NCAA Tournament 2023: Top 10 biggest x-factor players to watch for

#7- Logan Johnson/Aidan Mahaney – Saint Mary’s

Ah yes, my first double player combo on the list. Won’t be the last either so get over it. I lumped both Logan Johnson and Aiadan Mahaney together because of the matchup against VCU.

This game will be a battle of wills when it comes to controlling the tempo. Saint Mary’s plays at a pace that makes paint drying feel like an Indy Car race. VCU, on the other hand, is all gas and no breaks on the offensive end as they have been historically under coaches like Shaka Smart and Will Wade. Mike Rhoades’ team is no different offensively. However, they pressure the ball so well that teams use a lot of the clock. Johnson and Mahaney will be the ones in charge of facing some of that relentless pressure.

That pressure defense of the Rams has the sixth-highest turnover rate in college basketball. While the Gaels have been solid as a whole this year in terms of ball security, the last time they played a team this good at forcing turnovers was Houston in a game where the Cougars forced 17 Saint Mary’s turnovers. That type of game against VCU can ignite a nightmare scenario for the Gaels.

Sure, Johnson and Mahaney will be called upon to be clutch scorers late, but the first and most important element of their offense will be ball security. Defensively, they’ll need to slow VCU down and takeaway drives to the basket to keep the pace from getting out of their comfort zone.