With Selection Sunday in the rearview and the annual March Madness tournament set to kick off, Sportsnet’s basketball panel weighs in and selects the contenders, bracket-busters, standout Canadians and more. Today, we look at the top players to watch:
NCAA Roundtable: Who will win it all?
NCAA Roundtable: Canadians to Watch
NCAA Roundtable: Predicting this year’s Bracket Buster
Sportsnet Bracket Madness: Make your picks for the chance to win a trip for two to a 2016/2017 regular season basketball game in Toronto
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Gare Joyce, features editor
Kris Dunn, G, Providence.
The best point guard in the tournament is either Dunn or Kentucky’s Tyler Ulis. Ulis is probably more exciting and flashier but Dunn projects as the better pro. Hard to see Providence having a deep run, but Providence would play North Carolina in the second round and the Heels just don’t have anybody in their backcourt to match up with Dunn. Of all the elite teams that Providence could face, North Carolina gives this projected lottery pick the best chance to shine.
Donnovan Bennett, staff writer
Buddy Hield, G, Oklahoma. There isn’t much star power in the NCAA tournament this year; most teams in the Sweet 16 will not have a player who will go in the first round of the NBA draft. So without a ton of competition, let’s get ready for the Buddy Hield Show. Hield was named the AP Big 12 Player of the Year for the second year running, becoming the first player to win the award in consecutive seasons. The raw data speaks for itself: With 11 games with 30 or more points, a thrilling 46 point double overtime display versus rival Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, and leading the country with 124 made threes. Buddy is without question the nation’s best player.
More importantly he’s the most “vine-able” player in the country. He can get hot for a span of a few minutes and have the entire country switching over to his game—think Steph Curry at Davidson— as soon as his name begins trending on social media. Unlimited range, unconscious after misses and makes, and a sense for the moment is why Hield will be the one to provide the 2016 tourney its dramatic flair.
Craig Battle, senior editor
Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah. Raptors fans, taken notice. A variety of prominent mock drafts have Mr. Poeltl (pronounce “PURR-dul”) going to Toronto with the lesser of the Knicks’ and Nuggets’ picks in the coming draft. And while Masai Ujiri would fall down laughing at the suggestion the team has its mind made up three-plus months out from the draft, you can see the reasoning: Poeltl is a legit seven-footer with good mobility, the ability to protect the rim, and a growing offensive game. While the Raptors have a solid one-two at the position, the Utah centre is the kind of two-way player who would allow Ujiri and co. to explore off-season trades to reshape their frontcourt.
Jeff Simmons, staff writer
Jamal Murray, G, Kentucky. Murray isn’t only the top Canadian in the tournament [ed. note: check back Wednesday for the roundtable on Canadians to watch], he’s one of the best players in the entire field. He was fantastic in the SEC tournament and has scored at least 20 points in every game but one since Feb. 6.
Steven Loung, associate editor
Buddy Hield. This is kind of a cop-out since I’m picking Oklahoma to win it all, but seriously, Hield is the best player in college this year. You have to watch him!
Dave Zarum, NBA editor
Denzel Valentine, G, Michigan State. All due respect to the crowd favourite, Hield, but Valentine is the most complete player in the collegiate ranks. He’s a hard one to project in terms of June’s NBA draft and his potential future pro career, where his tweener status could cause confusion in terms of his position and role at the next level. But in college? He’s simply a terror, Tom Izzo’s wildly effective multi-tool, able to abuse smaller guards down low and breakdown larger defenders off the dribble out on the perimeter. He flirted with triple-double-type averages throughout the season and finished the season with an NCAA-high “box plus-minus” of 17.2 (BPM measures how many points a player contributes above a league-average player, per 100 possessions. The next best player? 13. Who knows what the future holds for Valentine, but at this level he’s simply dominant.
https://youtu.be/uzMLf6U1bx4
Dan Robson
Melo Trimble, G, Maryland. Watch him for the name alone. Trimble is a trey machine, even if his percentage took a slight dip this year. If you’re looking for some bold action beyond the arc, Melo is your man.
Michael Hoad, contributor
Grayson Allen, G, Duke
Allen burst onto the scene in last season’s national championship game, pouring in 16 points off the bench in Duke’s win. He’s been a monster ever since, averaging 21.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game for the Blue Devils. The sophomore’s offensive game is impressive as he’s able to beat you using his athleticism or deadly three-point stroke. He’ll have to lay off the tripping, though.
