NCAA Tournament: UNC, Kentucky, Houston, and Auburn remain in Midwest Region
By TJ Miller
Key Players
Nassir Little – North Carolina
Little honestly wasn’t having a splendid March. In five games prior to the NCAA Tournament, he tallied 38 points on 14 of 41 (34.1 FG%) shooting. How about Little’s first two NCAA Tournament games? The freshman scored 39 points on strength of 17 of 24 (70.8 FG%) shooting. Furthermore, he put up these performances while playing just 17 minutes against Iona and appearing for 21 minutes vs. Washington. North Carolina doesn’t have to have great games from Little to win games, but there’s no doubt it takes pressure off Luke Maye, Coby White, and Cameron Johnson when it does happen. This season the Tar Heels are 17-1 when Little has scored in double figures. If Little continues his playing like he has, there’s a great chance UNC gets through to the final four.
Corey Davis Jr. – Houston
As Houston’s leading scorer, Davis Jr. has looked locked in so far. The senior sank 7 threes on his way to 26 points vs. Georgia State and had 21 points against Ohio State cementing himself as the high-scorer in both games. He may be listed at just 6-1, but his quick release and speed to the rim allow Davis to keep defenders on their toes. Davis is also equally comfortable shooting off the catch as he is pulling up off the dribble. Most of all, while Davis may be the Cougars leading scorer, he rarely forces bad shots and displays a very solid awareness of when to pass and when to go himself. Houston needed Davis to step up big to be at be at this stage and he’s come through.
Chuma Okeke – Auburn
Okeke may not be the Tigers best player, but he may just be the most challenging to guard. The 6-8 sophomore is simply one of the most versatile players in college basketball. Bruce Pearl likes to pair him in screen and roles with Jared Harper or Bryce Brown, but Okeke is also a capable creator with the ball in his hands both in the post and on the perimeter. Okeke holds an impressive feat of being just one of two players this season to collect over 100 offensive rebounds while knocking down at least 50 three pointers. He’s been a 38% three-point shooter this season and especially good recently as he’s 9 of 19 in his last three games. Look for Auburn to make some serious noise if Okeke plays well.
Reid Travis – Kentucky
It’s hard to land on one specific player for this Kentucky squad, but l’ll go with Travis. He’s the lone upperclassmen contributor for the Wildcats, and his return from injury a couple weeks ago takes on increased importance with the questionable status of PJ Washington. Travis is averaging 13.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and shooting 63% from the field across the SEC and NCAA Tournaments. While he’s been efficient on the offensive end, Travis has also been a solid presence on defense giving the Wildcats a strong post defender. Kentucky’s guards have been inconsistent in terms of scoring so Travis is definitely a guy Coach Cal knows he can count on.