This article is part of our College Basketball Waiver Wire series.
What a Feast Week it was. We got to see a bunch of title contending teams in tournament conditions doing battle. It also served as a breakout showcase for a lot of players in new places. We now have quite a bit of data to go off of as conference play is now on the horizon.
This week's top waiver wire pickups highlights emerging players who in many cases have long-term upside to help you potentially make a playoff run in your league.
Power Conferences
Jackson McAndrew, F/C, Creighton
McAndrew was one of the top recruits in program history and he is just starting to work his way into the mix having started the last three games. The 6-10 freshman is a perfect fit at the power forward slot alongside Ryan Kalkbrenner. McAndrew is a terrific shooter who also has the rebounding upside to make him a valued asset. He went for a double-double against San Diego State last week and coach Greg McDermott will need him to continue firing away.
Lawson Lovering, F/C, Utah
After missing the start of the season with an ankle injury, Lovering returned last week and started both games at center right out of the gate. In only 12 minutes in a rout of Mississippi Valley he went for 12 points and seven boards, then in 27 minutes against Eastern Washington went for 16 points, eight boards and three blocks. The 7-1 center makes for a nice pickup at a position that
What a Feast Week it was. We got to see a bunch of title contending teams in tournament conditions doing battle. It also served as a breakout showcase for a lot of players in new places. We now have quite a bit of data to go off of as conference play is now on the horizon.
This week's top waiver wire pickups highlights emerging players who in many cases have long-term upside to help you potentially make a playoff run in your league.
Power Conferences
Jackson McAndrew, F/C, Creighton
McAndrew was one of the top recruits in program history and he is just starting to work his way into the mix having started the last three games. The 6-10 freshman is a perfect fit at the power forward slot alongside Ryan Kalkbrenner. McAndrew is a terrific shooter who also has the rebounding upside to make him a valued asset. He went for a double-double against San Diego State last week and coach Greg McDermott will need him to continue firing away.
Lawson Lovering, F/C, Utah
After missing the start of the season with an ankle injury, Lovering returned last week and started both games at center right out of the gate. In only 12 minutes in a rout of Mississippi Valley he went for 12 points and seven boards, then in 27 minutes against Eastern Washington went for 16 points, eight boards and three blocks. The 7-1 center makes for a nice pickup at a position that is hard to find on the waiver wire.
Miro Little, G, Utah
Lets run it back with Utes. Little was a highly recruited guard who never found the right opportunity at Baylor. Safe to say, the 6-3 sophomore point guard has found his place at Utah. Little is a legit triple-double threat averaging 8.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. He has allowed Gabe Madsen to focus on scoring the ball and the Utes have been a very strong offensive team early in the season because of Little's facilitation skills.
Jaylen Murray, G, Mississippi
Even with Sean Pedulla and Matthew Murrell in the backcourt, the 5-11 Murray is the one leading the Rebels in scoring (14.6 PPG) and assists (4.9 APG) through the early part of the season. Murray had a monster game last week in the win over BYU in which he went for 28 points, five boards and five rebounds. He is also shooting a very impressive 47 percent from three-point range. Mississippi takes on Louisville and Lindenwood this week.
Amani Hansberry, F/C, West Virginia
Hansberry showed out in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament last week averaging 17.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 three-pointers in the three games. Hansberry presents a matchup problem as a 6-8 center that is so comfortable on the perimeter. He's been a very nice surprise early in the season for new coach Darian DeVries and should continue to see strong usage. WVU still has NC Central, Bethune Cookman and Mercyhurst left on the non-conference schedule.
Devin Royal, F/C, Ohio State
Aaron Bradshaw was supposed to be the Buckeye's replacement for Felix Okpara at center this season, but Bradshaw has run into some trouble, as he's being investigated for some off-the-court issues and has no timeline for a return to the team. Enter Royal who has been on fire the last four games averaging 16.3 points and 8.5 rebounds. As long as Bradshaw is not on the court, Royal should be in lineups. Ohio State gets a pair of Big Ten foes this week in Maryland and Rutgers.
Brock Harding, G, Iowa
Replacing a strong point guard like Tony Perkins was never going to be easy, but the Hawkeyes just might have their man in Harding. The 6-0 sophomore is coming off two big games going for 19 points, five assists and four steals against Utah State and 20 points, 10 assists and four steals against USC Upstate. Harding ranks top-five in the Big Ten in assists (6.0 APG) and steals (2.6 SPG). He just might be starting to hit his stride with conference play on the horizon.
Eric Dailey, G/F/C, UCLA
Dailey has now scored in double figures in five straight games. Over that stretch he is putting up 14.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals per contest while shooting over 57 percent from the field. Dailey seems to be a nice fit a power forward alongside Tyler Bilodeau, but he also has guard eligibility on Fantrax which only increases his value. Coach Mick Cronin will need Dailey to continue to produce with Washington, Oregon and Arizona on deck.
Other Conferences
BJ Davis, G, San Diego State
The Aztecs have had a tough schedule to start the season and Davis has been leading the team in scoring at 13.8 PPG. He had his first poor offensive outing against Houston, but he recorded five steals in a game for the second time this season, which helped them knock off the Cougars. Davis is shooting 50 percent from deep and will have games against Fresno State and San Diego this week to continue to pad his numbers.
Dasonte Bowen, G, St. Bonaventure
Bowen isn't going to jump off the screen, but his consistent production across multiple categories makes him a valuable addition in any leagues that include the A-10. Bowen is averaging 11.8 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals through eight games. The 6-2 guard is coming off his best two scoring games of the season last week and has recorded at least two steals in all but one game.
Jamille Reynolds, F/C, South Florida
Now on his fourth school in five years, Reynolds is looking to close out his collegiate career strong. After being mostly a non-factor last season with Cincinnati, Reynolds has started to hit his stride early in the season with the Bulls averaging 13 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks over his last four games. The 6-11 center should continue to roll as South Florida is nearing AAC play.
Lamar Washington, G, Pacific
Washington never got the opportunity to make much of an impact in two years at Texas Tech. This season he is certainly getting the chance to show what he can do as the lead guard. Washington is averaging 11.3 points, 7.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds through nine games. The 6-4 guard has scored at least 17 points in a game three times and dished double digit assists twice. Washington will give teams problems in WCC play.
