The NCAA Tournament is nearing, and with it, a chance for many unknown players to get the spotlight. What players do fans need to know heading into the 2019 NCAA Tournament? Here is the one player to know on each 2021 NCAA Tournament team.
West Region
1. Gonzaga Bulldogs- Jalen Suggs, G
Gonzaga has so many good players, but Suggs is the best. The point guard has averaged 14.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. He will be playing in the NBA very soon.
16. Norfolk State Spartans- Devante Carter, G
Carter could make a name for himself in the First Four, as he leads the Spartans in points, rebounds and assists.
16. Appalachian State Mountaineers- Donovan Gregory, G
The Mountaineers are a well-balanced team, with anyone who can step up in the coring department. Thier glue-guy is Gregory, who leads the teams with 6.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.
8. Oklahoma Sooners- Austin Reaves, G
Reaves has been a star, scoring 17.7 points per game for the Sooners. If Oklahoma makes a run in the Tournament, he will have to play big.
9. Missouri Tigers- Jeremiah Tilmon, F
While he is the team’s third-leading scorer, Tilmon is a force on the inside. He averages 12.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.
5. Creighton Blue Jays- Marcus Zegarowski, G
One of the best point guards in the country plays for Creighton. Zegarowski does a little bit of everything for the Blue Jays with 15.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.
12. UCSB Gauchos- JaQuori McLaughlin, G
McLaughlin leads the Gauchos in scoring, averaging 16.2 points, and assists, with 5.2 per game.
4. Virginia Cavaliers- Sam Hauser, F
In his first year with the team after transferring from Marquette, Hauser has paced the team in scoring and rebounding at 16.0 and 6.7 respectively.
13. Ohio Bobcats- Jason Preston, G
Preston was not even ranked by recruiting services, but somehow found his way to Ohio. He not only has played well, but he has NBA potential. The guard averages 16.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game.
6. USC Trojans- Evan Mobley, F
Mobley is a pro prospect who has really improved in his short time at USC. He averages 16.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. His name will be one to remember beyond this tournament.
11. Wichita State Shockers- Tyson Etienne, G
Although it looked like Wichita State was going to have a down year after the firing of Gregg Marshall, Etienne has emerged as a star with 17.0 points per game.
11. Drake Bulldogs- Roman Penn, G
Penn will be one of the best passers in the NCAA Tournament, as he averages 5.5 assists per game. He also averages in double figures in scoring and gets 1.4 steals per game.
3. Kansas Jayhawks- Marcus Garrett, G
Garrett is fourth on the team in scoring, but he is one of the best defenders in the country. He is the leader of the Jayhawks.
14. Eastern Washington Eagles- Tanner Groves, F
With 16.4 points per game, Groves leads the Eagles in scoring and he also hauls in 8.1 rebounds per game.
7. Oregon Ducks- Chris Duarte, G
Duarte can score with the best of them, as he averages 16.7 points per game and shoots a scorching 43 percent from behind the arc.
10. VCU Rams- Nah’Shon Hyland, G
In the Atlantic 10 semifinals, Hyland went off. He’s capable of huge scoring outputs, as he averages 19.4 points per game. Oregon will need to focus their defensive efforts on slowing him down.
2. Iowa Hawkeyes- Luka Garza, C
Garza has been one of the best players in the country for two full seasons now. He scores 23.7 points per game and grabs 8.8 rebounds. His ability to score down low and stretch the defense makes him tough to guard.
15. Grand Canyon Antelopes- Asbjorn Midtgaard, C
Midtgaard is a Danish big man who leads the Antelopes in both scoring (14.0) and rebounds (9.9) per game.
South Region
1. Baylor Bears- Jared Butler, G
Baylor is a loaded team, but Butler is the best of the bunch. He averages 17.1 points and 4.8 assists, as the go-to player. The Bears are in safe hands with Butler at the point.
16. Hartford Hawks- Austin Williams, G
Williams leads the Hawks in every major stat other than blocks. If they want to do the unthinkable and upset Baylor, Williams has to show up.
8. North Carolina Tar Heels- Armando Bacot, F
UNC has a very talented frontcourt. The best of the bigs this year is Armando Bacot who is scoring 12.2 points, has 8.0 rebounds and blocks 0.9 shots per game, which all lead the team.
9. Wisconsin Badgers- D’Mitrik Trice, G
When Trice is on, Wisconsin is tough to beat. He has had some bad games this year, but the senior is still averaging a team-best 13.7 points and 4.0 assists per game.
5. Villanova Wildcats- Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, F
With Collin Gillespie out, Robinson-Earl is the best player on the floor for the Wildcats. He leads the team in points, rebounds, steals and blocks. If Villanova advances, it will be on the shoulders of Robinson-Earl.
12. Winthrop Eagles- Chandler Vaudrin, G
Vaudrin is the team-leader in points, assists, rebounds and steals. He can’t afford to have an off-night in the NCAA Tournament.
4. Purdue Boilermakers- Trevion Williams, F
Williams is a beast on the interior for the Boilermakers and one of the more experienced player on the roster. He averages 15.6 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
13. North Texas Mean Green- Javion Hamlet, G
The Mean Green will go as far as Hamlet takes them. Hamley is averaging 15.0 points and 4.5 assists per game, as he leads North Texas in both categories.
6. Texas Tech Red Raiders- Mac McClung, G
In his first year after transferring in from Georgetown, McClung has led the Red Raiders in scoring. Along the way he has hit some clutch shots an is capable of doing so in the tournament.
11. Utah State Aggies- Neemias Queta, C
Queta can score in the post, protect the rim and rebound with the best of them. He leads the Aggies in all categories and could be hard for Texas Tech to deal with.
3. Arkansas Razorbacks- Moses Moody, G
Moody is an NBA prospect who can score at all three levels. His 17.4 points per game pace the Razorbacks.
14. Colgate Raiders- Jordan Burns, G
The Raiders have a star in Burns, who averages 17.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He very easily could be on a power conference team at this point, but will lead the Raiders.
7. Florida Gators- Tre Mann, G
Since Keyontae Johnson collapsed on the floor and has been unable to play for most of the season, Mann has stepped up. He averages 16 points per game and also leads the team with 3.4 assists per game.
10. Virginia Tech Hokies- Keve Aluma, F
It’s not often that a player transfers from Wofford and makes an impact at an ACC school, but Aluma has done just that. He puts up 15.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, which leads the Hokies.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes- Duane Washington, G
Washington is coming off of a career day in the Big Ten Tournament Championship and could be the hot hand for the Buckeyes this March.
15. Oral Roberts Golden Eagles- Max Abmas, G
Any team will have their hands full with Abmas, who is leading the NCAA in scoring at 24.9 points per game.
Midwest Region
1. Illinois Fighting Illini- Ayo Dosunmu, G
Dosunmu is one of the best guards in the country. In a tough Big Ten, he has averaged 20.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. He also wears an awesome mask that makes him look like Batman due to a facial injury.
16. Drexel Dragons- Camren Wynter, G
Wynter is coming. While the Drexel guard has probably heard that 1,000 times, his game backs it up. He scores 16.8 points and adds 5.3 assists per game.
8. Loyola-Chicago Ramblers- Cameron Krutwig, C
The Ramblers’ offense runs through Krutwig, who is a great passer for a big man. He can score down low and set up his teammates, which makes him a tough matchup. To go with that, he was on the Loyola team who made the Final Four a few years ago and loves playing the harmonica.
9. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets- Jose Alverado, G
Moses Wright may be the ACC Player of the Year, but Jose Alverado is everywhere on the court. His 4.1 assists and 3.0 steals per game make him a truly unique player.
5. Tennessee Volunteers- Yves Pons, F
Pons only averages 8.9 points per game, but he is a great defender. He blocks 1.9 shots per game and will have to step his game up with John Fulkerson possibly out with a facial fracture.
12. Oregon State Beavers- Ethan Thompson, G
A wild run through the Pac-12 Tournament landed the Beavers in the NCAA Tournament. Thompson is the team leader in points, assists and steals. His play may be the only thing that gives Oregon State a chance against Tennessee.
4. Oklahoma State Cowboys- Cade Cunningham, G
Cunningham is the best pro prospect in college basketball right now. He is averaging 20.2 points per game and specializes in second half scoring.
13. Liberty Flames- Darius McGhee, G
McGhee leads the Flames in scoring, while shooting 41.3 percent from deep.
6. San Diego State Aztecs- Matt Mitchell, F
San Diego State has a versatile scorer in Mitchell, who pours in 15.4 points per game.
11. Syracuse Orange- Buddy Boeheim, G
Jim Boeheim‘s son is having a great year at 17 points per game on 37.3 percent shooting from deep. He is coming off of a good ACC Tournament and will look to continue their success.
3. West Virginia Mountaineers- Miles McBride, G
The player affectionately nicknamed “Deuce” has taken a huge step forward this year, averaging 15.4 points, 4.7 assists and 1.8 steals. The former high school quarterback can handle contact and create highlight plays.
14. Morehead State Eagles- Johni Broome, F
Broome stays inside the 3-point line, but his old-school nature works. He leads the team in scoring and rebounding.
7. Clemson Tigers- Aamir Simms, F
Clemson has a pretty average roster, but Simms elevates the entire team. His 13.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.7 blocks all lead the team.
10. Rutgers Scarlet Knight- Ron Harper Jr., G
There aren’t too many players who improved from last season to this season as much as Harper. His averages are up and he helped a bad Rutgers program reach the big dance.
2. Houston Cougars- Quinten Grimes, G
The Kansas transfer has been dominant for the Cougars. Grimes puts up 17.9 points per game and is a matchup problem.
15. Cleveland State Vikings- Torrey Patton, G
At 14.9 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, the Vikings will need a great performance from Patton.
East Region
1. Michigan Wolverines- Isaiah Livers, F
Livers is interesting, becuase he is a player to watch, but he may not play. He has a stress fracture in his foot, which may hold him out for some time. With Livers, Michigan is a National Championship contender. Without him, they may struggle.
16. Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers- Damian Chong Qui, G
Scoring 15.1 ponts and notching 5.5 assists per game makes Chong Qui a star.
16. Texas Southern Tigers- Michael Weathers, G
The Tigers have an all-around guard in Weathers, who is the team leader in scoring, assists and steals.
8. LSU Tigers- Cameron Thomas, G
Thomas isn’t the most efficient player in the world, but he can light it up at 22.8 points per game.
9. St. Bonaventure Bonnies- Kyle Lofton, G
His 5.5 assists per game are impressive, but Lofton can also score for himself at 14.9 points per game.
5. Colorado Buffaloes- McKinley Wright, G
Wright is a star in the Pac-12 who averages 15.5 points and 5.5 assists per game.
12. Georgetown Hoyas- Qudus Wahab, C
Jehvon Blair may hit some big shots, but Wahab’s development is what really turned things up for Georgetown.
4. Florida State Seminoles- Scottie Barnes, G
Barnes is the best pro prospect on the Seminoles. If they are to make a run in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Barnes needs to score more than the 11 points per game he did in the regular season.
13. UNC Greensboro Spartans- Isaiah Miller, G
The Spartans have one player who scores in double figures: Miller. He averages 19.3 points per game and will have to carry the scoring load for UNC Greensboro.
6. BYU Cougars- Alex Barcello, G
Matt Haarms will protect the paint for the Cougars, but Barcello will get the buckets, as he scores 15.9 points per game.
11. Michigan State Spartans- Aaron Henry, F
Henry is a veteran who scores 15.3 points per game. He is the only Spartan averaging double figures.
11. UCLA Bruins- Tyger Campbell, G
Campbell only averages 10.5 points, but dishes out 5.6 assists per game as the floor general.
3. Texas Longhorns- Andrew Jones, G
There probably isn’t a player that has gone through more in his college career. Through injuries and beating cancer, Jones has returned to the floor to lead the Longhorns in scoring.
14. Abilene Christian Wildcats- Kolton Kohl, C
The Wildcats’ leading scorer is an interior player who will be going up against some good Texas bigs in the first round.
7. UConn Huskies- James Bouknight, G
UConn weathered the storm without Bouknight this year, but with him back they are dangerous. His 19 points per game could give the Huskies the scoring punch they need to make a run in the tournament.
10. Maryland Terrapins- Eric Ayala, G
Ayala has developed from a role player and is now the leader of the Terrapins. At 14 .9 points per game, Ayala paces Maryland in scoring.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide- Herb Jones, F
While Jones ins fourth on the team in scoring, he is the most important Alabama player. He was SEC Player of the Year and averages 6.4 assists. Watching how he sets up his teammates is a thing of beauty.
15. Iona Gaels- Isaiah Ross, G
Rick Pitino has a player that can score in Ross, who averages 18.4 points per game.
For more news and updates go to our college basketball page!
You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers!