This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
We head into the final Sunday of January on the college hardwood, and the final tip-off is at 3:30 p.m. ET. College basketball has decided it is in its best interest not to go up against the National Football League's Championship games on Sunday. We'll try and find three winners, helping you to a little extra money to use for PrizePicks plays for the titanic matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.
If you're unfamiliar how to play, you must simply choose at least two players from any sport and pick more or less on their projected statistics to win. We'll obviously be exclusively selecting college hoops players, but you can mix and match from various other sports. You can also go with a flex play, meaning you still can have a winning night even if you have one losing selection. Or, you can go big and choose the power play, which pays out higher. However, you must hit all ends to win. Let's get started.
Julian Reese, F, Maryland
Reese is coming off a enormous game last time out in a stunning 91-70 upset at Illinois last time out. The 6-foot-9 homegrown talent from Baltimore rolled up 27 points with 17 rebounds and three blocked shots in 31 minutes, hitting 12-of-23 from the field, as the Terrapins lit the world afire.
Reese has managed five double-doubles in the past 10 games, and he has at least two blocked shots in five in a row, if you wanted to go that route. You could elect to play 'More - 1.5 Blocked Shots', too, if you so choose. You cannot play the same player twice, however.
The Hoosiers have allowed 72.9 PPG to rank just 225th in the nation, while teams are hitting 42.9 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from downtown. Reese and Maryland should be able to make plenty of offensive noise against Indiana.
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Julian Reese, Over 23.5 Pts+Rebs
Dain Dainja, F, Memphis
The Memphis Tigers host the UAB Blazers at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN2 at the FedEx Forum in an American Athletic Conference (AAC) battle.
The Tigers have won four in a row at home, including a thrilling 87-70 win over a ranked Ole Miss team on Dec. 28. Memphis has struggled a little bit offensively, going for just 67.7 points per game (PPG) in the past three games at home, but that number should be bumped up quite a bit against UAB and its leaky defense.
The Blazers are allowing 75.3 PPG to rank 280th in the country, while teams are hitting 43.0 percent from the floor, and 34.1 percent from downtown. The latter ranks in the bottom third of the country.
Dainja, the 6-foot-9 senior from Brooklyn Park, Minn. is coming off a stinker. He had just three points with eight rebounds in 28 minutes in a low-scoring game against Wichita State. Dainja had his six-game streak with at least 10 points snapped, as he was in foul trouble most of the night. He has averaged 8.5 RPG in the past two games, and if he can get to double digits in points, Dainja is headed for an easy Over here.
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Dain Dainja, Over 19.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts
Elijah Hawkins, G, Texas Tech
In what could be considered the late window on this Sunday, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech battle at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+ at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock in a Big 12 clash.
Oklahoma State has been abysmal defensively, yielding 74.9 PPG to rank 273rd in the country. However, the Cowboys are among the worst in the nation with a 47.5 percent defensive field-goal percentage, and they're allowing teams to hit 35.5 percent from behind the 3-point line.
Hawkins of the Red Raiders could certainly use a good game, as he has hit just five of his past 21 field-goal attempts, averaging 8.5 PPG with 6.0 APG in the past two outings. Prior to that, he averaged 11.2 PPG with 7.6 APG and 2.8 RPG in the previous five games from Dec. 31-Jan. 14. He has double-double ability, and against the Cowboys, he should be able to get back on track.
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Elijah Hawkins, Over 17.5 Pts+Asts
Sunday's College Basketball PrizePicks Selections
Here's a recap of my best college basketball selections for Sunday:
- Julian Reese, Maryland, Over 23.5 Pts+Rebs
- Dain Dainja, Memphis, Over 19.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts
- Elijah Hawkins, Texas Tech, Over 17.5 Pts+Asts
For additional recommendations for PrizePicks and other similar sites, check out our College Basketball Picks page.
For more fantasy college hoops content, be sure to check out features like our college basketball injury report, college basketball depth charts and latest college basketball news.
