NCAA Basketball: Previewing the 2017 PK80 Victory Bracket
Players to Watch
This section will look at one player on each team that will be worth keeping an eye on this week.
Joel Berry III, North Carolina
One of the frontrunners to win National Player of the Year entering the season, Berry is still recovering from an injury. As his Tar Heels face off against some high-major competition during this tournament, it will be interesting to see how healthy he is and what kind of impact he can have for Coach Roy Williams. Luke Maye has been phenomenal in the early going this year, but a 100% healthy Berry is what this team needs to be one of the top-10 teams in the nation.
Josh McSwiggan, Portland
The likely winner for best name in this tournament, McSwiggan is off to a great start in his first year with Portland. He was originally at UTEP before transferring and needing to sit out last season. This is his first of three seasons with eligibility for the Pilots and has averaged 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in his first three games with the team.
Daniel Gafford, Arkansas
A top-50 recruit out of his high school, freshman Daniel Gafford is proving his worth early in this young season. He might not be the leading scorer on the team right now, but Gafford is showing glimpses of what is to come in the early portion of his career with the Razorbacks. Though he has only played 21.0 minutes per game, this is in large part due to the 4.3 fouls per game he is committing. If he stays out of foul trouble, he will be incredibly dangerous. As it is, he is putting up 16.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in just 21 minutes.
Trae Young, Oklahoma
Another highly-touted freshman, Trae Young is going to be the leader on the floor for OU this season. In the first few games, he is not only distributing the ball well at 11.5 assists per game, but he is also flashing his ability to score at 18.5 points per game. Young is one of the more underrated freshmen nationwide and he could lead Oklahoma to a surprising win or two in the PK80.
Jalen Adams, Connecticut
UConn might not be due for a great season this year, but Adams is. With a solid performance throughout this season, he could be good enough to even consider leaving to play professionally as a late second-round pick in the NBA Draft. Yet, he will need to be excellent all season long for that to occur. He is currently second in the team in scoring through three games at 15.5 points per game and has dished out 2.5 assists per game. It is these assist numbers that make the future of this season intriguing. If Adams is able to keep his scoring numbers high while bringing his assists closer to the 6.1 per game he averaged last season, then UConn can be very competitive.
Payton Pritchard, Oregon
This Oregon team is extremely balanced this season. They have a solid conglomeration of talent that includes incoming freshmen, impact transfers, and a few key returners. Of those returning players, Payton Pritchard is the one playing the biggest role. Known as a solid facilitator and shooter, the expectation is that Pritchard will take a leap in his sophomore year this season. Through four games, his impact has been very balanced with 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game.
Miles Bridges, Michigan State
Miles Bridges is arguably the best player in the entire nation. I’m not sure I need to say any more about that to get the message through that he is worth watching. Yet, I will anyway. Bridges is a supreme athlete who can score in a variety of ways. He can play either forward position and projects as a lottery pick in this year’s upcoming NBA Draft. If Michigan State is on television, you will notice No. 22 pretty quickly.
Eli Cain, DePaul
The top returning scorer from last season for DePaul, Cain will be relied upon to be the go-to scorer this season. He is off to a slow start this season with just 11.0 points per game in three contests, but it would be a major surprise if he did not catch fire at some point to bring that average near the 15.6 he put up in 2016-17.