Players to Watch in the NCAA Tournament
(That I Forgot to Mention in the Tournament Preview Podcast)
Welcome to the Somethin’ About Sports blog! After premiering the podcast during tournament season last year, it was only right to take another step forward this year and a blog is a perfect way to provide different content and offer different types of stories and coverage.
Some of you may have had a chance to check out the Tournament Preview episode already to hear my predictions for each region, but with so many teams and players to talk about for that episode, I forgot to mention some players that I thought were deserving. After building a list, I decided it was enough to write out and what better topic for the first written content around NCAA Tournament time? Check out some of the players I’ll be watching in the tournament and to hear me talk about others, check out the Somethin’ About Sports Podcast available on all platforms.
Keegan Murray, Iowa (#3 Seed in Midwest Region)
The star from Iowa was by far my biggest whiff. One of the best players in the country and just recently named a First-Team All-American, Murray sits at 4th in the country in scoring at 23.6 points per game* on 55/40/74 splits while also chipping in 8.6 rebounds a night. The scoring volume and efficiency jump off the page, but you don’t get the full effect until you see the matchup nightmare his 6' 8", 225 lb. frame presents. A surefire lottery pick in the NBA draft, Murray is a player to watch as he can put up the type of numbers that can carry a team on a deep tournament run. Not sure how I forgot to mention him, but I guarantee you won’t after getting a chance to see him play.
AJ Griffin, Duke (#2 Seed in West Region)
Injuries have kept AJ Griffin from being as highly talked about as his teammate Paolo Banchero, but AJ Griffin has shown flashes of being just as good this season. At his best, he can be an elite level scorer that can knock down 3 pointers in bunches. His overall numbers are modest averaging just 10.4 points, but his efficiency (50/46/75 splits) and flashes of brilliance in recent games like 3/11 against Miami (21 points, 7 rebounds, 58% FG, 4–6 3 Pt.) point to him having the ability to heat up and give Duke another high talent weapon in the tournament. He will almost certainly be a top 10 pick in the NBA draft, so this is a good chance to see how he fares against college competition one more time. He has the ability to make it worth your while.
Douglas Wilson, South Dakota State (#13 Seed in Midwest Region)
The leading scorer (16.5 ppg) for a trendy cinderella pick, Douglas Wilson has been a highly productive player for South Dakota State for 3 years. The 2020 Summit Player of The Year and 3 time all-conference performer leads his Jackrabbits into the tournament on a 21 game winning streak. With a first round matchup against Providence (-140 per FanDuel) that is much closer on the spread than the seed line, it will be interesting to see how long Wilson and the Jackrabbits can stretch that winning streak.
Ron Harper Jr., Rutgers (First Four #11 Seed in West Region)
Recently named an Honorable Mention All-American by AP, Ron Harper Jr. has led the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive year after A . While his size, quickness, or athleticism won’t really jump off the screen, Harper Jr. plays with High IQ and a contagious confidence and swagger that spreads throughout his team. This belief propelled the Scarlet Knights to an upset in the first round of the 2021 tournament and 5 wins against top 20 teams this season including a win over #1 Purdue on 12/9/21 (in which Harper hit an INSANE game winner) and a run of 4 straight wins over top 20 teams in early February. Rutgers will need all of Harper’s 15.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, but they will be looking to put at least one NCAA tournament win in the bank for a 2nd straight year.
Peter Kiss, Bryant (First Four #16 Seed in South Region)
Most college basketball fans (including me until last week) only know Peter Kiss as the nation’s leading scorer, averaging 25.1 points per game. Fans of other teams in the Northeast Conference know him as one of the biggest villains the league has ever seen. Most of us got an introduction into this side of Kiss during the fiery NEC Championship game on 3/8 that saw Kiss cursing a reporter after a made shot and fans fighting in the stands. He will have a chance to put both his scoring acumen and the persona that come with it on display for the nation to see in the NCAA tournament. Whenever the nation’s leading scorer makes their way to the sport’s biggest stage, fans should pay attention.
*All statistics from Sports Reference
