The one-and-dones are out, but plenty of talent remains.

 

Talent gets you in to the NCAA tournament; experience wins it.  Three weeks ago the field of 68 boasted a slew of tremendous ‘one-and-done’ talent. You could spot NBA-bound college freshmen like Michael Porter Jr, DeAndre Atyon, Marvin Bagley, Mohamed Bamba, Jaren Jackson, Trae Young, Collin Sexton, Wendell Carter, Kevin Knox, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Gary Trent Jr, and Zhaire Smith in all corners of the bracket. Fast forward to the last day of March and  none of these players are still playing.

That’s not to say that the final four teams don’t have talented players. On the contrary, these teams feature some of college basketball’s best. The common thread amongst Villanova, Kansas, Loyola-Chicago, and Michigan is that instead of relying on one talented, inexperienced guy, they rely on many talented, experienced guys.

Here are just a few names to keep an eye on as the tournament reaches its biggest stage.

 

 

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rackman

Michigan Wolverines

 

Senior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rackman is as cool and clutch a player you’ll find. In addition to having the best name I’ve maybe ever heard, Abdur-Rachman is Michigan’s poised leader who has the experience and skillset necessary to lead his team to a National Championship. As a feature guard he has led his team to fourteen post season wins the last two seasons (Big Ten and NCAA tournament combined), averaging a steady 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in those games.  This guy plays with a tremendous balance of composure and aggression. He plays within himself, rarely turns the ball over, and moves with a sly patience in order to create space for himself and his teammates. He might be the best player I’ve seen this year at timing cuts in order to attack the defense at the perfect moment. Coach Belein has long praised Abdur-Rachman for bringing the same effort from the minute his team starts practice as he does in the game, and it is one of the many reasons why no moment is too big for him. This guy is an elite talent who possesses a knack for finding shots, a get-you-out-of-your-shoes pump fake, a lightning quick dribble cut-back, and 360 degree court vision. With the ball in his hands in the waning minutes, Muhammad-Ali lives up to his namesake.

 

Mo Wagner

Michigan Wolverines

Mo Wagner is a unique, stretch forward talent. A native of Berlin, Germany, Wagner plays with a passion unmatched by any remaining tournament players. He is the Wolverines’ leading scorer and emotional spark plug, unafraid to take on the villain role and be, as Michigan State’s Tom Izzo put it, “a pain in the butt.” He backs up his trash talk with an incredible skillset of inside moves, outside shooting, and stick-to-you-like-glue defense. The 6’11” junior models his game after his idol Kevin Garnett, with one noticeable difference – he can also shoot 40% from three. Package this effortless long range shooting with an unguardable spin move, an agile up-and-under rim finish, superb frontcourt strength, and cerebral communication skills, and you might be looking at this year’s steal in the NBA draft. Seriously though, if his skills aren’t enough to dazzle you, his child-like excitement will.

Zavier Simpson

Michigan Wolverines

Zavier Simpson came to Michigan has a highly-touted recruit, but had a humbling first season as he was asked to take a backseat behind senior point guard Derrick Walton. Simpson credits sitting back, observing, and learning from Walton’s play and leadership as a huge reason for his 2017-2018 breakout season. He now starts for the Wolverines as a spitting image of his former teammate. Zavier plays with an incredible amount of command for a sophomore. He is as self-motivated a player as you’ll find, a trait that dates back to growing up with a father-coach who insisted they would “beat the entire country to the gym” every morning. “You can’t cheat game,” Simpson once said in an interview. “You can’t cheat the grind, can’t cheat the process.” Simpson sets the tone for intense practices and is a leader for his team on and off the court. I have yet to see a defender who can stay behind his guy like Zavier can. He tears defenses apart with his quickness to the rim, gorgeous crossover, and eyes-in-the-back-of-his head passing. His dribble penetration leads to great kick-out opportunities, which presents itself in the stat-line from his team-leading four assists per game.

DeVonte Graham

Kansas Jayhawks

Having already beaten out Trae Young as the Big 12 Player of the Year, DeVonte Graham has a good a case as any to win National Player of the Year. Averaging 17 points and 7 assists and shooting 42% from behind the arc, Graham dissects opponents with a steady diet of hot shooting, fast-break buckets, and elite ball-handling. He is a four-year guy whose experience enhances his talent. When the lights shine brightest, so does his play.

Malik Newman

Kansas Jayhawks

 

Malik Newman wouldn’t have made this list two weeks ago. But then he decided to average 26 points in his last three tournament games, including a game-high 32 points against Duke in a thrilling overtime victory to advance to the Final Four. Not only did he lead his team in scoring, he also scored all of his team’s points in overtime. Newman is without a doubt the hottest tournament player at this point, and will prove to be a tough player for Villanova to stop. He shoots over 42% from three, leads his team in steals in the month of March, and is a force on the offensive and defensive glass despite being a 6’3” guard.

Udoka Azubuike

Kansas Jayhawks

Udoka Azubuike is the feature big man of a very unorthodox Kansas squad that starts four guards alongside him. He is by far his team’s most important asset in the paint, carrying the weight inside thanks to his 7-foot, 280-pound beastly stature. A match-up nightmare for any interior player, Azubuike is superb on the boards, snagging over 7 rebounds per game, and leads his entire team in plus/minus.

Jalen Bruson

Villanova Wildcats

Jalen Brunson is the heart and soul of this Villanova squad. A four-year player, Brunson is a leader of leaders and epitimoizes the sense of humility that’s part of the Wildcat’s DNA. Averaging 19 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal per game, Brunson’s innate ability to find teammates in space, create shots, and find a way to score when perfect defense is applied makes him a strong candidate for the Naismith Player of the Year award.

Mikal Bridges

Villanova Wildcats

Mikal Bridges is Nova’s next prototypical Josh Hart or Kris Jekins. A former under-recruited, redshirted freshman, Bridges has grown into one of the most talented two-way players in the country, averaging almost 18 points, 2 steals, and 5 rebounds per game. This guy plays with a certain hunger you can’t teach and is one of the most physically gifted defenders there is.

Donte DiVencenzo

Villanova WIldcats

Sophomore guard Donte DiVencenzo is one of my absolute favorite players to watch. He is the kind of guy who’s everywhere on the court, boasting explosive quickness, an ability to make space and find open shots with ease, and absolute swarming. I saw him and his Cats defeat Texas Tech at the TD Garden last weekend and he was without a doubt the best player on the floor.

 

Donte Ingram

Loyola-Chicago Ramblers

Donte Ingram turned down more celebrated programs in order to receive a first-class education and play four years in his home city. He is what basketball gurus call a ‘tweaner’, a walking mis-match who can play guard, the three, or even the four. This wing-scorer combines strength and athleticism with a point-guard skillset and is a huge asset for Loyola’s ‘positionless basketball’ approach. He has an infectious personality and a competitive spirit that lights up a room, and is new to twitter thanks to Southside-native Chance the Rapper’s efforts to tweet at him after his gutsy game-winner in the first round against Miami.

 

Clayton Custer

Loyola-Chicago Ramblers

Redshirt junior Clayton Custer leads his team in both scoring (14 PPG)  and assists (4 APG). A redshirted junior originally recruited to Iowa State by NBA coach Fred Hoiberg, Custer has no shortage of high-major talent. He mixes clutch shooting with quickness and court vision, and has the maturity to control the pace of any game.

Cameron Krutwig

Loyola-Chicago Ramblers

The lone freshman on this list, Cameron Krutwig can ball with the best of ’em. This 6’9”, 260-pound center had the highest offensive rating for any player in his conference. He cleans up on the boards, averaging over 6 rebounds per game, and possesses an uncanny ability to take defenders off the dribble in order to create high percentage looks. Krutwig operates as a point-forward from the low and high post with the ability to pass as well as any guard. Oh yeah, he also shoots 60% from the field.