Lesser-known stars carry teams to Sweet 16
Even casual college basketball fans know the stars of the Sweet 16, from Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert to Syracuse’s Buddy Boeheim
Some lesser-known stars are about to make their mark on the Sweet 16. They’re just as good, just as important to their teams — maybe more so — and are part of what has made this the maddest of Marches so far.
MAX ABMAS, ORAL ROBERTS
His last name is pronounced ACE’-miss, which is ironic because he rarely does. The 6-1 sophomore was lightly recruited out of Jesuit High School in Dallas and now all the power programs have to be wondering how they missed out on him.
Abmas led the nation in scoring at 24.5 points per game and didn’t care who he was going up against, scoring 33 against Oklahoma State, 28 against Wichita State. His range conjures up images of fromthe-logo-shooters like Steph Curry and Damian Lillard, and he’s a deadeye, shooting 41% from the arc.
Abmas had 29 points in the 15th-seed’s opening upset of No. 2 Ohio State, then 26 against Florida to send them to the Sweet 16 for the first time 1974.
CAMERON KRUTWIG, CHICAGO LOYOLA
The wispy mustache can’t hide the fact that we’ve seen the Ramblers’ fun-loving big man before. The 6-9 senior from Algonquin, Illinois, was a central figure in Loyola’s Cinderella turn at the
2018 Final Four. He’s back and there’s no looking away when he’s on the floor, for reasons far beyond the Krustache.
The 255-pound Krutwig has the heft of a center, but the hands and passing skills of a guard. He’s the conductor of the Ramblers’ offense from the middle of the lane and the never-give-an-inch anchor of the defense.
Krutwig was the first center in 15 years to be named Missouri Valley Conference player of the year after averaging 15.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
QUENTIN GRIMES, HOUSTON
Grimes was one of the top recruits out of The Woodlands, Texas, in
2017 and had his pick of blueblood programs. The 6-5 guard ended up at Kansas, where he started 36 games as a freshman.
Grimes entered his name in the NBA draft after the season but decided to return to school. Problem was, Jayhawks’ coach Bill Self, assuming Grimes would remain in the draft, had already filled his scholarship.
Thriving in Kelvin Sampson’s free-flowing system, Grimes has the Cougars drumming up memories of the Phi Slama Jama days at Houston. He leads the Cougars with 18.1 points and has them on the cusp of their first Elite Eight appearance since 1984.
CHRIS DUARTE, OREGON
A 6-6 senior, Duarte was born in the Dominican Republic and played high school basketball in New York. He started his college career as the sixth man at Northwest Florida State College before arriving in Eugene.
Duarte became Oregon’s catalyst at both ends, leading the Ducks with 17.0 points while spearheading coach Dana Altman’s ever-changing defense.
ETHAN THOMPSON, OREGON STATE
Older sibling Stevie was one of the greatest players in Oregon State history, so the comparisons are always going to follow Ethan.
The 6-5 senior guard led Oregon State in scoring 15.6 points a game while averaging 3.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. He’s also the unquestioned leader on the floor, taking a team picked to finish last in the Pac-12 to its first Sweet 16 since 1982.