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NCAA Tournament: East Region’s Most Important Players

By Chris Godfrey

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The NCAA Tournament’s East Region looks to be the most wide-open quadrant of this year’s bracket. With each of the region’s top four teams facing serious question marks, there’s ample opportunity for a surprise run from one the lower seeds. Each team in the region will rely on one particular player to make the difference for them from game to game. Rarely does a team advance throughout the tournament without either a go-to guy or a team leader. Here’s a list of the most important players for each team in the East Region, culminating with the most important player in the region.

16. Dan Trist, (16) Lafatette Leopards

Trist, a 6’9 post player, is his team’s leading scorer (17.3 ppg) and rebounder (6.7 rpg). Considering he leads the team in rebounding with less than seven each game, the Leopards face an uphill battle in defending Villanova’s frontcourt. The only thing that can keep Lafayette from a long day at the office is an otherworldly performance from Trist.

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15. Peter Hooley, (14) Albany Great Danes

The Aussie import has become a household name for his shot that put the Great Danes in the Big Dance, but Hooley will be especially important against Oklahoma, when all hands will be on deck to battle the rugged frontcourt duo of Ryan Spangler and TaShawn Thomas. Hooley is technically a guard, but his thick frame (6’4, 200lbs) will allow him to contribute offense on the inside. It’s a key factor, considering Albany’s only chance at an upset will be taking the Sooner bigs out of the game by drawing fouls and drawing them away from the basket.

14. Craig Bradshaw, (15) Belmont Bruins

It will take plenty of three-pointers to beat Virginia in any round of the tournament. Their interior defense is second to only Kentucky in terms of structure, depth, and strength. If the Bruins wish to threaten the Cavs, a huge game will be necessary from Bradshaw, their leading scorer (18.1 ppg) throughout the season. His 77 triples were second in the Ohio Valley Conference this year, so expect to see the 41% long range shooter letting it fly.

13. Nemanja Djurisic, (10) Georgia Bulldogs

No one is giving the Georgia Bulldogs much of a chance against the well-pedigreed Spartans. Michigan State just doesn’t lose in the first round, and they surely couldn’t do so against a team like Georgia. Could they? If the Dawgs have an upset bid in them, it will start inside with Djurisic, a European mammoth who may have played a small role in at least one Liam Neeson Taken film. Djurisic is the type of bruiser that Tom Izzo team’s usually have, but this year’s Spartans are more athletic than they are bulky. If Djurisic can transplant his performance against Kentucky to the matchup with Michigan State, the Dawgs may not be the underdogs that we think they are.

12. Mamadou N’Diaye, (13) UC Irvine Anteaters

The entire country will soon be aware of the biggest man in college basketball, and they’ll soon find out that N’Diaye is far from a sideshow attraction. The 7’6 N’Diaye is a relatively skilled giant who established himself as a top 100 recruit out of high school. He’s battled injuries, as you would expect, but he’s been a legitimate presence for the Anteaters. His stats aren’t jaw-dropping, but his impact on the game is. Sure, there’s a great chance that Montrezl Harrell will introduce N’Diaye’s face to his compression shorts at some point, but N’Diaye doesn’t have to win every battle against Louisville. He just has to win enough of them.

11. Trevor Lacey, (8) North Carolina State Wolfpack

The Wolfpack have already exhibited the potential to knockoff off a top seed in this tournament (Hello, Duke). I like their chances against Villanova, but I’m not so sure about them beating LSU. The problem with the Pack is inconsistency. Just as they have beaten Duke, North Carolina, and Louisville, NC State has also lost to several teams that are at the middling level that they reside in. The Wolfpack have losses against (take a deep breath)Purdue, Cincinnati, Wofford, Wake Forest, Clemson, Miami FL, and Boston College. The one man who can remedy these middling to embarrassing losses is Lacy. Scoring guards when tournament games. I will only write this 100 ways on 100 occasions during this tournament. Lacey is one of the best in the field.

10. Jarell Martin, (9) LSU Tigers

LSU Basketball fans are in a tough spot right now. With their program changing recruiting class hitting campus next year, there may be some apathy towards this year’s team. At this point, the highlight of LSU’s season has been their close loss to Kentucky. It’s another indication that this team is on the cusp of something. It’s just that nobody is quite sure what that is. Jarell Martin is a primary piece of the Tigers’ future, but he is presently the main attraction in Baton Rouge. Martin has NBA size and ability, meaning the NCAA Tournament could be a showcase of his skill set, and another glimpse of things to come.

9a. Derrick Marks, (11) Boise State Broncos
9b. Jordan Sibert, (11) Dayton Flyers

At the time of writing, both of these players are still in the field. By the time you read this, one will probably be at home (and if it’s Jordan Sibert, it will be a short trip). However, it’s not far-fetched to have these two players lumped together in terms of importance and relevance. Both teams are capable of pulling several upsets (Dayton did it last year). Both players play a similar role as offensive catalysts for their respective teams. So whether it’s Sibert for Dayton or Marks for Boise, someone will show up on Friday ready to drop bombs on awaiting Providence. Both Sibert and Marks have the ability to keep a game close and then steal it with a late shot. Both of them will be tasked with trying to outscore LaDontae Henton, but only one will get the chance.

8. Ryan Arcidiacono, (1) Villanova Wildcats

Reputations are great, but the NCAA Tournament is the time when you must earn the title you’ve been given. Despite lackluster stats, Ryan Arcidiacono has been consistently hailed for his intangible impact on his. All indications point toward him being an excellent game manager and willing three-point shooter, but a more pessimistic approach would call him a player who does nothing particularly right and nothing particularly wrong. During this tournament, we’ll find out who Arcidiacono really is. If he is in fact an elite manager and timely shot maker, the Wildcats could meet another group of Wildcats in the national championship (I’m not talking about Arizona).

7. Denzel Valentine, (7) Michigan State Spartans 

My bracket and others will be made public later today, but – SPOILER ALERT – I picked Sparty to go to the Final Four. Most of the confidence necessary to make that pick was Tom Izzo related, but I also have a strange since of security with the maturing Denzel Valentine. Unfortunately, the reason why he makes this list as Izzo’s most important charge is not because of the opportunities he will have to win games, but because of his penchant for throwing them away. Now a junior, Valentine must finally move on from the brain cramps that have plagued his career. Valentine nearly cost MSU a game at Indiana due to a time and score related mental error. A careless turnover during the final possession of the Big Ten Championship game cost his team the title. Valentine’s talent is the reason why the Spartans are a dark horse Final Four contender. His maturity level is what will determine how far the team ultimately goes.

6. LaDontae Henton, (6) Providence Friars

I know, I know. Kris Dunn is the Big East Player of the Year. I get it. However, in terms of importance to the Friars advancing, I still believe he takes a backseat to Henton. The burly off guard is the type of high volume scorer that has the rare ability to take over games against superior competition (ask Notre Dame), and his size looms as a big advantage against Oklahoma in a possible second round meeting. While Dunn may be neutralized by Heild, Henton will have the opportunity to take his team to the Sweet Sixteen and beyond.

5. Buddy Hield, (3) Oklahoma Sooners

I’m sure that someone is asking how the most outstanding player in the country’s best conference can only be the fifth most important player in his region. The reason is actually quite simple — the Sooners are loaded. Thanks to steady improvement throughout the year, OU now features one of the best first fives in the country. That minimizes the importance of Heild to a degree, but it is still very clear that the springy lead guard is the straw that stirs Lon Kruger’s drink. In a region with no proven commodities, Heild could carry the Sooners to a Final Four berth.

4. Seth Tuttle, (5) Northern Iowa Panthers

After proving so much during the regular season, beating the likes of Wichita State and Iowa during a season that saw them win regular season and tournament titles in the Missouri Valley, the Panthers have somehow found themselves in the position of being everyone’s pick to lose in the first round. A lot of the buzz surrounding the Panthers demise focuses on the tough matchup that looms ahead for Seth Tuttle. The man who has buoyed UNI all year, will now have to face the athleticism of one of the tournament’s other most known unknowns. Athleticism isn’t a word that often comes to mind when describing Tuttle, which has many pundits doubting his ability to outplay Nance even as they pencil him on to their All-American ballots.

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    • 3. Larry Nance Jr., (12) Wyoming Cowboys

    Earlier this season, when Nance Jr. was totally healthy, the Cowboys spent a brief period of time as a top 25 team. Even after dropping out the polls, Wyoming looked like a certain tournament team. After an injury to Nance sent the team spiraling down the stretch, the Cowboys were forced to win the Mountain West Tournament to make the tournament field. With Nance back in the lineup, they did just that, beating both of the teams (Boise State and San Diego State) that shared the conference’s regular season crown along the way. It’s a telling preview of what the team is capable of when Nance is at full strength.

    2. Montrezl Harrell, (4) Louisville Cardinals

    Harrell came very close to stealing the top spot. Though he may not be the region’s most important player, no individual player is more closely tied to the success of his team than  (maybe Nance Jr. at Wyoming). Harrell anchors the defense and is now the team’s number one option on the offensive end. If he performs at a high level throughout the tournament, Louisville immediately becomes a Final Four threat.

    1. Justin Anderson, (2) Virginia Cavaliers

    For the majority of this year’s college basketball season, the Virginia Cavaliers were the nation’s second best team. In an alternate universe void of the Kentucky Wildcats, the Cavaliers would have been hailed as the nation’s best team, a group known for stifling defense and surgical offensive execution. In reality, they are the Wildcats biggest challenge, a team that can dominate pace of play and force teams into bad shots. The key cog in the Virginia machine is Anderson. Anderson’s ability to play both ends of the floor on the inside and outside give UVA the versatility necessary for them to be dominate. Anderson proved his worth through absence, missing games due to a broken finger and an emergency appendectomy. Without Anderson, the Cavs went from extraordinary to very good, and very good teams lose in the first round of this tournament every year. The health and production of Anderson will likely decide whether the Cavaliers find themselves in the Final Four, or bowing out in the second round to Michigan State.

    Next: Top 5 Players in the Midwest Region

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