This article is part of our College Basketball Waiver Wire series.
With all teams now into conference play, the worry should be less about how many games does a player get this week and more about giving your roster balance for the long haul. The below options are all players who are on the rise and could help owners make a playoff push down the road.
Power Conferences
Efton Reid, F/C, Wake Forest
Reid has played in seven games since obtaining an eligibility waiver. He made an immediate impact with a double-double in his first outing and has now started each of the last four contests. Since entering the starting five, the Gonzaga transfer is averaging 10.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. Reid needs to be rostered in all formats with the way he is producing heading into the grind of ACC play.
Javian McCollum, G, Oklahoma
McCollum has turned into just the player coach Porter Moser was hoping for when he recruited him in the offseason after two years at Siena. He is averaging 14.7 points, 3.9 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 2.6 three-pointers and 1.0 steals per contest, leading the Sooners to an impressive 13-1 start. McCollum has been a more active passer of late, which bodes well to his overall fantasy value given how easily he can already score at all levels.
Claudell Harris, G, Boston College
Harris twisted an ankle in early-December, which cause him to mis a game. He ended up coming off the bench in the next two contests but has started the
With all teams now into conference play, the worry should be less about how many games does a player get this week and more about giving your roster balance for the long haul. The below options are all players who are on the rise and could help owners make a playoff push down the road.
Power Conferences
Efton Reid, F/C, Wake Forest
Reid has played in seven games since obtaining an eligibility waiver. He made an immediate impact with a double-double in his first outing and has now started each of the last four contests. Since entering the starting five, the Gonzaga transfer is averaging 10.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. Reid needs to be rostered in all formats with the way he is producing heading into the grind of ACC play.
Javian McCollum, G, Oklahoma
McCollum has turned into just the player coach Porter Moser was hoping for when he recruited him in the offseason after two years at Siena. He is averaging 14.7 points, 3.9 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 2.6 three-pointers and 1.0 steals per contest, leading the Sooners to an impressive 13-1 start. McCollum has been a more active passer of late, which bodes well to his overall fantasy value given how easily he can already score at all levels.
Claudell Harris, G, Boston College
Harris twisted an ankle in early-December, which cause him to mis a game. He ended up coming off the bench in the next two contests but has started the last three, over which he is averaging 23.3 points, 4.7 three-pointers, 3.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds. That is probably an unsustainable pace, but when right, Harris is proving he is worthy of being rostered. It also helps Boston College is not great defensively and is involved in a lot of shootouts.
Keyon Menifield, G, Arkansas
Arkansas was planning on Menifield redshirting this season, but once an eligibility waiver was granted, the team wasted little time getting the Washington transfer involved. In the last three games (two as a starter), Menifield is averaging 19.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 three-pointers. With guards Davonte Davis and El Ellis struggling this season, the door is open for Menifield to establish himself with the Razorbacks going forward.
Owen Freeman, F/C, Iowa
Freeman does not look like a freshman anymore. He has now started the last six games and is averaging 11.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.2 steals per contest. Coach Fran McCaffery clearly wants the 6-10 big man to be a big part of the attack in Big 10 play having given him his top-three minute games of the season in each of these last three contests. Freeman complements a great interior scorer like Ben Krikke very well.
Bensley Joseph, G, Miami
Joseph is not the biggest scorer, but he can get it done in all the other areas for this Hurricane squad. He has taken on a bigger role of late with Wooga Poplar battling an ankle injury, putting up 10.3 points, 6.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.5 three-pointers over the last four games. There's enough there across the board to warrant roster consideration, especially is Poplar is going to continue to miss time.
Mike James, G/F, Louisville
Louisville has been a dumpster fire for some time now, and this season hasn't been any better. This past week, the Cardinals got news that both Dennis Evans and JJ Traynor would miss the rest of the season. Tre White is also dealing with an injury of his own, which has opened the door to Mike James being a go-to player on this team. Over the last seven games, the sophomore is putting up 14.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.6 three-pointers and 1.1 steals per contest. They are dropping like flies in Louisville, so you better get your hands on a reliable starter.
Quincy Guerrier, F/C, Illinois
Guerrier has been tearing it up lately, averaging 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 three-pointers over his last six games. Over that stretch he is also shooting 56.1 percent from the field and 50 percent from downtown. This is a player who has started 99 games in his career and can be trusted to perform nightly in Big Ten play, especially with Terrence Shannon (suspension) no longer in the mix. The defensive numbers aren't really there from Guerrier, but his scoring and rebounding -- combined with his shooting from a forward-eligible spot -- warrants being rostered.
Other Conferences
Dwon Odom, G, Georgia State
After starting every game a season ago for Georgia State, Odom came off the bench in the first six games of the 2023-24 campaign. He was put back into the starting five on Dec. 2, and since then, is averaging 12.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per contest. Georgia State is outside the top-250 in defensive efficiency this season, per KenPom, so it will likely be involved in quite a few high-scoring affairs in the Sun Belt.
Trevin Dorius, F/C, Utah Valley
Dorius was a graduate transfer from Utah State who had big shoes to fill as the starting center for Utah Valley after that role was held down by Aziz Bandaogo last season and Fardaws Aimaq the season before that. It took Dorius a minute to get comfortable, but he seems to be coming into his own with WAC play in full swing, averaging 14.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks over his last five games.
Anthony Pritchard, G, Central Michigan
Pritchard spent two seasons with Tulsa where he started 39 games and proved to be a very good ball distributor. In the offseason, he decided to leave home and head north to Central Michigan, where he is emerging as one of the better guards in the MAC at 13.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Pritchard's usage rate will continue to stay high throughout conference play.
Zach Cleveland, F/C, Liberty
Cleveland plays most of his minutes at center for the Flames, but he happens to be leading the team this season in assists. The 6-7 sophomore is really taking his game to the next level of late as Liberty hopes to challenge for the C-USA title. Over the last six games, Cleveland is putting up 14.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.2 blocks per contest. Those are certainly numbers you want to have on your team.
