The Top Performances of March Madness
March Madness is all about the moments.
You don't remember entire tournaments, but you do remember the big shots, the performances that shone brighter than the rest and the players who make the madness so spectacular.
We're going to be highlighting one player each day that stood out above the rest throughout the tournament. Check back here to find out who gets the honors and which performance is named the best of the NCAA Tournament.
Sunday, March 27: Jamie Skeen — VCU
1 of 10
VCU is doing work right now.
The dream continues for the Rams as they beat the last giant remaining in the tournament to advance to the Final Four on the shoulders of Jamie Skeen.
The only VCU starter to score in double figures, Skeen put up 26 points and helped his team get off to a fast start against Kansas.
The big man had the odd combination of shooting 4-7 from three, but still pulling in 10 rebounds. He did everything except pass the ball, notching an impressive zero assists. But hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.
Final Line
26 points, 6-17 shooting, 4-7 from three, 10 rebounds and two steals
Saturday, March 26: Shelvin Mack — Butler
2 of 10
On a day when Butler's star, Matt Howard, couldn't find his shooting touch, the Bulldogs needed someone else to step up if they wanted even a small chance at returning to the Final Four.
Shelvin Mack answered the call. Scoring 27 points and knocking down big shot after big shot, the junior from Lexington, KY willed his team to a victory over a scrappy Florida team in overtime.
With his team down one in overtime, Mack scored the last five points of the game for Butler, and ensured that they would not trail again.
Final Line
27 points, 8-20 shooting, 4 rebounds and 4 assists
Friday, March 25: Bradford Burgess —VCU
3 of 10
VCU is an incredible story. The team nobody wanted in the tournament has become the team nobody wants to play, and Bradford Burgess is a big reason for that.
In helping propel the Rams into the Elite Eight, Burgess scored 26 points, hitting on six of his seven three point attempts, nailing dagger after dagger into the heart of Florida State.
His biggest bucket of all came in the closing seconds, as he snuck through the defense for the game-winning layup off an inbounds play.
VCU is just one game away from the Final Four. Kansas better keep a close eye on this guy.
Final Line
26 points, 9-15 shooting, 6-7 from three, two rebounds, two assists and three steals
Thursday, March 24: Kemba Walker — UConn
4 of 10
Derrick Williams had plenty to say in Arizona's win over Duke, but most of his points came in the first half when the Cats trailed by six. Besides, he already got our honor earlier. Last night was Kemba time.
Walker had 36 points, including a stretch in the second half where he scored 14 straight points for UConn. The man is just sick. He got to the rim, he hit devastating threes, and he even knocks down the midrange better than almost anyone in college basketball right now.
Whenever SDSU got close, or even took the lead in the second half, Kemba answered. In fact, he even turned the tide when the game was stopped, giving a little bit of acting when an Aztec player gave him a little bump that turned into a technical foul.
The Huskies go however Kemba goes, and Kemba hasn't stumbled yet.
Final Line
36 points, 12-25 shooting, 4-8 from three, 8-10 from FT, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.
Sunday, March 20: Kendall Marshall — UNC
5 of 10
Another day, another freshman coming up big. UNC's Kendall Marshall, just an afterthought at the beginning of the season, has been sensational ever since getting plugged into the starting lineup. And when pressed by a scrappy Washington team, Marshall responded with 14 assists in the Tar Heels' 86-83 victory.
That's right, Marshall dished out 14 of his team's 18 dimes, also scoring 13 points and grabbing five boards of his own. The Heels were clicking offensively and got terrific games from Tyler Zeller and Harrison Barnes, which had a lot to do with Marshall getting them the ball in the right place at the right time.
UNC is coming together at the right time, but Marshall is going to need to keep having games like this if they want to keep surviving and advancing.
FInal Line
13 points, 3-6 shooting, 6-7 from FT, 14 assists and 5 rebounds
Saturday, March 19: Brandon Knight — Kentucky
6 of 10
It's hard not to have Jacob Pullen in this spot after his 38 point effort last night, but stumbling down the stretch and your team losing is a tough thing to overcome.
So let's take a look at the man who dropped all of his career-high 30 points in regulation and brought Kentucky back from down eight at halftime to winning by eight. And I use the term "man" loosely, since he's just a freshman, but Brandon Knight wore his big boy pants to the West Virginia game.
Knight took control of the game immediately, at one time tying the Mountaineers himself, 12-12, then asserted himself at the end of the game to make sure that Kentucky held on for the win. Calipari's teams are notoriously bad at free throw shooting, so Knight's 9-10 clip was a saving grace.
Final Clip
30 poings, 9-20 shooting, 3-8 from three, 9-10 from FT, 3 rebounds and 4 assists
Friday, March 18: Derrick Williams — Arizona
7 of 10
Derrick Williams just made himself a lot more money.
Already considered a high lottery pick in the NBA draft, Williams kept his college career going a little bit longer and helped his stock in the meantime with a monster 22 and 10 game to hold off a very good Memphis team.
Williams dominated most of the game, shooting 6-11 and making all nine of his free throws, but the stat that sticks out most prominently is his one block.
With Memphis down two with five seconds to go, they intentionally missed a free throw, got the rebound, and put up a shot with time running out which Williams promptly rejected. Replays showed that it was most likely a clean block.
Final Line
22 points, 6-11 shooting, 1-1 from three, 9-9 from FT, 10 rebound and one clutch block.
Thursday, March 17: Kenneth Faried — Morehead State
8 of 10
It's not often a guy goes 4-17 from the field and gets the honor of being the top player on a day that had 16 games. But there's no doubt that Kenneth Faried earned every single bit of it for his role in No. 13 Morehead State pulling off the biggest upset of the day against No. 4 Louisville.
If you saw the game, Faried was everywhere. The man pulled down 17 rebounds by himself. Louisville only had 27 today. He grabbed five offensive rebounds, while limiting the Cards to only five as a team. That's crucial in a game where your team only shot 37 percent and your opponent shot 46 percent. Get more shots for your team and limit their chances.
Faried also went 4-6 from FT and knocked down two crucial ones in the last minute to pull his team to within two, setting up the big three by Demonte Harper to win it.
And while he only blocked one shot, he altered plenty more, playing almost the entire game. The big man with the braids made all the difference in the world. And with Morehead State playing No. 12 Richmond on Saturday, he might get a chance to send the Eagles to the Sweet 16.
Final Line
12 points, 17 rebounds (5 offensive), 4-6 from FT, two steals and one block
Wednesday, March 16: Melvin Johnson III — UT San Antonio
9 of 10
You want a top performance? Try a career high when you're under the pressure of advancing in the NCAA Tournament.
Melvin Johnson III did just that, scoring 29 points, 25 of them in the first half as UT San Antonio built up an insurmountable 27 point lead.
Johnson attacked the basket with abandon and almost singlehandedly put the distance between the Roadrunners and Alabama State, outscoring their over-matched opponents by himself 25-21.
Final Line
29 points, 9-17 shooting, 9-13 FTs, 3 rebounds and 1 assist.
Tuesday, March 15: Matt Dickey — UNC Asheville
10 of 10
Matt Dickey kicked off March Madness the way it was meant to be. With 13 seconds left in the game, he hit the biggest three of his life to send the game into overtime and scored a game-high 22 points.
The reigning Big South Tournament MVP only took two shots the entire first half before stepping up his game. And the team needed it badly, with UNC Asheville trailing almost the entire time.
He drove to the basket and drew fouls when the Bulldogs couldn't find an open look to save their life, hit some big shots coming off screens with a hand in his face, and willed his team to a hard fought win.
Final Line
22 points, 7-10 shooting, 2-3 from three, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
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