NCAA Basketball: 7 players vital for their teams in 2018-19

With defenses focusing on stars at the high-major level, glue guys are even more important to a team’s success. Here are seven to keep an eye on this season.

Every Batman has a Robin, but there are others that help in making them a successful duo, like Uncle Alfred, Catwoman, and Commissioner Gordon. While they aren’t in the forefront, the complementary pieces can be just as important to the success of the greater good as the guys who get top billing.

There are seven major conferences in college basketball with the American and Big East joining the Power five of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12 and SEC. Most every team in those conferences have a star or stars that garner all the headlines and publicity for good reason. Those same teams also have a guy that, while they may not jump out as a key player, is, in fact, an important part of a team’s success.

Whether it is a starter that chips in some points or a reserve that comes off the bench to add a little to multiple stat categories, these type of glue guys are vital to every team and the high-major schools are no exception. In fact, glue guys may be even more important to high-major teams, with opposing defenses focused on their stars.

The following seven guys are not necessarily the best glue guys in the conference but more so someone who at the very least will be or has proven to be a cog in the machine but could potentially turn into a major piece of the puzzle for their respective teams. Don’t be surprised if some of these guys become more of a household name when their teams are being talked about.