Men's Basketball March Madness Sweet 16: Key Players to Watch
There has been a lot of prime time performers this March Madness. A lot of guys that have made a name for themselves as the stage continues to get bigger, and all eyes focus on them.
There have been, though, a lot of good players already knocked out through the first two rounds. Some notable players that were sent home include:
- Andrew Jones (University of Texas) - He was giving the Longhorns a spark on offense
- Mike Miles, Jr. (TCU) - He was finally freed from the storm of double teams sent by Big 12 teams defenses
- Jabari Smith (Auburn) - He proved to be a elite 3 level scorer.
- Walker Kessler (Auburn) - He made his mark as a promising paint defender and a big man that can shoot the rock.
- Jalen Duren (Memphis) - You cannot forget about some of the excellence he showed and some of the brilliant plays he has down on both ends of the court
This is out of the blue, but Scottie Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt) is having himself a post season in the NIT as he continues to draw more interest from NBA scouts. There are many more players that should be listed, but there are too many to name.
Here are my top seven players that I expect to continue to do good as the March Madness tournament continues to come down to the wire:
Ochai Agbaji, Kansas
He averaged 20.2 points per game (PPG), 5.2 rebounds per game (RPG), 42.2% from the 3-point line, and 48.7% field goal shooting. He was also the Big 12 Player of the Year.
The Kansas Jayhawks don't have that can't-miss NBA Draft prospect. However, Agbaji is an exceptionally captivating player. Seen as a potential lottery choice in this year's draft class, the 6-foot-5 combo guard is the biggest reason the Jayhawks won a share of the Big 12 regular season, won the Big 12 Tournament, and got rewarded with the 1-seed in the Midwest Region.
Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona
He averaged 17.3 PPG and 5.7 RPG this season. He was the Pac 12 Player of the Year.
A projected lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Mathurin could hoist his stock much higher with pure, utter domination in March Madness. The sophomore truly merits recognition for the steps he made this season, enhancing his offensive game and capacity to go after all defenses. This is the season when stars dominate, and a coach gives the keys to his best player, that is Mathurin.
Jaden Ivey, Purdue
Ivey averaged 17.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.1 assists per game (APG), 1.8 3-pointers per game, 53.1% field goal shooting, and 30.8 minutes per game (MPG).
Credit to Ivey for taking an enormous jump in his sophomore season. After only shooting 25.8% from the edge as a freshman, he is presently at 37.1% this year. He also got to the charity stripe line more, endeavoring almost three free-throws attempts more per game contrasted with his initial experience as a freshman. Accordingly, he turned into a possible candidate for the Naismith College Player of the Year award.
Paolo Banchero, Duke
He averaged 16.9 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3 APG, and a 23.7 Player Efficiency Rating (PER)
There are levels of inconsistency with Duke's 6-foot-10 forward. He arrived at the midpoint of 17.8 PPG in November, 15.8 PPG in December, 18.7 PPG in January, and 14 PPG in March. Obviously, there are amazing stretches of brightness. He scored 21 points against Gonzaga, in spite of being restricted by cramps. It's a sure thing he'll be a Top 5 pick, yet Banchero needs a prevailing race to be a Top 3 pick.
Izaiah Brockington, Iowa State
He's averaging a group best 17.2 PPG and 7.1 RPG, an improvement of 4.6 points per game over last year.
Brockington, who began his career at St. Bonaventure prior to moving to Penn State and later Iowa State, assisted the Cyclones with improving from a 2-22 season in 2020-21 to making the NCAA tourney in 2022. It was shaky in conference play for the Cyclones knowing the tough defenses in the Big 12 conference, but, Iowa State still dominated non-conference play, and it is showing in the tournament.
Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga
Holmgren averaged 16.4 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.5 blocks per game (BPG), 1 steal per game (SPG), 2.0 3-pointers per game, and 28 MPG between Jan. 8-Feb. 24.
This is the ideal chance for Holmgren to demonstrate he ought to be the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. While he probably won't be a volume scorer like Jabari Smith, Gonzaga's 7-foot sensation is perhaps the best protector in basketball. Piling up double-doubles with 3-pointers and blocks that lead a Final Four run, will make Holmgren the No. 1 pick.
Brady Manek, North Carolina
Manek averaged 15.1 PPG and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Through the first two rounds of March Madness, Manek has averaged 27 points. He put up 28 against Marquette, and then he dropped 26 points against Baylor. Manek was ejected in the game against Baylor with just over ten minutes left to play. If he hadn't been ejected, he could have put up more points against Baylor. Stay tuned with the graduate transfer from Oklahoma as he continues to light it up on the offensive end.
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