2017 NCAA Tournament: 5 Players To Watch For In East Region
The 2017 NCAA Tournament got under way with the play-in games on Tuesday. Here are five players to watch for in the East Region.
Mar 14, 2017; Dayton, OH, USA; Ball sits on the court before the game the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers between the New Orleans Privateers in the first four of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Dayton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
The 2017 NCAA Tournament officially got under way on Tuesday. The first of four play-in games took place Tuesday, as Kansas State and Mount Saint Mary's both winning to move into the round of 64.
The last two play-in games take place Wednesday, as Providence plays against USC, and North Carolina Central will face off with UC Davis.
Once those games finish up, the field of 64 will be set. The tournament always provides plenty of fireworks and this year is no different. There are a number of teams that have legitimate chances of taking home the NCAA title.
While there are plenty of teams and players to watch, the East Region will garner a lot of attention. The East Region is loaded with the defending champion Villanova Wildcats and perennial powerhouse Duke Blue Devils.
Baylor, SMU, and Florida are also in the region, making for a difficult path to the Final Four for whoever should make it. Don't discount Wisconsin or underdogs East Tennessee State and UNC Wilmington as well.
Whoever makes it out of the East Region will have earned their spot in the Final Four in arguably the most daunting region this season. Before we sit down to watch the games, let's take a look at five players to watch for in the East Region of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
Feb 25, 2017; Coral Gables, FL, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Jayson Tatum (0) dribbles the during the first half against the Miami Hurricanes at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Jayson Tatum, SF, Duke
Jayson Tatum got off to a slow start this season. The freshman missed the first eight games of the season because of injury. It took a little while for him to get his feet underneath him, but once he did, Tatum took off.
The highly touted freshman has hit his stride and looks like the player Duke had hoped they were getting. He has turned into a matchup nightmare, as he can score all over the court. He can play off his teammates or create his own shot.
He is shooting only 33.6 percent from deep, but that has not slowed him down.
Tatum is averaging 16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. He gets it done on both ends of the court and does it not matter if the Blue Devils are playing a lower tier team or a highly ranked rival such as North Carolina.
Tatum is one of the more highly regarded prospects heading into the 2017 NCAA Tournament for NBA scouts. He can cement that status with a strong tournament and is one of the best players in the country despite being a freshman.
Mar 11, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Josh Hart (3) watches his shot during the first half of the Big East Conference Tournament final game against the Creighton Bluejays at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Josh Hart, SG, Villanova
Josh Hart is the leader of the No.1 overall-seeded Wildcats and is looking to lead his team to a repeat championship. Villanova has been on a mission all season, going 31-3 in the regular season and winning the Big East Conference tournament.
Hart was the MVP of the tournament, averaging 21 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game. That followed up a great regular season, as Hart is putting up 18.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
The points and rebounds lead Villanova, as he turned the ball over only 1.9 times per game.
Villanova has high aspirations this year as they look to become the first team to repeat as champions since Florida did in 2006 and 2007. If they are going to accomplish that feat, you can be sure that Hart will have a big hand in it.
Hart is in the running for National Player of the Year and rightfully so. His statistics speak for themselves and he leads arguably the best team in the nation. Whoever faces off with Villanova in the tournament will have their hands full slowing him down.
Nov 22, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; East Tennessee State Buccaneers guard T.J. Cromer (0) drives to the basket against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second half at McCamish Pavilion. East Tennessee State defeated Georgia Tech 69-68. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
T.J. Cromer, Point Guard, East Tennessee State
East Tennessee State comes into the 2017 NCAA Tournament as a No.13 seed. It is the first time they have qualified for the tournament since the 2009-10 season.
After losing to Chattanooga in the Southern Conference final last season and falling just short of qualifying, you can be sure the players will be excited to be there.
East Tennessee State is an upset favorite of people filling out their bracket. If they are to pull off the upset over Florida, you can count on T.J. Cromer being a big reason why.
Cromer led the Buccaneers to the SOCON championship this year and won MVP honors. The No.3 Buccaneers upset UNC Greensboro in the championship and are now looking to make some noise in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
Cromer has had an excellent season. He averages 19.1 points, 3.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game. He can fill it up from anywhere on the court, as he shoots 45.4 percent overall from the field, 40.4 percent from deep and 82 percent from the foul line.
Florida will have their hands full trying to slow down the motivated Cromer. He wants to extend his college career and lead East Tennessee State to their first tournament win since the 1991-92 season.
Feb 25, 2017; Hartford, CT, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs forward Semi Ojeleye (33) drives to the basket against the Connecticut Huskies in the second half at XL Center. SMU defeated UConn 69-61. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Semi Ojeleye, F, Southern Methodist
The SMU Mustangs come into the 2017 NCAA Tournament under the radar. It is difficult for a team that hasn't lost since Jan. 12, but they have managed to do it. The committee under-seeded the Mustangs and they will look to show people why this week.
Leading the charge will be Semi Ojeleye.
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Ojeleye originally committed to Duke out of high school. He spent his first two collegiate seasons with the Blue Devils, playing sparingly. He transferred and ended up at SMU, where he has blossomed as a player.
Ojeleye has had an excellent season in his first real chance at playing time at the college level. Ojeleye led the Mustangs to a 30-4 record, as they ran through the American Athletic Conference tournament as well.
He has stuffed the stat sheet, averaging 18.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
He is the engine that makes the shorthanded Mustangs go. They usually play only six guys, sometimes seven. Fatigue would seemingly be a factor, but they have yet to slow down this season.
This is as good a chance as any for Ojeleye and the Mustangs to put themselves on the map and show a national audience what they are made of.
Mar 17, 2016; Providence, RI, USA; UNC Wilmington Seahawks guard C.J. Bryce (12) drives in front of Duke Blue Devils guard Luke Kennard (5) in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Dunkin Donuts Center. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
C.J. Bryce, SG, UNC Wilmington
UNC Wilmington put a scare into Duke last season as 13 seed in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. The Seahawks are back and are returning a lot of their players. This time, they are hoping to pull off the upset and advance in the tournament.
One player to keep an eye on is guard C.J. Bryce. Bryce played well against Duke last season, scoring 16 points with eight rebounds and two assists as a freshman.
This year, as a sophomore, Bryce and the Seahawks is facing another ACC powerhouse in Virginia, but you can be sure they will not be intimidated.
Bryce led the way in the Colonial Athletic Conference tournament, taking home MVP honors. The Seahawks won each game in their conference tournament by at least nine points.
For the season, Bryce leads the team with 17.6 points per game. He also adds 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
Bryce has taken a major step forward from his freshman year, as the Seahawks are another upset favorite for people filling out their brackets.
Anyone pulling for UNC Wilmington to pull the upset should keep an eye on the electric Bryce who will try and lead his team to the upset victory they came so close to pulling off last year.
