College Basketball Players Who've Improved Their Games During Conference Play

If there's a time to up your game, now is that time.

We're in the thick of college basketball's conference season, so it's time to put up or shut up. You have to go big, or, failing that, you have to go home. It's now or never. Get busy winning or get busy dying.

Many players have answered that call for their teams. Their improved performance during conference play has been a boon and in several cases is keying serious runs up the standings.

The following 10 players stand out most in this category: those who have really upped their games during this critical stretch. They are ranked in order of their level of play, the extent to which it has improved and, to a lesser degree, the improvement of their teams.

As a quick statistical reference, we included game averages for scoring and field-goal percentage for the player's entire season and for his last five contests. We also factored in rebounds for forwards and assist numbers for guards. 

10. Stefan Jankovic, Forward, Hawaii

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Season averages: 15.2 ppg, 56.6 percent FG, 6.4 rpg
Last five games: 16.2 ppg, 55.9 percent FG, 7.0 rpg

When leading scorer Aaron Valdes went down with a turf toe injury earlier in January, the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors took a gasp. They were having one of the best basketball seasons in their history. Was it about to come crashing down?

Not if Stefan Jankovic had anything to say about it. And he does.

With Valdes looking on, Hawaii hit some trouble on the road against Big West Conference rival Cal State Fullerton. But a deep Jankovic three at the end of regulation sent the game to overtime, and his shooting from the field and the stripe helped them pull away in the extra minutes.

The win gave the 'Bows their best season start since 2002, and they're gunning for their first tourney appearance since the same season. That's thanks to their versatile 6'11" big man and guard Roderick Bobbitt, although academic issues are now a cloud hanging over Bobbitt's immediate future. Things should stay sunny so long as Jankovic keeps things going. 

9. Terry Maston, Forward, Baylor

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Season averages: 7.3 ppg, 58.5 percent FG, 3.2 rpg
Last five games: 10.4 ppg, 56.6 percent FG, 2.8 rpg

Terry Maston, the artist formerly known as TJ, barely saw game action last season as a freshman. He wasn't seeing much as a sophomore, either, until he recently broke out in a huge way.

The turning point was a 17-point, 8-of-11 shooting effort against TCU. Since then, he has provided instant offense off the bench for the Bears.

“It’s all about opportunity, and he’s been shining,” Baylor star Rico Gathers said of Maston in an interview with Jerry Hill of Baylor Athletics. “When he comes into the game, he’s able to hit anything within the three-point line. That’s one of the best things about TJ is he’s consistent.”

8. Jaron Blossomgame, Forward, Clemson

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Season averages: 16.4 ppg, 51.2 percent FG, 6.9 rpg
Last five games: 20.4 ppg, 47.3 percent FG, 6.8 rpg

Clemson is on a roll. Despite a Tuesday loss to Virginia, the Tigers have won five of six including victories over Miami, Louisville and Duke.

Heading up the charge is Jaron Blossomgame. The junior is red-hot from the field, and the team is riding the hot hand, playing him more than 38 minutes per game on average in the last five.

Clemson is a surprise entrant in the thick of ACC contention with a 5-2 conference record. With Blossomgame playing at this pace, the Tigers will stay there, even if the surprise wears off soon.

7. Jack Gibbs, Guard, Davidson

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Season averages: 25.7 ppg, 46.3 percent FG, 5.3 apg
Last five games: 29.4 ppg, 42.4 percent FG, 7.2 apg

Let the Steph Curry comparisons begin.

It has been an unbelievable tear for Gibbs, but with an 11-6 overall record, Davidson has a ways to go.

If nothing else, fans will be entertained thanks to Gibbs, the undersized (6'0", 195 lbs) shooting deadeye who has now advanced to third in the nation in scoring, per NCAA.com.

6. Yogi Ferrell, Guard, Indiana

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Season averages: 17.1 ppg, 47.5 percent FG, 6.1 apg
Last five games: 17.6 ppg, 46.4 percent FG, 6.0 apg

Is there a hotter team in college basketball right now than the Indiana Hoosiers?

They haven't lost since December 2. That's a 12-game winning streak, including a 7-0 mark in the Big Ten. They currently sit first in the conference standings.

Yogi Ferrell is the team leader and best player. The senior star's game is not always beautiful, but it is always effective.

At least on offense. Defense is another story. Or it was, anyway. In recent games, opponent scoring is way down for the Hoosiers, and Ferrell has a lot to do with that, in a way that doesn't show up in the box score.

"I felt like we got better concepts and we work on those concepts every day in practice," Ferrell said of the team's defense, according to Gentry Estes of the Courier-Journal. "When we get multiple stops in a row, that's what gets us going and gets our offense going."

Now the all-time assists leader in Bloomington, Ferrell will be not just a key but the key to keeping this going for IU.

5. Brice Johnson, Forward, North Carolina

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Season averages: 16.7 ppg, 64.1 percent FG, 9.8 rpg
Last five games: 20.6 ppg, 63.5 percent FG, 10.2 rpg

North Carolina has won 10 straight. Marcus Paige is the big name, but coming up hard on his heels is big man Brice Johnson.

The coming-out party occurred January 4 with Johnson's 39-point, 23-rebound monstrosity at Florida State. He also sits atop the ACC and is third in the nation with an insane 34.3 player efficiency rating, per College Basketball Reference.

4. Tyler Ulis, Guard, Kentucky

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Season averages: 14.9 ppg, 41.9 percent FG, 2.4 apg
Last five games: 18.2 ppg, 43.4 percent FG, 6.2 apg

It's hard to argue with this spike in numbers.

The Kentucky Wildcats have had some difficulty this season, losing to a depleted Ohio State squad, among others. But they've now won four of five and appear to be trending upward. 

Ulis has taken control of this team, serving as its apparent floor leader and facilitator, with superfrosh Jamal Murray and veteran post man Alex Poythress behind him. Maybe this won't be such a down year in Lexington after all.

3. Justin Leon, Forward, Florida

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Justin Leon (left)

Season averages: 5.0 ppg, 55.7 percent FG, 2.8 rpg
Last five games: 10.4 ppg, 67.7 percent FG, 5.2 rpg 

This is a gosh-darn gaudy statistical leap, and in fairness, it's largely because of a big leap in minutes, thanks to Leon's joining the starting lineup recently.

One begets the other, though, and Leon has done plenty with his opportunity. Not just offensively, either. He brings some sharp defense on the other end, where Florida uses an active man-to-man that meshes well with Leon's athleticism.

“If you do a good job [on defense], it builds confidence and makes you feel like you can guard a lot of guys,” Leon told Garry Smits of the Florida Times-Union. “When you switch, you just have to stay down and stay focused. We have a lot of athletes so we can switch out a lot.”

The Gators are 4-1 in their last five and are now third in the SEC. Leon could be the missing piece they needed.

2. Buddy Hield, Guard, Oklahoma

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Season averages: 26.1 ppg, 51.4 percent FG, 2.5 apg
Last five games:  24 ppg, 56.4 percent FG, 3.4 apg

It's not possible for Buddy Hield to get any hotter than he's been all season. If he's not the clear Naismith Trophy favorite, he's on a short list.

But Hield has elevated his play in the meat of conference season. Not factored into the five-game average above is that monstrous 46-point masterpiece he put together in the triple-overtime loss to Kansas.

The key for Hield is more than raw scoring. He's even more eye-poppingly efficient in his offense and is becoming more unselfish, trusting his teammates to do more (which they have).

Hield was cold-blooded in the Kansas game despite the defeat and has been so in every conference game before and since. That trait serves him well in the Big 12—the best conference in the nation this season—and will continue to do so down the stretch.

1. Jarrod Uthoff, Forward, Iowa

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Season averages: 18.7 ppg, 48.4 percent FG, 5.3 rpg
Last five games: 21.6 ppg, 45.4 percent FG, 6.8 rpg

At the top of this list is the best player on maybe the biggest surprise team in the country.

That surprise is not built on a flimsy foundation. Jarrod Uthoff and his Iowa Hawkeyes are doing everything right.

The senior always finds a way to contribute, and his rangy 6'9" frame gives him the flexibility to do so. A poor 5-of-18 shooting night against Michigan State? Balance it out with a season-high 10 rebounds. Is the three-ball working tonight? Keep shooting it; Uthoff converts exactly 50 percent of his attempts beyond the arc when he takes five attempts or more, compared with the 40 percent he makes with fewer attempts.

It might just translate to the next level. Analyst David Jones of PennLive.com said of Uthoff:

"

What I see is a nimble big man who can step out beyond the arc or twist and turn in mid-air to get shots on the rim in traffic. I see a guy who can shoot from all over the floor as well as run it. ...In the last month, Uthoff has made himself a lot of money by showing how well he can move around the bigs at Michigan State and Purdue in three wins.

"

For now, overachieving with the Hawkeyes is more than enough. He'll never pay for another meal in Iowa again if he can keep this up.

All statistics are accurate as of January 23 and provided by ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.