Players to Watch in the NCAA Tournament

Posted on | March 6, 2007 | No Comments

While it may be very difficult to predict which team will win the NCAA basketball tournament, once thing that seems certain is that the winning team will have at least one big-time player on their team.

Taking a look at the past MVPs for the tournament, almost all of them were star players before the tournament started. The last eight winners – Joakim Noah from Florida, Sean May from North Carolina, Emeka Okafor from UConn, Carmelo Anthony from Syracuse, Juan Dixon from Maryland, Shane Battier from Duke, Mateen Cleaves from Michigan State, and Richard Hamilton from UConn – were all nationally known players before the tourney started.

In fact, all of them, with the possible exception of Noah, were known to be one of the best players in the country before March Madness even began.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at 5 players to watch this year. These players may very well lead their team to the National Championship.

1. Kevin Durant, Texas LonghornsKevin Durant is one of the leading contenders for national player of the year. He’s most certainly a lock for everyone’s All-American team. He now holds the Big 12 season scoring record. What makes his accomplishments even more remarkable is the fact that he’s only a freshman. Remember what Carmelo Anthony did a few years ago when, as a freshman, he led the SU Orange to a national title? Durant may repeat the feat. Yes, Texas isn’t a top 10 team right now, but they are right about where Syracuse was back in 2003 (the year the Orange won it all). Durant may even be better than Anthony was. His skills are nothing short of amazing. Definitely keep an eye on him in the tourney.
2. Alando Tucker, Wisconsin BadgersTucker is a senior who has improved his game every single year. He now averages over 20 points per game. He was recently named the Big 10 Player of the Year. Tucker is a leader both on and off the court. He’s the heart and soul of the Badgers who have to be one of the favorite teams to win it all.
3. Arron Afflalo, UCLA BruinsThe Bruins are probably the team to beat as the NCAA Tournament draws near. They should grab a #1 seed. Leading the charge for the Bruins is guard Arron Afflalo. He’s averaging over 17 points a game. But what makes him a player to watch is his is uncanny ability to make shots under pressure. His ability to put the ball in the basket when the Bruins need it will make the Bruins an extremely tough out.
4. Greg Oden, Ohio State BuckeyesIn a year of great freshman it’s only fitting that a 2nd freshman makes our list of players to watch in the NCAA Tournament. Oden is a 7 foot, 280 pound monster. He is the scoring and rebounding leader on arguably the best team in the Nation. While he doesn’t have the ridiculous numbers that Durant has, he will be just as interesting to watch when the bright lights of the tournament shine on him.
5. Acie Law, Texas A&M AggiesAcie Law is another senior who will be tough to control on the court. He’s averaging over 18 points and more than 5 assists per game. Law may be the best player in the country at hitting big shots. Often games in the NCAA tournament come down to guard play and few – if any – play the position better than Law.

So there are five players to watch when the tournament tips off for all 64 teams on March 15th and 16th.

One more player to watch is Joakim Noah from Florida. Yes, he’s had a bit of an off year but he was so dominant in the tournament in 2006 that you can’t overlook him this year.

Will one of the players mentioned above lead his team to the championship or will it be someone else? There is certainly enough talent out there that a player could rise-up and seemingly come out of nowhere. The answer will only be revealed as the tourney plays itself out.

Related posts:

1. The NCAA Tournament: The Madness of Choosing a Winner
2. NCAA: An Overview of the NCAA Tournament Bracket
3. NCAA: Thoughts from Day One of the Tournament
4. NCAA: Upsets Highlight Day 2 of NCAA Tournament
5. NCAA: Reacapping the 1st 2 Rounds of the NCAA Tournament

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