NCAA Basketball: 10 potential March Madness Bracket-Busters

Belmont Bruins

The Belmont Bruins are 9-2 including a road win over UCLA. It is a down year for them but still an impressive win for a team like Belmont. Belmont is led by their two seniors but they have three freshmen who are averaging double-digits. They all play a big role and will be crucial to this teams success. Caleb Hollander, Nick Muszynski, and Grayson Murphy form one of the most underrated freshmen trios in the country. All three of them are redshirt freshmen so they have some experience already and it has shown with how they’ve played to start the season.

Hollander is averaging 11.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. His ability to contribute on both ends is key but his ability to stretch the floor may be his biggest strength. He is making 38% of his 4.8 3-point attempts per game. Muszynski is averaging 14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 2.5 assists per game. He has also made four of the seven 3-pointers he has shot this season which shows he has at least a little bit of confidence he can build upon to stretch his game out. Murphy has been making plays for this team as well. He is averaging 11.7 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.6 assists per game. He has a complete offensive game while also averaging two steals per game on the defensive end.

All three of these guys have started every game they’ve played in while Hollander is the only one to have missed any time (he didn’t play against Purdue). They give this team a great group to build around for the future but for the time being, they have two seniors who can help them compete right away. Belmont made the NCAA Tournament seven times from 2006 to 2015. They have missed it three straight years and these seniors have what it takes to get this team where it expects to be.

Kevin McClain is a starting guard who spent his first two seasons in a limited role off of the bench. He has continued to improve over his years and now is a key player on this team. He is averaging 13.4 points, 3.7 assists, and 3 rebounds per game. His all-around game is good but his primary offense comes from behind the 3-point line.

Dylan Windler is a guy who is coming off of a breakout junior season and he isn’t missing a beat. He is averaging 18.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. His ability to make an impact on both ends of the floor makes him so tough to match up against. He is an all-around offensive threat and he showed that in a win over Middle Tennessee early in the season where he put up 34 points.

This team has other contributors but these are the starters and the main guys. They’ll need a whole team effort to pull off an upset but if they can have these guys all playing well, then this is a team that will win a game in the NCAA tournament.