NFL
By: Ty Reeves
With the NCAA tournament fieldset and the first four games starting tomorrow, I’m here to tell you, my top 5 players, you should keep an eye on in the tournament. Each player offers something unique as they all play with a different type of swagger. All five of these players are nothing less than must-see TV.
Honorable Mentions: Luka Garza, Evan Mobley, Quentin Grimes, Kofi Cockburn, Hunter Dickinson, Corey Kispert.
- Cade Cunningham
Cade Cunningham is going to be a PROBLEM in the tournament!pic.twitter.com/7vRfdVUdRK
— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) March 14, 2021
The freshman at Oklahoma State was just named to the AP All-American first team after averaging 20.2 PPG and 6.3 RPG for the Cowboys. The Big 12 player of the year stands at 6-foot-8, 220 pounds, and has proven himself to be one of the most dominant players in college basketball. Cunningham has led the Cowboys to a four seed in the NCAA tournament after the teams’ postseason ban (due to recruiting violations) was appealed and overturned. Even though Cunningham’s assist to turnover ratio is not the best, he is still seen as the potential number one overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft.
- Ayo Dosunmu
Masked up Ayo Dosunmu has been efficient 🔥 @AyoDos_11
▪️23 points on 72.7% FG
▪️19 points on 70% FG pic.twitter.com/LaTDBhZ84z— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 13, 2021
Dosunmu finished out the season averaging 20.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 5.3 APG for Illinois. After missing games with a facial injury, the junior returned for the fighting Illini and led the team to a Big 10 championship. Winning the Big 10 tournament landed the team with a number one seed in the Midwest region, their first number one seed since 2005. After originally declaring for the NBA draft after his sophomore season, Dosunmu has Illinois in a great position to take home the NCAA tournament title.
- James Bouknight
JAMES BOUKNIGHT WINDMILL 🤩 #SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/REhuuItqLI
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 31, 2020
The 6 foot 5 sophomore led the Huskies to a respectable 15-7 record as UConn lost in the semi-finals of the Big East tournament. Bouknight averaged 19 PPG and 5.7 RPG and finished the season as a first-team all-Big East team selection and if not due to injury, he more than likely would’ve taken home the Big East Player of the Year award. If you watched UConn play, you could see how big of an impact Bouknight has on the team. UConn is 11-3 with him on the floor while only 4-4 without him. The Brooklyn native is a pure, highflying, scorer that flies up and down the court, and with him on the floor the Huskies are dangerous.
- Jalen Suggs
Jalen Suggs is ELITE 😤
23 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST in the conference championship game! pic.twitter.com/XmurirqRvq
— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) March 10, 2021
Freshman Jalen Suggs has emerged as a top-five draft pick in the upcoming NBA draft, and the hype is completely deserved. The second-team AP All-American averaged 14.3 PPG for Gonzaga, who many people believe is the best team in the country. The 6 foot 4 guard has grown and matured over his freshman year which awarded him the WCC newcomer of the year award. If you watched Suggs highlights while he was a senior in high school, you know how explosive this guy is and why he is a top player in the country.
- Jared Butler
Jared Butler gave him the WHOLE BAG 🥶 @J_Hooper11 (via @espn) pic.twitter.com/gRAHZmH4yu
— Overtime (@overtime) May 13, 2020
The Big 12 player of the year averaged 17.1 PPG while shooting an impressive 42.9% from three-point land while leading the team to a 22-2 record. The AP first-team All American has shown his ability throughout the season to do anything on the offensive end of the basketball court. Butler’s play led the Baylor Bears to the number one seed in the South Region of this year’s tournament. Baylor was crowned the Big 12 regular-season champion but lost to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament. Butler will be Baylor’s key to success if they want to have a shot at winning the NBA tournament.
