NCAA Tournament 2021: Baylor, Ohio State headline South Region primer
Players in the South Region to watch
Jared Butler, Baylor: The Big 12 Player of the Year is poised to carry the Baylor Bears into the Final Four out of the South Region. The junior guard finished third in the conference in scoring during the regular season and was lights out from behind the arc, shooting 44.4% from long range. Butler is also a pest to look out for on defense, averaging over two steals per game.
Duane Washington Jr., Ohio State: Duane Washington Jr. might be the hottest player coming into the NCAA Tournament. The junior guard played phenomenally well this past weekend at the Big Ten Conference Tournament and perhaps should have been the Most Outstanding Player. Washington put up 16 points against Minnesota, 20 points on Purdue, 24 against Michigan in the semifinals, and a career-high 32 points in the overtime loss to Illinois in the championship game.
Moses Moody, Arkansas: Future NBA Lottery pick Moses Moody can certainly boost his draft stock with dominant performances starting this weekend. The freshman star guard has averaged 17.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while starting all 26 games this season. Moody is well on his way to becoming the first Arkansas basketball player picked in the NBA Draft after his freshman season. A couple of wins in the tournament can boost him into a Top 5 pick.
Sasha Stefanovic, Purdue: You were probably expecting Trevion Williams to be mentioned in this list, but surprise, surprise, Sasha Stefanovic makes the list. Purdue will need to shoot the lights out of the basketball in the Tournament and no one shot the ball from behind the arc better for the Boilermakers than Stefanovic. Stefanovic leads Purdue in 3-pointers made (49) and 3-point shooting percentage (40.2%). If Purdue wants to potentially find Butler in the Elit Eight, Sasha will need to shoot the ball at the rate he has all season long.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova: This entry should surprise no one, given the fact that Collin Gillespie is out for the rest of the season and the status of Justin Moore is uncertain. No one knows what to expect from Villanova heading into the Big Dance, and Robinson-Earl is the guy that Jay Wright will need to step up in a big way to provide leadership on the floor. A win over Winthrop in the First Round can go a long way to build up the Wildcats’ confidence.
Mac McClung, Texas Tech: Mac McClung transferred to Texas Tech for an opportunity to shine bright on the biggest stage. Ironically, the Georgetown Hoyas join McClung in participating in Indianapolis. McClung is the offensive catalyst for this Red Raiders program and is shooting 42% from the floor. The junior guard will have a lot of pressure on him to put up the 15.7 points per game for Texas Tech to make a run into the Sweet 16 and beyond.
Armando Bacot, North Carolina: Bacot has undoubtedly become the Tar Heels best player in 2021 and he has quickly become Roy Williams’ go-to player on offense. The Third-Team All-ACC selection has been a double-double machine and heads into the Tournament with All-ACC Tournament recognition after averaging 16.3 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game over the three-day stretch in games against Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, and Florida State.
Chandler Vaudrin, Winthrop: Vaudrin, the 6-7 point guard that leads the offense for the Eagles, led the team in scoring (12.2), rebounding (7.2), assists (6.9), and steals per game (1.3). He also led the nation with seven triple-doubles this season. Be sure to look out for Vaudrin in Winthrop’s First Round matchup against Villanova. If the Eagles pull off the upset, he’ll be a major reason why.