The college basketball season has accumulated more than two full months of play, enough time to get a sense of which players are playing to their full abilities and which ones are not. A handful of players stand out as being notable for overachieving and doing more for their teams than anyone reasonably expected at the start of the season in the middle of November. Those players are presented here in our list of the top college basketball overachievers:
Jock Landale, Saint Mary’s Gaels
The Australian – part of a Saint Mary’s team with multiple Australian standouts, and an SMC program which has maintained an Australian recruiting pipeline under head coach Randy Bennett – is a supreme workhorse. If statistics are rounded to the nearest whole number, Londale (technically averaging 9.5 rebounds per game) is averaging 17 points and 10 boards a night. That’s phenomenal consistency and dependability for the Gaels, who are on track to get an NCAA Tournament berth even if they don’t win the West Coast Conference (which Gonzaga is leading). Londale is a player opponents can’t solve. He’s likely to continue to deliver production to Bennett as SMC’s season evolves.
The Gaels have been a great story this season as they have won 18 of their first 20 games this season. Next up for them is a visit to Santa Clara on Saturday before going to Pacific next Thursday. Their most important remaining game will come on February 11th when the No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs visit.
Matt Farrell, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Fighting Irish have made consecutive Elite Eight appearances. If they go three in a row, this is the man who will likely be responsible. Farrell plays rugged defense, gets his teammates involved on offense, and is absolutely fearless in terms of taking the big shot late in a game. Farrell has made several late-game three-pointers this season, big shots inside the final three minutes in which his team lead or trailed by no more than two possessions. Farrell’s boldness in high-pressure situations endears him to teammates and coaches alike. He’s been a very inspiring story this season in South Bend.
Anthony Cowan, Maryland Terrapins
The eye-catching stat with Cowan, a freshman, is that he has more assists than junior teammate Melo Trimble. Cowan is younger and less experienced, but he is facilitating the offense better than his much-more-publicized running mate. Cowan is part of a group of freshmen that has pushed Maryland to the top of the Big Ten standings with just two overall losses this season. As long as Cowan remains in form, the Terps should remain at the top of the Big Ten. They have started the year with 18 wins in their first 20 games and the surprising performance of Cowan – one of college basketball’s biggest overachievers this season – is one of the main reasons why.
Marcus Foster, Creighton Jays
The transfer from Kansas State was labeled mercurial, moody, volatile, and risky when Creighton picked him up. However, the transition has been seamless. Foster, a proven jump shooter, knows how to get open for good shots. With point guard Maurice Watson out, Foster will look for his shot on a more consistent basis. He has been ready for his new college basketball life; don’t expect that to change, not even after the injury to Watson. He can handle the higher workload. He has been one of the biggest overachievers in college basketball this season.
Marcus Keene, Central Michigan Chippewas
Keene has made a late charge onto this list. How did he do it? He scored 50 points against Miami of Ohio, and now sits near 30 points per game in terms of his regular average. Don’t let Central Michigan’s relative obscurity as a program to affect the way Keene is seen. Coaches and opposing defenses constantly game plan to stop him, but he is still getting free and, moreover, getting even better as we go along. That is a special talent who has been one of the biggest overachievers. CMU will need more of that key production at the Mid-American Conference Tournament in March.
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