning next year. They will need to fill roughly 5 starting slots entering next year’s draft.
Need: The GM needs to wake the f_ _ _ up! They have 3 moves remaining. Before all of the premier FA’s are gone, add an impact guard, an impact forward and the BPA (of course, all 3 should be the BPA’s). And, learn from this past draft that a team lacking in talent does not take a freshman in the 6th round, let alone the first round!
G-Brown: 22.0
G-Horvath: 17.1
F-Omier: 21.2
F-Fausett: 18.7
C-McKinnis: 23.9
6th-Quinn: 19.7
FR-Chandler: 19.8
Lineup average: 143.4

I Hate To Peepee On The Teepee
#12: Tribe
Analysis: Well, they have “The Cockburn” but that’s just about all they have-although their roster is in far better shape than that of the “Not So Prodigal Son.” Only positive is I have a hunch that the Eral Penn we saw last season will re-appear at some point.
Problem: 20 fppg is great for a freshman, but, if that freshman has to play guard because he’s scoring more than any other guard (plus, you have a starting guard who averages 15.5. 15.5? 15.5!!!), it means that quite frankly my dear, (apologies to Clark Gable) your team sucks.
Need: Dynamite…mucho dynamite. The Prodigal Son and the Tribe should get together and throw a huge new year’s eve party. With all the dynamite they can get their hands on from T-N-T, it would be a heckuva blast.
G-McGowens: 21.3
G-Pepper: 16.7
F-Ike: 23.6
F-Lewis: 19.9
C-Cockburn: 31.4
6th-Williams: 18.7
FR-Reid: 15.5
Lineup average: 147.1

Pork Futures Up In The Air
#11: Hog Wild
Analysis: This traditionally strong franchise has a smidgen of a chance if Covid (Morales) doesn’t bite them in the ass and they continue to get decent production from their center spot.
Problem: They used all three of their moves (and did well with those selections) but now have to count on decent center play, while also looking at the probability that Moore’s numbers will likely drop (although he should continue to produce at a good clip). Also, with a couple of other teams having so much firepower they need a player like Malachi Smith to up his fantasy scoring average.
Need: Very simple. Their guys have to play to their numbers. They need that consistency to sneak into the Final Four, but, even then, it’s highly doubtful
G-Morales: 26.5
G-Smith: 19.9
F-Moore: 27.4
F-Brown: 23.7
C-Mathon: 19.1
6th-Killen: 21.1
FR-Hutchins-Everett: 20.3
Lineup average: 158.0

Albuquerque Is Lovely This Time Of The Year, All Those Hot Air Balloons…Are The Chickenhawks Holding On Too Tight?
#10: Albuquerque Chickenhawks
Analysis: Hmm…an interesting canvas to look at here. Flowers, Thomas, Osunniyi, Mosley, Marfo, Plowden, Godfrey & A. Davis are all UNDER-chieving. On the other hand, Anosike has been resuscitated at Cal State Fullerton and is close to showing the greatness he did during the 2019-2020 season, They have the best freshman (IMHO) in fantasy basketball in Armstrong, Broome should continue to elevate his stats and give them a great center, and, Days, while not always consistent, is “the man” at LSU, hence, the opportunity to get numbers.
Problem: Looking at the above it’s half of one and half of the other. Flowers should raise his fppg average, but I don’t think he’s going to be a 24+ fppg player again. Thomas should also raise his average but in his case, having to carry the team means a lot of up and down games for him. Those two are the best bets to elevate their numbers. Davis is up this week as you read this but is he the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 Davis? TBD.
Need: Like IG, AC doesn’t need my help but he does need guards. He’s 2-2 in picking up Anosike for free + Armstrong. He now needs to dip into the FA pool for two impact guards. But, if he doesn’t think he can find two of them, just get one impact guard and the BPA.
G-Godfrey: 22.4
G-A. Davis: 22.1
F-Anosike: 23.9
F-Days: 21.8
C-Broome: 24.0
6th-Thomas: 20.1
FR-Armstrong: 24.4
Lineup average: 158.7

Had A Shot But Drafted Poorly And Not Wisely (apologies to the knight in Indiana Jones)
#9: Gators (Is Gator McCluskey the draft consultant? Apologies to Burt Reynolds)
Analysis: Their fate was sealed in the draft. They needed multiple FA’s (free agents) to fill spots and couldn’t resist the allure of taking a freshman. They could have not drafted a freshman at all, gotten an impact FA and after the draft picked up a top ten (in scoring average) freshman as not one, not two, but, several teams have done this year and usually, every year. Their next pick was Obanor. Mid-major studs who transfer up will suck (fantasy-wise) 90% of the time. They took a wrong, er Wong turn with their last pick of the draft. So they got almost nothing out of the draft.
Problem: It’s Boum, not boom, although both rhyme with doom-which, if he’s in the starting lineup means the team’s death knell has started. They got the wrong Johnson, and, Miller transferred into one of America’s “anti-offense” programs…so, what did he expect from Miller?
Need: And then there were 4…players, that is. They are only 3 short of a lineup. Gators have one move left and they need to make more than one to be a contender. They can be a spoiler in a given week if the weak players in their lineup maxes out and the strong ones go off. That’s it.
G-Seabron: 31.6
G-Henry: 18.3
F-T. Smith: 25.3
F-Johnson: 18.0
C-Castleton: 23.9
6th-Boum: 18.0
FR-Holmgren: 24.6
Lineup average: 159.7

Forget Festivus For The Rest Of Us, George Needs Two To Get On Path To Final Four
#8: Independent George
Analysis: Feast or famine for the Costanza family this holiday season. Studs abound, but so do two starters averaging 14 fppg or less. Oof!
Problem: Do the math. He’s got a great lineup with two stiffs that will absolutely deny him a path to the championship. He cannot overcome that lack of production. You can handle one slot but not two. Of course, we wouldn’t be having to talk about all this if it were not for the inexplicable implosion of De’Torrion Ware, something that nobody could’ve seen coming and IG certainly can’t be blamed for…
Need: IG knows his stuff. He has two moves left. He desperately needs a guard and a freshman…and, while I can’t name names, I think that his needs can be met in the FA pool but he needs to act quickly…having already missed out on the best available (IMHO) freshman in Austin. He has a center surplus and if it were me, I would look to trade Golden, who has value, for either a guard or a freshman to a team that needs center help. They are on the outside looking in right now as far as being a Final Four team.
G-Champagnie: 27.3
G-Forbes: 13.9
F-Robinson: 29.1
F-Jones: 25.0
C-Koloko: 27.2
6th-Muszynski: 24.6
FR-Diabate: 13.7
Lineup average: 161.1

Heck, You Can Always Add Another Boeheim
#7: Boeheim’s Army
Analysis: It’s an “interesting” lineup.
Problem: Center, although Auburn HC Bruce Pearl may have discovered that Kessler can play and should get a few looks. If Kessler emerges, that solves one problem. Slawson was a great add. The guards are okay. Davis was NOT the guard to spend a valuable add on. They figure to be around 20, 20+, so, he needs a guard. If Venters (on a roll right now) and Scott (needs to regain his form from last season) can continue to climb up, then, there may not be a problem. Especially since Venters will have easier pickings come conference play. If he can rebound the ball better, he has real value.
Need: An impact guard. They’re a couple still out there; trust me. This lineup is a dangerous one to face, come playoff-time, but they are on the fence at the moment, as far as being a bonafide Final Four type of team.
G-Maldonado: 22.0
G-J. Davis: 21.8
F-Liddell: 27.9
F-Slawson: 27.1
C-Kessler: 19.1
6th-Boeheim: 21.7
FR-Duren: 21.6
Lineup average: 161.9

House Of Cards?
#6: The Prodigal Son (note that they did not have Nance & Haase on the team for week 4 & their lineup total would not be close to the 162.8 shown below…interested parties can do the math)
Analysis: Yikes! Things have to get better with Nance & Haase coming onboard, although Nance is certainly going to slide downward come conference play and Haase has always been an underachiever, albeit, a good one. Plus, the marvelous Bean will not average 38.3 during conference play, although he will still be a great producer.
Problem: Nobody wants to make trades! Not having enough moves to make a move this year (which might be a good thing considering that they added free agents Trey Sampson, Nate Roberts, and Blaise Beauchamp-is he a for real, live basketball player?), the Prodigal Son should trade Bean and Nance, and, Haase for promising underclassmen (SOPHS!) who can lay a foundation for their 2021-2022 roster.
Need: Too much. Call T-N-T and see if he will ship you some dynamite so you can blow the whole thing up.
G-Gilyard: 19.5
G-Cole: 18.5
F-Bean: 38.3
F-Nance: 26.3
C-Sharp: 17.7
6th-Haase: 25.0
FR-Baldwin: 17.5
Lineup average: 162.8

Sleeper That Needs To Feel The Orb (no apologies to Woody Allen)
#5: The Ghosts of Pauley Pavilion
Analysis: They have firepower in Murray & Holden. They are going to need Hugley to embrace being “the man” for a recently depleted Pittsburgh roster and hope that the talented Reese is inserted into the lineup and/or given an even bigger role by the new Maryland HC when he realizes that he needs Reese for Maryland to be 5 points better than they are right now.
Problem: The above is also the problem. Although there are positive signs, can Hugley, an immature young man, take advantage of the opportunity and get his numbers up? (he’s not a rebounder), and will Reese get that opportunity (possible, but, doubtful).
Need: GOPP have two moves left. They need to add another center and a guard. Although there is on the roster hope for the guard position. Andrew Taylor is starting to look like Andrew Taylor, and, Wagner is starting to get games (Covid post-ponements) and they have Elijah Ford in the wings. And, who knows, maybe Torrey Patton will get out of his funk. This team has a shot, a decent shot at being a Final Four team. Center & freshman production will determine that.
G-Holden: 27.3
G-Brown: 23.1
F-Murray: 32.4
F-Lofton: 28.3
C-Hugley: 17.5
6th-Eason: 22.0
FR-Reese: 13.1
Lineup average: 163.7

Sugar Tastes Good, But, In The End, It’s Mainly Empty Calories
#4: T-N-T Youngsters
Analysis: They are currently the 3rd highest scoring team in the NCAA and they need…to add a lot more firepower. They’ve got quality centers, a stud forward, a semi-stud guard who is pretty consistent in Holden, and, a rising freshman. But, they cannot match the explosiveness of the Leathernecks.
Problem: Timme, Tubelis, and, Mathurin have been disappointing but every team has some of those. IMHO, Newton is a problem. I’ve been tracking him since he was a frosh, waiting for him to emerge. Statistically, he has, at the moment, but not only do I not think it’s sustainable, I think he will have trouble putting in 20 fppg going forward. They need a guard. They picked up Verge, but he is a big home run hitter/strikeout artist. He usually has a great game or a sub-20. That’s a huge gamble come playoff time.
Need: One move left to get a guard, the way I see it. This is currently a likely but not yet probable Final Four team that would need help from an opponent to win the championship.
G-Holden: 25.0
G-Newton: 23.0
F-Prim: 31.1
F-Joseph: 21.2
C-Asadullah: 22.8
6th-Stephens: 22.7
FR-Taylor: 19.1
Lineup average: 164.9

Yo Ho Ho And A Bottle Of The Captain…Or, Will They Be Made To Walk The Plank Come February?
#3: Pirate’s Raiders
Analysis: Two studs, plus a stud freshman, and some question marks despite the decent numbers.
Problem: They have some scoring upside left in Wright but some instability in both forwards and some truly erratic play from their 6th man.
Need: I like Vander Plas but come conference play his numbers figure to take a little dip down. I am not a fan of the negative spread (college scoring average is higher than the fantasy average) guys like Rollins, since that is automatically (100%) a sign of ups and downs because his fantasy average in any certain game depends on having a strong field goal percentage-absolutely not a given. They can make the Final Four but badly need an impact forward to have a great shot at the title. They’ve got two shots (moves left) to get one.
G-Devoe: 30.7
G-Wright: 22.6
F-Vander Plas 23.1
F-Gardner: 19.4
C-Aimaq: 31.5
6th-Rollins: 21.0
FR-Smith: 23.3
Lineup average: 171.6

Pastrami On Rye With All The Trimmings…They Got The Goods…Burp, Burp…I’ve Over-Eaten, Get Me The Bi-Carb Please
#2: Fore Sons And A Doctor
Analysis: First things first. Which doctor? Dr. Kildare? Dr. Strangelove? Dr. Frankenstein? Dr. Freud? Dr. Fauci? “Doctor, doctor, give me the news, I gotta’ bad case of lovin’ you (apologies to Bob Seeger).” And, has he always been a Baylor fan, or, is he just jumping on the bandwagon? It’s a great lineup. Studs, near-studs, good freshman (just added); yes, it could go all the way (apologies to Chris Berman).
Problem: They have a Grayson Murphy “problem” and a Max Abmas “problem.” Looking at the dynamics of Murphy’s college team, he doesn’t figure to revert back to the fantasy horse he has been. But, Abmas, while missing Obanor’s presence, looks more likely to be able to climb back up to be “almost Abmas,” or, 75% of the 2020-2021 Abmas, so, they shouldn’t panic. Painter, however, although usually solid as a rock, may be trending down.
Need: They have needs but are not “needy” like most teams. Their recent add of the sleeper, Mushila, could take care of their 6th man concern, going forward (I think Mushila has a lot of upside going forward, schedule-wise). They have a move left and I think they would be wise to get a guard. This is definitely a Final Two team.
G-K. Davis: 25.1
G-Abmas: 21.9
F-Jackson-Davis: 30.3
F-Cain: 29.4
C-Mostafa: 27.4
6th-Mushila: 24.9
FR-Austin: 20.1
Lineup average: 179.1

Some Prefer Corned Beef
#1: Leathernecks
Analysis: There will be some slippage come conference time (Freeman-Liberty, Tshiebwe, and, Bacot, just to name a few) but not enough to be a concern
Problem: Not really worth mentioning, because there isn’t really one, and, whatever paranoia I can place here (if I was looking at this team as my own-which is how I do this stuff for the most part) isn’t a big deal anyways. It was surprising to see them just add another nice forward as I think they could really use a guard, since they have a “Grayson Murphy issue” going on.
Need: They are center heavy and should drop one to add a guard with their last move. Of course, it’s tough when you are the “fat cats.” If they weren’t so good they could’ve added Devoe, Cain, Armstrong, Seabron, just to name 4 standouts that they either passed on or didn’t bother to research. Life is that good when you are that good. They are in the title game.
G-Freeman-Liberty: 31.0
G-Schierman: 22.8
F-Martinez: 28.0
F-Freeman: 25.9
C-Tshiebwe: 34.4
6th-Bacot: 24.3
FR-Ingram: 19.3
Lineup average: 185.7

5 thoughts on “NCAA LEAGUE BANTER”

The Commish says:

October 15, 2021 at 4:11 pm

David, you posted in wrong league 🙂 MML League Banter is where this should go

Rick

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Leathernecks says:

November 13, 2021 at 10:42 am

It’s a new season! Thanks Rick for another season! Hopefully we can get together since I am closer to you now. I hope everyone has a great season and are safe and healthy!

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Grouchos says:

December 4, 2021 at 11:09 pm

State of the NCAA After 4 Weeks!
It’s time to take a look at what’s been “hoopening” in the NCAA league. I will go from the bottom to the top, using a team’s highest lineup scoring average by position, team by team and not by conference/division this time. ***Remember too, that I am not using each player’s ACTIVE scoring average (games when he was in the lineup and active for the week) but am using each player’s total average for all games played during the season.

I am NOT listing the teams in order of who I think is worst to first. My opinion will come in future analysis. For now, I am just letting the numbers speak, although it’s obvious that in looking at the lineups that there will be a team or two, etc., etc., ranked higher than teams below them who have significantly better lineups. So, the schedule has likely been “unkind” at this point of the year. As we get deeper into the season, organic corrections will show up.

1st Note: I am including players recently acquired who have NOT been in the lineup for the first 4 weeks, since they will be in the lineup going forward and therefore affect the analysis-and, that means that their numbers are inflating the team numbers-but again, moving forward, they will be doing that.

NOTE: Although you will use points & not averages in the playoffs, since teams play different numbers of games, averages are a better indicator of strengths & weaknesses IMHO.

Rant to note: Every year, all teams need a certain position. Every team may need a forward, a center, a freshman, a guard. But, it’s not difficult to find a forward, a center, and, even a freshman during the season. But, every single fricking year I do this I am writing about so many teams that need a guard. The thread that runs through all those teams is they drafted a freshman in the first round, and/or picked up another player who looked better at another position after the first round and come December, they don’t have a guard and their season is gone. This is why you take the best FA’s FIRST, in the draft, before even thinking about a freshman. After all, how fricking wonderful is Emoni Bates right now? And, he’s not the only one I can name. An undrafted freshman currently has the 4th highest fantasy average among freshman. Need I say more?!!!$$#$#%#&^$**$&%^(*()@(@^%$@#@!!!

All That Beef Is Making The GM So Flatulent He Can’t See What’s Really Happening With His Team
#16: South Austin Horns
Analysis: One stud in Roddy. One good guard in Barcello. A great freshman who has to play center leaving a not good enough freshman to play the frosh slot. A good forward in Kensmil. An erratic guard in Pride, a forward who doesn’t get touches but boards like a beast in Lindo. It all adds up to good looking bunch of nothing. Granola needs something to elevate it from just being…granola.
Problem: The problem is that because the Horns are scoring well the GM cannot see that there’s smoke, and, where there’s smoke there’s carcinogens. In other words, with Pride (especially) and Lindo having an occasional big game, the GM thinks he’s fine and he’s not. Meaning the real problem is that the GM has NOT made a move and has all 3 available. He could’v easily had me writing about his team being the favorite for the championship.
Need: Must get the best center available, ditto for the guard position, and, then just take the BPA. DeVries has to be out and Banchero in at the center position-that’s a plus 10 fantasy points right there. Get another center who is 20-22 and you have still gained 6.5-10 fantasy points. Add a guard who gets 22 and you’ve added another 4.5-5 fantasy points. Ditto for the 6th man which equals another 5 fantasy points. At worst, that adds 14 fantasy points per game to this lineup.
G-Barcello: 22.1
G-Pride: 18.1
F-Roddy: 27.9
F-Kensmil: 21.6
C-Banchero: 21.9
6th-Lindo: 17.1
FR-DeVries: 12.4
Lineup average: 141.1

My Dutch Apple Pie For A Guard, Or, Two, Or, Three
#15: Yoder Dame Fighting Amish
Analysis: Yet another team/GM that doesn’t understand math. There are a limited number of impact FA’s pre-draft. Another handful will emerge during the season. But, waiting, waiting, and, waiting, reduces the number of available impact FA’s…dramatically! They have all 3 of their moves left. What are they waiting for? Ach, the Amish, they should stick to milling flour, tilling the fields, and, fashion…
Problem: They got no guards, average center play, average 6th man play, and, two forwards whose numbers will be declining. Other than that, there is always a bread in the oven out there in PA.
Need: A lobotomy! Take the three best BPA’s you can find and give it a shot. They can’t win anything but they can be much more comptitive.
G-Green 16.8
G-Flowers: 16.3
F-Vrankic: 28.0
F-Funk: 23.7
C-Groves: 20.5
6th-Kreuser: 21.0
FR-Holmes: 15.0
Lineup average: 141.3

They Can Get A Free Yearly Pass On The Bart And Still Not Get Anywhere
#14: Cal Bears
Analysis: No real oomph anywhere!
Problem: Bothwell, Williams, Allen, Kinsey, Sherfield. Bothwell is doing well now but has already started to become erratic and can’t be a starter for a strong team. Williams is doing well but has lost minutes and doesn’t figure to be what everybody thought he would be this year. Allen is doing better than expected after transferring but is it sustainable? On the plus side, Basile’s numbers will go up after a tough non-con schedule and Kinsey has a good chance to get back to being more like the 2020-2021 Kinsey after a horrible start. Sherfield should be 20+-21, which isn’t great but would provide some solid depth.
Need: They need some KABOOM guys in their lineup. They have all three moves available. What are they waiting for? The good acid to kick in?
G-Miller: 23.0
G-Sherfield: 19.0
F-Williams: 20.6
F-Allen: 18.9
C-Basile: 21.7
6th-Kinsey: 18.6
FR-Brown: 20.3
Lineup average: 142.1

Afraid and/or Incapable (or dead?) Of Making An Add
#13: The Walk Ons
Analysis: They are the “vanilla” Walk Ons. Not one impact player, a bunch of guys hovering around the 20 fppg mark. Bland and not productive enough to do anything.
Problem: Not much returning next year. They will need to fill roughly 5 starting slots entering next year’s draft.
Need: The GM needs to wake the f_ _ _ up! They have 3 moves remaining. Before all of the premier FA’s are gone, add an impact guard, an impact forward and the BPA (of course, all 3 should be the BPA’s). And, learn from this past draft that a team lacking in talent does not take a freshman in the 6th round, let alone the first round!
G-Brown: 22.0
G-Horvath: 17.1
F-Omier: 21.2
F-Fausett: 18.7
C-McKinnis: 23.9
6th-Quinn: 19.7
FR-Chandler: 19.8
Lineup average: 143.4

I Hate To Peepee On The Teepee
#12: Tribe
Analysis: Well, they have “The Cockburn” but that’s just about all they have-although their roster is in far better shape than that of the “Not So Prodigal Son.” Only positive is I have a hunch that the Eral Penn we saw last season will re-appear at some point.
Problem: 20 fppg is great for a freshman, but, if that freshman has to play guard because he’s scoring more than any other guard (plus, you have a starting guard who averages 15.5. 15.5? 15.5!!!), it means that quite frankly my dear, (apologies to Clark Gable) your team sucks.
Need: Dynamite…mucho dynamite. The Prodigal Son and the Tribe should get together and throw a huge new year’s eve party. With all the dynamite they can get their hands on from T-N-T, it would be a heckuva blast.
G-McGowens: 21.3
G-Pepper: 16.7
F-Ike: 23.6
F-Lewis: 19.9
C-Cockburn: 31.4
6th-Williams: 18.7
FR-Reid: 15.5
Lineup average: 147.1

Pork Futures Up In The Air
#11: Hog Wild
Analysis: This traditionally strong franchise has a smidgen of a chance if Covid (Morales) doesn’t bite them in the ass and they continue to get decent production from their center spot.
Problem: They used all three of their moves (and did well with those selections) but now have to count on decent center play, while also looking at the probability that Moore’s numbers will likely drop (although he should continue to produce at a good clip). Also, with a couple of other teams having so much firepower they need a player like Malachi Smith to up his fantasy scoring average.
Need: Very simple. Their guys have to play to their numbers. They need that consistency to sneak into the Final Four, but, even then, it’s highly doubtful
G-Morales: 26.5
G-Smith: 19.9
F-Moore: 27.4
F-Brown: 23.7
C-Mathon: 19.1
6th-Killen: 21.1
FR-Hutchins-Everett: 20.3
Lineup average: 158.0

Albuquerque Is Lovely This Time Of The Year, All Those Hot Air Balloons…Are The Chickenhawks Holding On Too Tight?
#10: Albuquerque Chickenhawks
Analysis: Hmm…an interesting canvas to look at here. Flowers, Thomas, Osunniyi, Mosley, Marfo, Plowden, Godfrey & A. Davis are all UNDER-chieving. On the other hand, Anosike has been resuscitated at Cal State Fullerton and is close to showing the greatness he did during the 2019-2020 season, They have the best freshman (IMHO) in fantasy basketball in Armstrong, Broome should continue to elevate his stats and give them a great center, and, Days, while not always consistent, is “the man” at LSU, hence, the opportunity to get numbers.
Problem: Looking at the above it’s half of one and half of the other. Flowers should raise his fppg average, but I don’t think he’s going to be a 24+ fppg player again. Thomas should also raise his average but in his case, having to carry the team means a lot of up and down games for him. Those two are the best bets to elevate their numbers. Davis is up this week as you read this but is he the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 Davis? TBD.
Need: Like IG, AC doesn’t need my help but he does need guards. He’s 2-2 in picking up Anosike for free + Armstrong. He now needs to dip into the FA pool for two impact guards. But, if he doesn’t think he can find two of them, just get one impact guard and the BPA.
G-Godfrey: 22.4
G-A. Davis: 22.1
F-Anosike: 23.9
F-Days: 21.8
C-Broome: 24.0
6th-Thomas: 20.1
FR-Armstrong: 24.4
Lineup average: 158.7

Had A Shot But Drafted Poorly And Not Wisely (apologies to the knight in Indiana Jones)
#9: Gators (Is Gator McCluskey the draft consultant? Apologies to Burt Reynolds)
Analysis: Their fate was sealed in the draft. They needed multiple FA’s (free agents) to fill spots and couldn’t resist the allure of taking a freshman. They could have not drafted a freshman at all, gotten an impact FA and after the draft picked up a top ten (in scoring average) freshman as not one, not two, but, several teams have done this year and usually, every year. Their next pick was Obanor. Mid-major studs who transfer up will suck (fantasy-wise) 90% of the time. They took a wrong, er Wong turn with their last pick of the draft. So they got almost nothing out of the draft.
Problem: It’s Boum, not boom, although both rhyme with doom-which, if he’s in the starting lineup means the team’s death knell has started. They got the wrong Johnson, and, Miller transferred into one of America’s “anti-offense” programs…so, what did he expect from Miller?
Need: And then there were 4…players, that is. They are only 3 short of a lineup. Gators have one move left and they need to make more than one to be a contender. They can be a spoiler in a given week if the weak players in their lineup maxes out and the strong ones go off. That’s it.
G-Seabron: 31.6
G-Henry: 18.3
F-T. Smith: 25.3
F-Johnson: 18.0
C-Castleton: 23.9
6th-Boum: 18.0
FR-Holmgren: 24.6
Lineup average: 159.7

Forget Festivus For The Rest Of Us, George Needs Two To Get On Path To Final Four
#8: Independent George
Analysis: Feast or famine for the Costanza family this holiday season. Studs abound, but so do two starters averaging 14 fppg or less. Oof!
Problem: Do the math. He’s got a great lineup with two stiffs that will absolutely deny him a path to the championship. He cannot overcome that lack of production. You can handle one slot but not two. Of course, we wouldn’t be having to talk about all this if it were not for the inexplicable implosion of De’Torrion Ware, something that nobody could’ve seen coming and IG certainly can’t be blamed for…
Need: IG knows his stuff. He has two moves left. He desperately needs a guard and a freshman…and, while I can’t name names, I think that his needs can be met in the FA pool but he needs to act quickly…having already missed out on the best available (IMHO) freshman in Austin. He has a center surplus and if it were me, I would look to trade Golden, who has value, for either a guard or a freshman to a team that needs center help. They are on the outside looking in right now as far as being a Final Four team.
G-Champagnie: 27.3
G-Forbes: 13.9
F-Robinson: 29.1
F-Jones: 25.0
C-Koloko: 27.2
6th-Muszynski: 24.6
FR-Diabate: 13.7
Lineup average: 161.1

Heck, You Can Always Add Another Boeheim
#7: Boeheim’s Army
Analysis: It’s an “interesting” lineup.
Problem: Center, although Auburn HC Bruce Pearl may have discovered that Kessler can play and should get a few looks. If Kessler emerges, that solves one problem. Slawson was a great add. The guards are okay. Davis was NOT the guard to spend a valuable add on. They figure to be around 20, 20+, so, he needs a guard. If Venters (on a roll right now) and Scott (needs to regain his form from last season) can continue to climb up, then, there may not be a problem. Especially since Venters will have easier pickings come conference play. If he can rebound the ball better, he has real value.
Need: An impact guard. They’re a couple still out there; trust me. This lineup is a dangerous one to face, come playoff-time, but they are on the fence at the moment, as far as being a bonafide Final Four type of team.
G-Maldonado: 22.0
G-J. Davis: 21.8
F-Liddell: 27.9
F-Slawson: 27.1
C-Kessler: 19.1
6th-Boeheim: 21.7
FR-Duren: 21.6
Lineup average: 161.9

House Of Cards?
#6: The Prodigal Son (note that they did not have Nance & Haase on the team for week 4 & their lineup total would not be close to the 162.8 shown below…interested parties can do the math)
Analysis: Yikes! Things have to get better with Nance & Haase coming onboard, although Nance is certainly going to slide downward come conference play and Haase has always been an underachiever, albeit, a good one. Plus, the marvelous Bean will not average 38.3 during conference play, although he will still be a great producer.
Problem: Nobody wants to make trades! Not having enough moves to make a move this year (which might be a good thing considering that they added free agents Trey Sampson, Nate Roberts, and Blaise Beauchamp-is he a for real, live basketball player?), the Prodigal Son should trade Bean and Nance, and, Haase for promising underclassmen (SOPHS!) who can lay a foundation for their 2021-2022 roster.
Need: Too much. Call T-N-T and see if he will ship you some dynamite so you can blow the whole thing up.
G-Gilyard: 19.5
G-Cole: 18.5
F-Bean: 38.3
F-Nance: 26.3
C-Sharp: 17.7
6th-Haase: 25.0
FR-Baldwin: 17.5
Lineup average: 162.8

Sleeper That Needs To Feel The Orb (no apologies to Woody Allen)
#5: The Ghosts of Pauley Pavilion
Analysis: They have firepower in Murray & Holden. They are going to need Hugley to embrace being “the man” for a recently depleted Pittsburgh roster and hope that the talented Reese is inserted into the lineup and/or given an even bigger role by the new Maryland HC when he realizes that he needs Reese for Maryland to be 5 points better than they are right now.
Problem: The above is also the problem. Although there are positive signs, can Hugley, an immature young man, take advantage of the opportunity and get his numbers up? (he’s not a rebounder), and will Reese get that opportunity (possible, but, doubtful).
Need: GOPP have two moves left. They need to add another center and a guard. Although there is on the roster hope for the guard position. Andrew Taylor is starting to look like Andrew Taylor, and, Wagner is starting to get games (Covid post-ponements) and they have Elijah Ford in the wings. And, who knows, maybe Torrey Patton will get out of his funk. This team has a shot, a decent shot at being a Final Four team. Center & freshman production will determine that.
G-Holden: 27.3
G-Brown: 23.1
F-Murray: 32.4
F-Lofton: 28.3
C-Hugley: 17.5
6th-Eason: 22.0
FR-Reese: 13.1
Lineup average: 163.7

Sugar Tastes Good, But, In The End, It’s Mainly Empty Calories
#4: T-N-T Youngsters
Analysis: They are currently the 3rd highest scoring team in the NCAA and they need…to add a lot more firepower. They’ve got quality centers, a stud forward, a semi-stud guard who is pretty consistent in Holden, and, a rising freshman. But, they cannot match the explosiveness of the Leathernecks.
Problem: Timme, Tubelis, and, Mathurin have been disappointing but every team has some of those. IMHO, Newton is a problem. I’ve been tracking him since he was a frosh, waiting for him to emerge. Statistically, he has, at the moment, but not only do I not think it’s sustainable, I think he will have trouble putting in 20 fppg going forward. They need a guard. They picked up Verge, but he is a big home run hitter/strikeout artist. He usually has a great game or a sub-20. That’s a huge gamble come playoff time.
Need: One move left to get a guard, the way I see it. This is currently a likely but not yet probable Final Four team that would need help from an opponent to win the championship.
G-Holden: 25.0
G-Newton: 23.0
F-Prim: 31.1
F-Joseph: 21.2
C-Asadullah: 22.8
6th-Stephens: 22.7
FR-Taylor: 19.1
Lineup average: 164.9

Yo Ho Ho And A Bottle Of The Captain…Or, Will They Be Made To Walk The Plank Come February?
#3: Pirate’s Raiders
Analysis: Two studs, plus a stud freshman, and some question marks despite the decent numbers.
Problem: They have some scoring upside left in Wright but some instability in both forwards and some truly erratic play from their 6th man.
Need: I like Vander Plas but come conference play his numbers figure to take a little dip down. I am not a fan of the negative spread (college scoring average is higher than the fantasy average) guys like Rollins, since that is automatically (100%) a sign of ups and downs because his fantasy average in any certain game depends on having a strong field goal percentage-absolutely not a given. They can make the Final Four but badly need an impact forward to have a great shot at the title. They’ve got two shots (moves left) to get one.
G-Devoe: 30.7
G-Wright: 22.6
F-Vander Plas 23.1
F-Gardner: 19.4
C-Aimaq: 31.5
6th-Rollins: 21.0
FR-Smith: 23.3
Lineup average: 171.6

Pastrami On Rye With All The Trimmings…They Got The Goods…Burp, Burp…I’ve Over-Eaten, Get Me The Bi-Carb Please
#2: Fore Sons And A Doctor
Analysis: First things first. Which doctor? Dr. Kildare? Dr. Strangelove? Dr. Frankenstein? Dr. Freud? Dr. Fauci? “Doctor, doctor, give me the news, I gotta’ bad case of lovin’ you (apologies to Bob Seeger).” And, has he always been a Baylor fan, or, is he just jumping on the bandwagon? It’s a great lineup. Studs, near-studs, good freshman (just added); yes, it could go all the way (apologies to Chris Berman).
Problem: They have a Grayson Murphy “problem” and a Max Abmas “problem.” Looking at the dynamics of Murphy’s college team, he doesn’t figure to revert back to the fantasy horse he has been. But, Abmas, while missing Obanor’s presence, looks more likely to be able to climb back up to be “almost Abmas,” or, 75% of the 2020-2021 Abmas, so, they shouldn’t panic. Painter, however, although usually solid as a rock, may be trending down.
Need: They have needs but are not “needy” like most teams. Their recent add of the sleeper, Mushila, could take care of their 6th man concern, going forward (I think Mushila has a lot of upside going forward, schedule-wise). They have a move left and I think they would be wise to get a guard. This is definitely a Final Two team.
G-K. Davis: 25.1
G-Abmas: 21.9
F-Jackson-Davis: 30.3
F-Cain: 29.4
C-Mostafa: 27.4
6th-Mushila: 24.9
FR-Austin: 20.1
Lineup average: 179.1

Some Prefer Corned Beef
#1: Leathernecks
Analysis: There will be some slippage come conference time (Freeman-Liberty, Tshiebwe, and, Bacot, just to name a few) but not enough to be a concern
Problem: Not really worth mentioning, because there isn’t really one, and, whatever paranoia I can place here (if I was looking at this team as my own-which is how I do this stuff for the most part) isn’t a big deal anyways. It was surprising to see them just add another nice forward as I think they could really use a guard, since they have a “Grayson Murphy issue” going on.
Need: They are center heavy and should drop one to add a guard with their last move. Of course, it’s tough when you are the “fat cats.” If they weren’t so good they could’ve added Devoe, Cain, Armstrong, Seabron, just to name 4 standouts that they either passed on or didn’t bother to research. Life is that good when you are that good. They are in the title game.
G-Freeman-Liberty: 31.0
G-Schierman: 22.8
F-Martinez: 28.0
F-Freeman: 25.9
C-Tshiebwe: 34.4
6th-Bacot: 24.3
FR-Ingram: 19.3
Lineup average: 185.7

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The Commish says:

February 4, 2022 at 5:33 pm

two games left to “call” and funny enough they involve top 2 seeds…wow!

at this point, this is the UPSET tourney!! If top 2 seeds hold on and win, ONLY the Top 3 seeds will advance, otherwise every other matchup was UPSET CITY!

In the ‘average’ tournament and before we had the game max-limit, this is not uncommon, but in a balanced setting this is not expected…normally!

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1. Walk Ons - Hoop Daddy says:
  
  February 12, 2022 at 7:08 am
  
  Just finished an epic battle with TNT in the round of eight. Don’t normally post at this point in our tournament but amazingly, I’m still in it. I’ve only had four 20 win seasons since joining the NCAA back on 2007. I hope this is my year, cause I don’t get here very often. Good luck to all.
  
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