NIT 2012: Tony Wroten and Stars Who Must Shine in Sweet 16

The NIT resumes on Friday night with the start of its own Sweet 16. Star power will be on full display when these games tip off, but there is just a matter of figuring out which ones are going to carry their teams to victory. 

In a tournament like this, which features a significant talent gap between the top and bottom team, it is all about figuring out who has more chemistry. 

The problem with that is—not every team relies on chemistry to win. Some of them depend on their stars more than the sum of their parts. 

Here are the players who need to carry their team when the Sweet 16 gets underway. 

Tony Wroten, Washington Huskies

Wroten is a guard who plays more like a forward. He doesn't have great touch on the outside, but drives the lane and will fight on every play. 

The Huskies are going to need every ounce of Wroten's energy against Northwestern in the Sweet 16 on Friday. 

He got off to a slow start scoring-wise against Texas-Arlington in the first round, with just nine points, but he dished out eight assists to carry the team. If his passing catches up to his slash-and-dash shooting style, the Huskies are going to cruise to victory. 

Herb Pope, Seton Hall Pirates

Pope is a double-double machine for the Pirates. His biggest problem has been not touching the ball enough. Jordan Theodore seems to think that he has to shoot to be a great player. The problem is he can't shoot, but he is chucking the ball up over 13 times per game. 

There is no reason Pope shouldn't be shooting the ball at least 15-20 times per game for this team. He is the most dominant player they have, hits shots consistently and has worked hard to improve his outside game. 

For the Pirates to get past an underrated UMass team that has size and plays an uptempo style, Pope will have to be the focal point of the offense. 

Frantz Massenat, Drexel Dragons

The best kept secret in America should be Massenat's unofficial label. He has been a sharpshooter extraordinaire—particularly from beyond the arc—this season and is showcasing his ability in the NIT. 

He scored 18 points against Central Florida in the first round, with nine of them coming thanks to a three-for-three performance from three-point range. 

Massenat is good enough to carry the Drexel offense on his own, and there have been times when he has had to. 

Northern Iowa plays a physical style on defense, which is going to force the Dragons to take some chances on offense. Massenat will be the key to their success—or failure. 

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