2021 NCAA Tournament South Region roundtable, key questions
3. Who will be the biggest impact player of this region?
Zacher
Baylor’s Jared Butler and Arkansas’ Moses Moody are the easy choices here, but I think the Purdue Boilermakers and Trevion Williams – just as they were in the regular season – are being slept on heavily in the tournament field. No player in the country takes more percentage of shots for their team than Williams, and with the exception of UC San Diego’s Toni Rocak, no player is involved in more possessions than Williams.
The big man skidded a bit ending the regular season, having three single-digit games in Purdue’s final four – but he was an absolute monster in the Boilermakers’ Big Ten Tournament loss to Ohio State, posting 26 points on 12-23 shooting to go with 14 boards and five assists, and serving as the catalyst for Purdue’s stunning comeback against the Buckeyes.
He – along with the 7-4 Zach Edey – are going to give weaker frontcourts major issues, and that is, coincidentally, one of Baylor’s most glaring weaknesses. If Purdue hopes to make a run, the Boilermakers’ success will be tied directly to the play of Williams.
Geller
He may not be the best player, but Mark Vital is the most impactful. Baylor should advance rather far, but their early tournament matchups suggest grittier types of games. The frontcourt of UNC and the style of play Wisconsin has will make their second-round game a battle within the trenches.
After that, Baylor would have Purdue, and stopping Trevion Williams will not be easy. Everybody knows Baylor has great guards, but the winning plays Mark Vital brings to the table are why they’re so good.
Tineo
If Ohio State makes it to potentially Arkansas and wins, it will be on the shoulders of Duane Washington. He has been playing elite basketball lately, and it showed in their near win over Illinois on Sunday.
Washington was a vital piece in the Ohio State run to the Big 10 title game, with 24 points and six assists, on nine of 20 from the field. He added that, with a 32 point performance against Illinois, which gave him his second straight five of 10 three-point shooting performance.
The second leading three-point shooter in the conference is coming into the tournament with all kinds of confidence. Confidence in March is a dangerous combo and an element Washington will be bringing for the Buckeyes.
Thedinga
Colgate, the king of the NET rankings, and Arkansas! Two absolutely elite offenses coming together in a ‘first to 100’ type of game. Colgate is a relative unknown, only playing five conference teams all year. Watching them, though, they won’t back down to the challenge of seeing a Power 5 opponent.
For Arkansas, SEC freshman of the year Moses Moody leads the way with 17.4 points per game. Arkansas gets the skill advantage, but Colgate’s Princeton-style offense can be tough to adapt to on quick notice. Musselman’s team should pull it out, but don’t be surprised if the Patriot League’s pride and joy makes a game of it.
Zinkula
Baylor’s guard trio of Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell, and MaCio Teague are all fully capable of leading the Bears in scoring on a given night. Ohio State, however, is a bit more reliant on Duane Washington to be its consistent go-to scorer. Washington — 38.1% from downtown — is one of the best off-the-dribble 3PT shooters in the nation and is coming off a 32-point performance in the Big 10 title game.