2019 NCAA Tournament: Lesser known players who will turn into national stars
By Brian Rauf
Sam Merrill, Utah State
Nevada was thought to be the class of the Mountain West for a large portion of the season and was thought to have the conference’s three best players when conference play began. Yet it was Merrill who was named MWC Player of the Year as he led Utah State to a co-regular season and tournament championship.
The 6-5 junior is averaging 21.1 points per game on 46.6 percent shooting is making nearly 40 percent of his shots beyond the arc. He’s consistent with his scoring ability, too, as he has scored at least 20 points in over half of Utah State’s games, highlighted by four games with more than 30 points.
But Merrill doesn’t just put up numbers against lesser competition – he has produced in some of the biggest games the Aggies have played this year. He scored 23 points in their blowout win over Saint Mary’s back in November, 27 in a five-point loss to Arizona State, and had 29 in their victory over Nevada earlier this month.
What makes Merrill so tough to stop? It starts with his jump shot, which forces opposing defenders to play him tough on the perimeter. But he’s not just a shooter, as Merrill is perfectly comfortable driving past his man to shoot an open pull-up or utilize one of his crafty finishes around the rim.
Utah State is a talented, well-coached, experienced team – just the kind of teams that higher seeds don’t want to face early in the tournament. The Aggies have a chance to make a run the second weekend, but they won’t unless Merrill is at the top of his game.