There’s nothing quite like the excitement of March Madness and after more than four months of regular season college basketball action we’ve hit the NCAA Tournament. All of the practices, games, and little moments have led to these three weeks of intense action.
The action will be determined by the players on the court and there’s ridiculous talent present in the Midwest Region this season. Houston has been an absolute unit but both Tennessee and Kentucky have shown during SEC play that they mean business. We can’t forget teams like Gonzaga, Illinois, or Purdue further down the bracket who have shown resilience as well.
With all of these great teams in this quadrant, we’ll be looking closely at the most important players out of the Midwest. This is not the best players, the best scorers, or those from the best teams, but the ten who matter most in determining how the matchups in this bracket unfold.
A five-star forward from Florida, Newell’s remarkable freshman season has Georgia in the NCAA Tournament. The talented freshman averages 15.3 points and 6.8 rebounds, helping the Bulldogs make major strides on both ends of the court. He’s the type of frontcourt weapon that can really take over a game, evident in his 21-point, 17-rebound game against Oklahoma in the SEC Tournament, and just one of many important faces in this region from the SEC.
Jakucionis is a talented freshman from Lithuania who’s probably been the most important weapon for Illinois this season. The Illini certainly suffered when Jakucionis was out of the lineup earlier in the year thanks to his 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. He’s not exactly had the sharpest finish to his freshman year but the future lottery pick is a shotmaker and great weapon who really shined earlier in the season. If the 6-seeded Fighting Illini are going to do anything then Jakucionis will have his hand on their games in a major way.
A Kentucky lineup thrown together with transfers in the offseason has leaned heavily on Oweh, the former Oklahoma guard. His junior year has seen him become Kentucky’s top scorer, averaging 16.2 points and 4.6 rebounds a night, with some decent shooting numbers for the Wildcats. He’s topped 20 points in three of the Wildcats’ last four efforts and he’ll be needed in the Tournament, with Kentucky really struggling down the stretch when Oweh isn’t on his game.
After important work down the stretch during last season’s Elite Eight run, it’s only fitting that Hunter maintains an even more important role for these Tigers. He’s been good for 16.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists a night, the best of his six seasons in Clemson while knocking down 41% of his 3-pointers. He’s always a threat to have an impactful game and was a big part of Clemson’s great stretch run which included an upset win over Duke. Don’t sleep on the other talent on this Tigers’ lineup either.
It’s been a second straight productive season for Ike out at Gonzaga and the senior forward knows that the work isn’t done yet. Ike has averaged 17.1 points and 7.5 rebounds for the Bulldogs and played a major role in their WCC Tournament title last week. He’s a difference maker, stepping into that major frontcourt role that others like Drew Timme have occupied in the past. He’s not a threat to step outside the arc but he’s a danger in the paint and affects the game all over the court as an efficient scorer and rebounder.
In shades of Dalton Knechet, Lanier joined the Volunteers this past offseason after putting up great figures at North Florida and he hasn’t failed to live up to expectations. Lanier averages 17.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while making 40% of his 3-pointers and becoming Tennessee’s most important scoring threat. The Volunteers are known for their defensive efficiency and Lanier has taken a step forward in this aspect of his game, but Tennessee clearly needs his scoring.
Probably best known for his buzzer beater in the Final Four while at San Diego State, Butler’s final collegiate season sees him playing an important role at Kentucky. Butler has put up 11.5 points and 4.3 assists and affects the game on both sides of the ball. He’s a former MWC Defensive Player of the Year who is clearly the Wildcats’ best defender. He’s missed several games this season and the Wildcats really need him healthy and on his game if they’re making a run, even as the 3-seed in this region.
A former national champion while a freshman at Baylor, Cryer has continued his marvelous career with a second successful season at Houston. He’s the Big 12’s best long-range shooter, averaging 15.2 points per game while hitting 42% of his shots from outside the arc. Cryer has had a number of 20-point performances this season and will be leaned on heavily if the Cougars are going to make a major run. They need him to play at a high level if they want to be playing into April and every team in the nation would want a sharpshooter like him in the fold.
An unquestioned staple in Tennessee basketball, Zeigler has been an impactful presence as the point guard of the Volunteers. The senior guard averages 13.5 points and 7.3 assists, leading the SEC in assists per game with his unselfish play. You won’t find many point guards who affect the game as well as Zeigler does on both ends and it’s no shocker that he won a second straight SEC Defensive Player of the Year honor as a result. Tennessee doesn’t need him to score 20 each game but to do the little things go get this team where it wants to go.
Even without Zach Edey in the fold, Purdue remains a major threat thanks to the play of Smith among others. The junior guard was named Big Ten Player of the Year after putting up 16.1 points and 8.7 assists per game, becoming the best ball distributor in the conference. Smith’s made 38% of his 3-pointers and can score and dish the ball. He was a major piece as Purdue marched to the national title game last season and his presence ensures that these 4-seeded Boilermakers can do serious damage again this year.