NCAA Tournament 2022: Players to watch in Friday’s Sweet 16 matchups

There are some exciting matchups in the Sweet 16 coming up this week in the NCAA Tournament. Take a look at one player to keep an eye on in each matchup on Friday night.

K.C. Ndefo, 6-foot-7 forward, St. Peter’s Peacocks

There’s Daryl Banks III and Doug Edert for the St. Peter’s Peacocks, then there’s the presence of 6-foot-7 big man K.C. Ndefo. The 6-foot-7 senior forward has been quite the anchor for one of the surprise Cinderella squads in this year’s NCAA Tournament field.

Ndefo took home MAAC Tournament MVP honors and is the three-time Defensive Player of the Year coming into a big meeting on Friday. He’s generated a defensive rating of 93.3 while he’s on the floor for the Peacocks.

He’s posting 12.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.0 bpg, and 2.5 apg through the 15-seeds two victories in their improbable run. He put up 17 points, 10 rebounds, six blocks, and three assists in their victory over Murray State in the second round to show off his ability as a presence on the glass and around the rim.

He’ll look to put a ton of pressure on Purdue Boilermakers big men Trevion Williams and Zach Edey on the interior with what he can do. As the anchor on both ends of the floor, it will be important for him to stay out of foul trouble while looking to be a factor once again in another upset bid.