Anonymous Stars - College Basketball News, Tips And Picks

Anonymous Stars
By Jim Johnson
Posted: 4:00 am PDT 2006-10-18

One of the keys to handicapping college basketball is knowing which teams have the star players who make the biggest difference in winning and losing games. Here are some players who fit that
description who you may not have heard of -- yet.

Nick Fazekas, Nevada: Most players who enter a senior season as the star of their team have gradually progressed into that position, but Fazekas has been "the man" since his sophomore season. He has won the past two WAC Player of the Year awards and has no apparent weakness in his offensive game. Fazekas is equally effective in the low post and the perimeter.

Although not particularly athletic, which is one of the reasons he passed up the NBA Draft last summer, his game is mature beyond his years. He knows how to gain and exploit an advantage against any type of defense opponents throw at him. Fazekas also has a solid, experienced team around him and a point guard (Ramon Sessions) who can get him the ball. Expect another 20-point, 10-rebound per game season from the Wolf Pack star as he leads Nevada to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season.

Nate Funk, Creighton: The Bluejays did not fall apart when they lost Funk to shoulder surgery early last season, but they will be even stronger with him back at full strength this year. Funk will be better than that, actually, because he has worked diligently on his game. He will be a better passer and rebounder than he was in 2004-05 (17.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and have more success at getting his own shot.

Funk could draw plenty of attention in March because this could be the best Bluejay team in recent memory. The extra roles that center Anthony Tolliver and point guard Josh Detzler (recovering from knee surgery) had to take on last year will make them even more prepared for success this year. Funk will be the best player in the best mid-major conference (Missouri Valley) in the nation and should earn some All-American attention.

Morris Almond, Rice: The fact that Rice has a basketball team is a fairly well-kept secret, so the fact that the Owls featured the leading scorer in Conference USA last season practically required a security clearance to find out. This year, Owls opponents will certainly be paying close attention to Almond (21.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg), a 6-foot-6 swingman who pulled out of the NBA draft to return to Rice for his senior season. His running mate in the backcourt, Lorenzo Williams, could be the best point guard in C-USA, which will make it more difficult for defenses to key on Almond.

If Almond can lead Rice back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1970, there will be a lot of people, many of them NBA scouts, who will know his name.

Dominic James, Marquette: The Golden Eagles sported a trio of outstanding freshmen last year, but as good as guards Wesley Matthews and Jerel McNeal were, James emerged as the player who could control a game on his own. It's hard to imagine a freshman point guard in a conference as rugged as the Big East enjoying much more success than James did last year. He proved to be a well-rounded guard, posting numbers of 15.3 ppg, 5.4 apg, and 4.5 rpg.

James proved to be an excellent outside shooter and a tough defender. Despite his diminutive stature (5-11, 175 pounds), he'll be the big man on the Marquette campus this season and one of the best players in the Big East, which makes him one of the best players in the nation.

Jarrius Jackson, Texas Tech: You would think that a 20.5-point-per-game scorer playing for one of the great coaches in college basketball would have some buzz around him, but Jackson has been somehow avoided that so far in his career. The Red Raiders had a disappointing 15-17 record last season, and Jackson's scoring prowess and leadership will be critical toward leading a group bolstered by JuCo transfers and players returning from injury.

There will be plenty of attention turned toward Lubbock this season as the countdown toward Bob Knight breaking Dean Smith's record for coaching victories commences, and Jackson is just the type of player to thrive in the spotlight. Those in the know are aware of his poise in crunch time and his basketball savvy, but he'll have every opportunity in his senior year to show those attributes to a larger audience and, with more talent around him, enjoy better results.

Some other unheralded players worth learning about are: Al Thornton, Florida State; Brandon Heath, San Diego State; Acie Law, Texas A&M; Shan Foster, Vanderbilt.

College Basketball Betting Line, Upcoming Game Previews & More

Online College Basketball Betting Sites