NCAA Tournament: North Carolina, UK headline Midwest Region primer
Players to watch in the Midwest Region
Coby White, North Carolina: Coby White might not be the best player on North Carolina but he is arguably the most important. A quick-trigger guard who can fill up the basket, White has been vital to UNC’s success this season due to his shooting, scoring, and playmaking. For the year, the freshman is averaging 16.3 points and 4.2 assists per game for a top-5 team in the nation. Definitely worth watching.
Sam Merrill, Utah State: If you didn’t stay up late to watch the Mountain West this season (for the most part, I wouldn’t blame you), now is your chance to watch one of the best players in the country. Sam Merrill, no matter the situation, always finds a way to get it done on the offensive end of the floor and his play is worth noting. The Player of the Year in the MWC, Merrill averaged 21.2 points and 4.2 assists per game on great efficiency numbers as well. His offensive vision is outstanding.
Jared Harper, Auburn: He might not be the tallest player on the court but Jared Harper is the engine that drives Auburn. As I already mentioned, the Tigers are red-hot right now and look no further than Harper as a reason as to why. A lightning-quick point guard with elite playmaking skills, Harper does a great job scoring on his own while also dishing to teammates. Auburn’s offense is ranked in the top-10 nationally and Harper is a major reason why.
Vasa Pusica, Northeastern: One of the best mid-major players in the country, I am glad that Northeastern made the Big Dance so that the nation can see Vasa Pusica. A creative scorer who does a little bit of everything, Pusica drives the entire offense for the Huskies. He averaged 17.8 points per game this season and hit on over 40% of his 3-pointers for the second straight season.
D’Marcus Simonds, Georgia State: D’Marcus Simonds might not be a tremendous 3-point shooter but he will fill up the basket on any opponent in a hurry. At 6-foot-3, Simonds brings plenty of size to the guard position and he can put up 25+ on any given night. With Georgia State in a position to pull off an upset, Simonds is a player to watch. He is the kind of player that can take over in crunch time.
Myles Powell, Seton Hall: Myles Powell has the “clutch gene”. Regardless of how dire the situation might look for Seton Hall, Powell seemingly always finds a way to drag his team back into any game with his long-range shooting and elite all-around scoring ability. With less than two minutes on the clock, Powell might be the best scorer in the country.
Fletcher Magee, Wofford: I already talked about Magee a bit but he deserves another section. The two-time SoCon POTY is that good. Over the course of this season, Magee is shooting an elite 42.8% from beyond the arc but what is outrageous is that he is doing so on over 10 3PA per game. He might be a volume shooter from distance but he hits on a high clip so who can say no? Let it fly, Fletcher. Let. It. Fly.
Tyler Herro, Kentucky: Over the course of this season, Tyler Herro has emerged as one of Kentucky’s best players. Well-known as a strong shooter out of high school, Herro has proven that he is much more than that throughout the year. He is an all-around strong scorer and is averaging 14.2 points per game on high-efficiency marks. If he is on his game, UK is really hard to stop.