Here are 16 players to watch in the Sweet 16
USA TODAY tracks every Sweet 16 team’s most important player (in no particular order).
Cameron Krutwig, Loyola-Chicago. For the hot-shooting guards to be successful, there has to be a little inside-out game. That’s where the 6-9 center (10.4 points a game, 6.1 rebounds), a freshman who plays like a senior, comes in. His passing skills are exceptional for a big man, and his defense against the athletic bigs of Miami (Fla.) and Tennessee paved the way for this Cinderella’s buzzer-beating wins.
Cody Martin, Nevada. Caleb Martin has been the Wolf Pack’s leading scorer and alpha dog all season, but in the stunning 22-point comeback against Cincinnati, it was twin brother Cody Martin (13.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists) who provided the spark. Cody does a little of everything, and he’ll likely be the player to step up if either his brother or Jordan Caroline aren’t on their game.
Tyler Davis, Texas A&M. Davis pairs with Robert Williams as twin towers. But it was Davis’ offense (18 points, nine rebounds) that fueled a big win against North Carolina in the second round.
Mortiz Wagner, Michigan. Jordan Poole’s buzzer-beater helped the Wolverines beat Houston, but in order for Michigan to get to the Elite Eight it’s going to need better production from the 6-11 big man. Wagner is averaging 8.5 points in the tournament.
Dean Wade, Kansas State. The Wildcats survived without their leading scorer in wins over Creighton and UMBC. But Wade, who said he’s “98% sure” he will play against Kentucky after dealing with a foot injury, could give this team enough offensive firepower to pull off a big upset. He averages 16.5 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kentucky. The guard came up big with 27 points, six assists and six rebounds in the second-round win over Buffalo. He also was huge in the Southeastern Conference tournament title game against Tennessee with 29 points and seven assists. The better Gilgeous-Alexander plays, the better Kentucky plays.
Terance Mann, Florida State. The junior guard wasn’t expected to play against Xavier because of a groin injury. However, he came up big by scoring 10 points, including some crucial baskets to help take down a No. 1 seed.
Zach Norvell Jr., Gonzaga. The freshman guard scored 28 points and had 12 rebounds in a second-round win over Ohio State. Norvell is blossoming as a playmaker in March. He’ll also draw a tough defensive assignment in trying to slow Florida State’s guards.
Gabe DeVoe, Clemson. The 6-3 senior guard helped pilot a 31-point blowout win over Auburn in the second round, finishing with 22 points. He and the rest of the Tigers backcourt will be tasked with slowing Big 12 player of the year Devonte’ Graham, an elite scorer.
Udoka Azubuike, Kansas. Coach Bill Self put it out bluntly after the win over Seton Hall in the second round. “If Udoka wasn’t able to come back from his injury, we don’t win.” The 7-footer missed the three Big 12 tournament games with a knee injury. His presence in the paint, for an undersized team, can be a difference-maker.
Jevon Carter, West Virginia. The All-American guard is the Mountaineers’ best offensive catalyst, averaging
17.4 points and 6.6 assists. He also is a tenacious ballhawk on the defensive end. To beat Villanova, Carter will have to frustrate national player of the year Jalen Brunson as he did Oklahoma’s Trae Young during Big 12 play.
Donte DiVincenzo, Villanova. Brunson and NBA talent Mikal Bridges will dominate most of the attention, but DiVencenzo’s offense and three-point shooting will be key. His ballhandling also will be needed for WVU’s press.
Tyus Battle, Syracuse. The Orange have only three capable scorers (and Battle is one of them) and rely heavily on their 2-3 zone. So Battle will have to take on the scoring load and hit clutch shots — as he did against Michigan State in the second round.
Trevon Duval, Duke. The point guard doesn’t demand the same type of attention as All-American teammates Marvin Bagley III or Grayson Allen, but it’s Duval who has the ball in his hands in close games. His playmaking can be a difference-maker by getting into the seams of Syracuse’s 2-3 zone.
Keenan Evans, Texas Tech. The senior guard hasn’t been at 100% while dealing with a turf toe injury, but he’s been a spark plug. In Tech’s close win over Florida, it was Evans who drained a tiebreaking three-pointer with 21⁄ min
2 utes left and assisted Zhaire Smith for an alley-oop with 30 seconds remaining.
Matt Haarms, Purdue. With Isaac Haas sidelined with an elbow injury, backup 7-footer Haarms is the next man up and will have the Boilermakers’ most important role in the Sweet 16 clash against Texas Tech. A 7-3 freshman, Haarms played well through 29 minutes to help the Boilermakers advance past Butler. He’s certainly not as good as Haas, but he probably can do enough to help Purdue advance.