Four players to watch

■ Jalen Blackmon, Stetson: The

Atlantic Sun’s leading scorer has endured some tough shooting games, as evidenced by a 2-for-12 effort in the conference semifinals. But he can torch the net when he gets hot. Blackmon scored 34 of his 43 points after halftime of the league title game to lift the Hatters to their first NCAA Tournament.

■ Boo Buie, Northwestern: The school’s all-time scoring leader has made a name for himself at the end of games. Buie has hit several game-winning shots throughout his career, including in wins over Purdue and Maryland this year.

Buie, whose real name is Daniel, is just as vital to the Wildcats’ success from start to finish as the point guard of a very slow-paced offense that relies on long possessions and not turning the ball over. ■ Riley Minix, Morehead State: The former NAIA All-american has thrived in his lone season in Division I, leading the Eagles to a tournament berth on the strength of his 20.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Minix has been particularly consistent down the stretch, with at least 20 points in 12 of the last 13 games. He shot 54.6 percent from the field this year, 34.0 percent from 3.

■ Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State: UNLV fans will have to watch the former Rebel standout star for one of the best teams in the country during this tournament.

Gilbert transferred to Iowa State to play for former UNLV coach T.J. Otzelberger, and he has taken his game to new levels. The Cyclones’ leading scorer (13.8 points per game), Gilbert is also a big part of the fourth-best scoring defense in the nation, which forces turnovers on more than 25 percent of opponents’ possessions.