College Basketball's Top 20 'Instant Offense' Players This Season

In college basketball as in the pros, even the biggest stars need the right supporting cast to succeed. One of the most valuable role players for any top team is the spark off the bench, the player who can come into the game and immediately jump-start the offense.

While being able to knock down shots after coming in cold is a prerequisite for this role, it’s not the only way to put points on the board. Baylor’s Pierre Jackson has not only proven to be an outstanding scorer,  he’s also a first-rate point guard who’s leading the team in assists while coming off the bench.

Read on for a closer look at Jackson and the rest of the 20 best bench players for lighting up the scoreboard on offense.

20. Ronald Roberts Jr., Saint Joseph’s

Backcourt scoring isn’t exactly in short supply at St. Joe’s, where Carl Jones and Langston Galloway are combining for 34.5 points a night. The frontcourt, though, has gotten a much-needed boost from the development of sophomore Ronald Roberts Jr.

The 6’8” Roberts is averaging 10.3 points a game off the Hawks’ bench—the fourth-highest total on the team. He’s also making his presence felt on the glass, pulling down 5.5 rebounds per contest.

19. Laurent Rivard, Harvard

Harvard’s sensational start has been led by upperclassmen like Keith Wright and Brandyn Curry. The future of the Crimson, though, looks to be sophomore two-guard Laurent Rivard.

Rivard has come off the bench to become Harvard’s top backcourt scoring threat at 10.2 points per game. He’s been especially devastating from long range, hitting a remarkable 44.3 percent of his three-point tries.

18. Roberto Nelson, Oregon State

Jared Cunningham is justifiably getting a lot of credit for the Beavers’ 10-win showing in non-conference play. Cunningham, though, isn’t the only OSU guard worthy of some attention.

6’3” sophomore Roberto Nelson has built on a strong freshman year to become a top-notch reserve for the Beavers.

Nelson’s 10.4 points and 2.9 assists per game off the bench have been a valuable asset to an offense that’s ranked ninth in the nation with 82.6 points a night.

17. Darius Miller, Kentucky

On a Wildcats roster dominated by youngsters, Darius Miller provides the senior leadership. The 6’8” guard has been a serious weapon off the bench for John Calipari.

Miller’s 10.3 points a game make him the only reserve among six Wildcats scoring in double digits. Unsurprisingly, his length has also made him a factor on the glass, with 3.5 rebounds a night.

16. Myles Mack, Rutgers

Standing just 5’9”, Myles Mack has developed into one of Rutgers’ biggest perimeter weapons. The prize freshman is averaging 10.8 points a game off the Scarlet Knights’ bench.

Mack stepped up with 14 points in Rutgers’ double-OT upset of No. 10 Florida, and he’s sure to build an even bigger role in the offense as the season progresses.

He’s not doing too badly on defense, either, grabbing 1.7 steals a game (against just 1.2 personal fouls).

15. Ben Smith, Wichita State

Few offenses in the country are as much of a team effort as Wichita State’s. The Shockers have an impressive six players averaging double figures in scoring on the season.

The leader of the Wichita State bench is senior SF Ben Smith, who’s scoring 10.4 points a night and also pulling down 2.9 rebounds per game. Smith’s performance is just one reason that last year’s NIT champs have a great shot at the big dance this March.

14. Ben Brust, Wisconsin

In the Bo Ryan era, it hasn’t been often that a Wisconsin Badger has been lauded for his offensive ability. Nevertheless, Ben Brust deserves some accolades for giving the Badgers some welcome scoring punch off the bench.

Brust is contributing 10.7 points a game to a Wisconsin attack that (surprisingly) boasts three other players in double figures. He’s also drained a team-leading 34 treys on the season.

13. Justin Drummond, Loyola (MD)

The Loyola Greyhounds aren’t going to make much noise on the national stage this season (or even in their own conference, thanks to the 500-pound gorilla that Iona is looking like).

Nevertheless, the Greyhounds boast one of the best reserves in any conference in sophomore guard Justin Drummond.

The 6’4” Drummond has averaged 11.8 points a game while backing up a Dylon Cormier-led three-guard attack. Drummond is also providing some much-needed rebounding for undersized Loyola, pulling in 4.3 boards a game.

12. Will Sheehey, Indiana

Cody Zeller’s brilliance notwithstanding, Indiana’s return to the Top 25 has been very much a team effort. Zeller is just one of five Hoosiers averaging double figures in scoring—a group that includes sophomore swingman Will Sheehey.

Sheehey has come off the bench to put up 10.7 points a game for IU. His .444 shooting from long range is a key factor in keeping defenses from collapsing on Zeller in the post.

11. Chris Fouch, Drexel

Chris Fouch proved himself as one of the nation’s best sixth men a year ago, leading Drexel in scoring while coming off the bench. After recovering from offseason knee surgery, he’s been up to his old tricks in the seven games he’s played in 2011-12.

The 6’2” junior is only fourth on the team in scoring so far, but he’s still pouring in 11.3 points a night as a reserve. Even so, he’ll need to pick up his career-low .308 three-point shooting if Drexel is going to compete in the always-tough CAA.

10. Joseph Young, Houston

Not unlike their football team, the Houston Cougars boast one of the higher-scoring offenses (80.2 points a game) in all of college hoops. While junior forward Jonathon Simmons is the ringleader, a share of credit must go to reserve guard Joseph Young.

The 6’3” freshman is contributing 11.4 points a game off the Cougar bench, and he’s also done a fine job running the offense. His 3.2 assists a night are tied for the team lead on the year.

9. Cody Ellis, Saint Louis

With Brian Conklin and Dwayne Evans leading the way, the Billikens have been able to count on serious production from the frontcourt. Thanks to Cody Ellis, that confidence extends to the bench.

The junior is scoring 11.8 points a game for Saint Louis—second-best on the roster—including a team-high 18 in a losing effort against Loyola Marymount. Despite measuring in at 6’8”, 240 lbs, though, he’s grabbing just 3.8 rebounds a night.

Image from twitter.com

8. Ryan Boatright, UConn

Although classmate Andre Drummond has stolen much of his thunder, Ryan Boatright is a first-rate freshman in his own right.

Since returning from an NCAA suspension for accepting improper benefits, the 6’0” Boatright has become one of the Huskies’ top threats off the bench.

Backing up stars Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier, Boatright is still earning enough playing time to score 12.1 points a game. His skill as a penetrator has also helped him dish out 3.4 assists per contest—second on the team behind Napier.

7. Russ Smith, Louisville

Considering that Louisville has one of the most balanced offenses in the nation, it’s little wonder that the Cardinals’ bench is getting in on the action.

Sophomore Russ Smith has become Louisville’s second-leading scorer despite averaging just 20.8 minutes a game.

Smith’s 12.3 points a night aren’t the only contribution he’s making to the Cardinal cause. He’s also recording a stunning 2.5 steals a game on the year.

6. Michael Dixon, Missouri

In a Missouri offense that’s scoring 86.2 points a night, there are plenty of big numbers to go around. Although he’s just the third-highest scorer in the Tiger backcourt, Michael Dixon is still pouring in 12.5 points a game.

With Phil Pressey, Kim English and Marcus Denmon ahead of him, it’s little wonder that Dixon (a junior) finds himself coming off the bench.

Still, he’s a big factor on both ends of the floor for the Tigers, averaging two steals a night to go with his scoring efforts.

5. Pierre Jackson, Baylor

Perry Jones III and the frontcourt get all the headlines for Baylor—and rightly so. The backcourt, though, has a few weapons of its own, including junior guard Pierre Jackson.

The 5’10” Jackson has come off the bench to lead the Bears in assists with 4.4 per game. He’s a substantial scoring threat to boot, racking up 12.2 points a night.

4. Darnell Dodson, Southern Miss

To be fair, Kentucky transfer Darnell Dodson has played just five games in a Southern Miss uniform thanks to a school suspension (he pleaded guilty to grand larceny last spring).

That said, the 6’7” senior has put up numbers to eclipse any other reserve in the nation—including his own high-powered teammate Chris Watson.

Dodson is averaging 15 points a game off the Golden Eagles' bench, so it’s no surprise that Southern Miss has won all five of his games thus far.

If Dodson keeps scoring at this pace, it’ll be tough to keep him out of the starting lineup, but for the moment, he’s a devastating weapon as a backup.

3. Dundrecous Nelson, Ole Miss

A starter to open the season, Dundrecous Nelson was shifted to the bench following Ole Miss’ first loss of the year against Marquette. He’s been nothing short of dazzling in the games since, scoring in double figures seven straight times at one stretch.

Nelson’s average of 12.3 points a game is a team high and could easily remain so on a roster that seems to feature a different leader every night.

He won’t be enough to turn this team into an SEC contender, but he should help them improve on last year's 7-9 conference mark.

2. Dion Waiters, Syracuse

After an unremarkable freshman season, Dion Waiters is in the midst of a breakout year as a sophomore. His 12.5 points a game make him the second-leading scorer on the nation’s top team.

As impressive as he’s been, Waiters won’t be unseating the starting backcourt duo of Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine anytime soon. Still, performances like his 22-point outburst against NC State make the Orange’s future look rosy indeed.

1. B.J. Young, Arkansas

Mike Anderson’s offense is proving to be a terrific environment for freshman guards. A year after Phil Pressey flourished in the system at Missouri, Arkansas' SG B.J. Young is lighting it up off the bench.

The 6’3” Young is racking up 13.9 points a game for a team that sorely needs it after losing star PF Marshawn Powell for the season.

Young’s sizzling .412 shooting from three-point range has helped him lead the Razorbacks in scoring in Powell’s absence.