March Madness: 5 Under The Radar Players To Watch In Sweet 16
Mar 16, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; General view of a March Madness basketball prior to the game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Xavier Musketeers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
As March Madness moves into its second weekend, we take a look at five under the radar players to watch for in the Sweet 16.
March Madness is moving right along as we enter the second week of action. The first week of the 2017 NCAA Tournament lived up to the hype. There were a number of great games and individual performances to help 16 teams move on in the tournament.
As we head the Sweet 16, there are some teams noticeably missing. No.1 overall seed Villanova is out, eliminated by Wisconsin in the Round of 32. Also out is Duke, who lost at the hands of South Carolina.
Louisville and Florida State also failed to make it out of the first weekend, losing to the red-hot Michigan and Xavier, respectively.
While some of the big-name programs will not be taking part in the Sweet 16, there are still plenty of recognizable players and teams alive for the title.
UCLA and Kentucky will play against each other in the South region, where North Carolina is still alive and will play Butler in the only region that went chalk. Gonzaga will look to continue its outstanding season and could be on a collision course with Arizona this weekend.
Perennial top-25 teams in Kansas, Purdue, and Oregon are still alive in the Midwest bracket as well. There are still plenty of players to watch for, even if they are not household names to the average basketball fan.
Which players should you be keeping your eye on during the Sweet 16 and through the Elite Eight? Check out five under the radar players to watch during the second weekend of March Madness.
Mar 18, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard J.P. Macura (55) drives against Florida State Seminoles guard Dwayne Bacon (4) during the first half in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
J.P. Macura, G, Xavier
Xavier looked done after the injury to lead guard Edmond Sumner. The Musketeers limped into the postseason, to put it nicely; the only team they beat in a four-week span was lowly DePaul, which won only nine games all season.
But once postseason play began, something clicked for Xavier. They were bounced by Creighton in the Big East tournament but were competitive. They are now in the Sweet 16 after defeating Maryland and Florida State easily, winning by 11 and 25.
Trevon Bluiett receives a lot of praise and rightfully so; he has averaged 25 points in the NCAA Tournament and 21.6 in postseason play. Another player that has played well without much recognition is J.P. Macura.
Macura has seen his role increase with Sumner sidelined and he as stepped up. Macura hasn't stuffed the stat sheet, but runs the Musketeers offense well and provides solid defense.
He also has range on his jump shot, something all the Musketeers have had in the tournament as Xavier has knocked down half of their three-point attempts so far.
A reason for that is Macura setting up his teammates well and then they convert their shot attempts.
Mar 17, 2017; Tulsa, OK, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Devonte' Graham (4) reacts during the first half against the UC Davis Aggies in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at BOK Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Devonte' Graham, G, Kansas
When people talk about Kansas they discuss the amazing streak they are on under Bill Self in the Big 12. On the court, a lot of attention goes to senior Frank Mason Jr. He is the heart and soul of the Jayhawks attack and a possible National Player of the Year candidate.
If Mason isn't the first person mentioned, people will usually talk about sensational freshman Josh Jackson. Jackson has electrified during the regular season and carried it over into the NCAA Tournament.
One player that sometimes flies under the radar, but is important to Kansas' success, is Devonte' Graham. The Junior guard is third on the team in scoring and does a little bit of everything. Along with 13.3 points, Graham averages 4.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.
He has lived up to and surpassed those averages in the NCAA Tournament. In the first two games, Graham scored 40 points with eight assists, six rebounds and seven steals. He has played great basketball and is a big reason why Kansas looks as strong as they do.
If Kansas is to continue on in the tournament, you can be sure that Graham will have a big part in it.
Mar 18, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Purdue Boilermakers forward Vince Edwards (12) celebrates during the second half of the game against the Iowa State Cyclones in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
Vince Edwards, F, Purdue
When talking about Purdue, one name always comes to mind, Caleb Swanigan. Swanigan has been a monster throughout the season, racking up 28 double-doubles. He hasn't slowed down in the postseason, scoring at least 16 points with 12 rebounds in both games.
Swanigan is an imposing figure on the court, at 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds. The Boilermakers actually get bigger when they replace Swanigan with 7-foot-2, 290-pound Isaac Haas.
Those two garner a lot of attention based on their size alone, but it is their running mate in the frontcourt that could be a difference maker.
Vince Edwards benefits from all of the attention that his frontcourt mates garner. He has put together some monster games to push Purdue forward in the tournament. As a No. 4 seed, the Boilermakers were a favorite of many to be upset in the first two rounds.
That didn't happen in large part because of Edwards' contributions.
Edwards had monster games against Vermont and Iowa State. He scored 21 points in both games, leading the team in both instances. He added five rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal against Vermont.
Against Iowa State, despite picking up four fouls and playing 29 minutes, Edwards pulled down 10 rebounds with four assists.
If Edwards can play this well again against Kansas, the Boilermakers could pull off the upset against the Jayhawks. It will be an intriguing matchup, as Purdue's strength is inside, while Kansas performs best on the perimeter.
Mar 19, 2017; Greenville, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Duane Notice (10) reacts after making a three point basket during the second half against the Duke Blue Devils in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Duane Notice, G, South Carolina
Coming into the NCAA Tournament, the South Carolina Gamecocks' first three options on offense were Sindarius Thornwell, Sindarius Thornwell and Sindarius Thornwell. Thornwell averaged 21.4 points per game, pacing the offensively challenged Gamecocks during the season.
Something must have clicked once tournament play began, as South Carolina has become a juggernaut offensively. South Carolina scored 50 or more points in the second half of each victory over Marquette and Duke.
Against Duke, they scored 65 points in the second half; a number they reached only 20 times during the regular season in full games that didn't go to overtime.
One player that has shown up on the offensive side of the ball is senior guard Duane Notice. Notice averaged 10.3 points per game in the regular season, third-most for South Carolina. But he was inconsistent, much like the Gamecocks all season on offense.
He had 15 games he scored in double digits, but three in which he didn't make a shot.
Notice scored in double-figures in back-to-back games only three times in the regular season; he picked a great time to do it for the fourth time. Notice scored 10 points against Marquette and 17 against Duke to help push South Carolina into the Sweet 16.
South Carolina struggled coming into the postseason, losing six of nine.
The offense has usually been the problem, so if they can get a third consecutive double-digit scoring game from Notice they should have a real chance of upsetting Baylor; South Carolina is 14-3 when Notice scores in double-figures this season.
Mar 12, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward D.J. Wilson (5) celebrates in the closing seconds of the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers during the Big Ten Conference Tournament championship game at Verizon Center. The Wolverines won 71-56. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
D.J. Wilson, F, Michigan
Michigan has been on quite a ride. They suffered a scary incident prior to the Big Ten tournament as their plane crashed leaving Michigan. The team had a vote to decide if they wanted to go to Washington for the tournament and they decided to partake.
It was an excellent decision, as the Wolverines have taken off since.
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Michigan has come together and is peaking at the right time. They rolled through the Big Ten tournament and carried it over to the NCAA Tournament. They defeated Oklahoma State in the first round and upset Louisville in the second round.
Senior point guard Derrick Walton has received a lot of credit for the run with his play. Fellow senior Zak Irvin is second on the team in scoring. But D.J. Wilson has played a big part in the Wolverines success as well.
Wilson seldom played his first two years in Ann Arbor, playing only 182 minutes as a freshman and sophomore. He took over a major role this season and experienced his ups-and-downs. But, once postseason play began, Wilson took off.
He possesses a rare skill set, at 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds. He is capable of playing on the perimeter and on the inside, making him a difficult cover for opponents. He has played very well in the tournament thus far, scoring 36 total points and seven blocks.
He is getting it done on both ends of the court, stepping up big time for the Wolverines.
Wilson is sometimes the third or fourth option on the team but is an important piece to their success. Wilson and the Wolverines are riding a huge wave of momentum and are actually favorites over Oregon in the Sweet 16.
