Emerging Cs

Last in this riveting 5-part series. Same deal here as with the PFs. Big guys tend to fade once the conference games start, so the status of these guys is shaky until they keep things going into Feb. I'll also point out that this is shaping up as another weak year for the bigs. Aldrich has so far regressed, while rooks Cousins, Henson and Favors still have something to prove.

• Omar Samhan, St. Mary's: He's been a good player for awhile, but last year he and the rest of the Gaels took a backseat to the Patrick Mills show. This year he's the go-to guy and he's taken full advantage. In a close loss to Vanderbilt he destroyed AJ Ogilvy, which is a very promising sign for him. Seniors who suddenly emerge have a tougher road, but at least Samhan is putting himself in the discussion.
• Epke Udoh, Baylor: He's a junior transfer from Michigan. So far the lone star state has been good for him. He's hit over 60% of his shots so far and has flashed some terrific passing skills. Conference games will offer the real test for Udoh, as no conference has better big men than the Big 12.
• Hamady N'diaye, Rutgers: The senior has been a good shotblocker for 3 years now. This year he's blocking shots as well as any player in the nation. His other numbers are ordinary, but good enough. Shotblockers are always a hot item though so he has an advantage there.
• Brian Qvale, Montana: This junior has improved enough that the opinion we have to take with him is: He's not going to be a great player, but he's 6'11" 255 and is putting up good numbers across the board. That makes him worth a look.
• Eli Holman, Detroit: Sophomore transfer from Indiana. Marginal right now as a prospect, but he's starting to show some flashes. Turnovers are a problem he'll have to correct and playing at a lower level will require him to be more dominant than the others.