Four players to watch

■ Jamal Shead, Houston: He was not only the league player of the year in the

Big 12; he was also named the conference’s top defensive player. He’s the heart and soul of one of the best teams in the nation. Shead is not a particularly good shooter, but he always finds a way to help his team win, whether by way of a clutch basket, a defensive stop or just willing them to the final buzzer.

■ DJ Burns Jr., North Carolina State: Count him among the most fun players to watch in the tournament. Viewers who wait until the NCAA Tournament to tune in to college basketball are in for a treat, as his game is reminiscent of a U-haul truck popping wheelies and drifts on a stunt course. Burns, who is listed at 275 pounds and looks significantly larger, can back down opponents with power only to hit them with a nimble spin move and then face up and go around defenders with a quick first step the next time down the floor.

■ Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M: While he often takes the kind of shots that have coaches biting their bottom lip, Taylor makes his fair share of tough looks and is capable of heating up at any moment. He made just 31.5 percent of his 3-pointers on the year, but went 12-for-26 in the Aggies’ last two games of the SEC tournament and scored 30 points or more in both contests.

■ Reed Sheppard, Kentucky: Perhaps the best freshman in the country, Sheppard is a likely lottery pick after an outstanding season for the Wildcats. Both of his parents played basketball at Kentucky, and his sister played at Campbellsville University. The knowledge of the game shows up in his understanding of space on the floor. Sheppard is shooting an absurd 52.5 percent from 3-point range while averaging more than four rebounds and four assists per game.