NCAA Bracket 2012: 7 Underrated Players to Watch Today

The first two rounds of the 2012 NCAA tournament have been completed. Saturday's action kicks off the third round and a new set of matchups.

Each matchup will have its stars and role players. Some of these players are household names, but some of these players are yet to make themselves known to the average fan. 

Today will change that. Players will emerge on the biggest stage and show the talent that has been there all year. The only difference will be how many people are watching.

Here are seven underrated players to watch in Saturday's action:

Bradford Burgess, F, VCU

Bradford Burgess was a main contributor on VCU's Cinderella squad last season. That has not changed at all this season. 

Burgess is a versatile forward with big-time talent. He scores, rebounds and creates for his teammates.

Burgess had 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block in Thursday's victory over Wichita State. 

The Rams need Burgess to lead their team offensively and create problems with his length on defense. Their "Havoc" defense causes all kinds of problems for opponents, and Burgess's pesky defense is a major part of that. 

Indiana's Cody Zeller will cause problems for Burgess down low; however, Burgess is more versatile. He could pull Zeller out of the paint and force him to play his style of game.

VCU was the biggest bracket-buster last season. For the Rams to do it again, Burgess will need a huge game on Saturday.

Drew Gordon, F , New Mexico

Drew Gordon is an excellent post player for Steve Alford's New Mexico Lobos. 

Gordon had 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the second round. He was too much for Long Beach State's undersized frontcourt, and also managed to pull down 13 rebounds. 

The Lobos will face a physical Louisville team in the third round on Saturday. Gordon must use his size and soft touch to finish around the rim. 

Louisville is not a high-scoring team. A big day from Gordon could spell victory for New Mexico. 

The UCLA transfer is a space-eater down low. The Cardinals will struggle to shut him down and could struggle to grab a victory.

Royce White, F , Iowa State

Royce White does anything, and everything, for the Iowa State Cyclones. 

White had 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting against UConn in the second round. He also grabbed 13 boards. 

White's production is no surprise to Cyclone fans. He led the team in scoring, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks during the regular season. He is one of the most unique players in college basketball because of his incredible versatility. 

The Cyclones will try and pull the upset over No. 1 seed Kentucky on Saturday. For them to do so, White will need a monster game on both ends of the floor. He must disrupt Anthony Davis' offense, and not allow Davis to disrupt his own. 

That is easier said than done, but White is capable of a huge performance every time he steps foot on the court.

Robert Sacre, C, Gonzaga

Robert Sacre had 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in Gonzaga's second-round beatdown of West Virginia. 

Sacre, the West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, will need another big game against Ohio State on Saturday. Jared Sullinger is a load to handle, but Sacre's height could be very disruptive. 

Sacre stands 7'0'' tall with a huge wingspan. He is athletic for his size and covers a lot of ground down low. He must use his length to disrupt the much shorter Sullinger on the block. 

The Bulldogs have upset on their minds heading into Saturday's contest. Sacre's height could provide a major advantage, especially because Sacre is a scoring threat. 

Gonzaga does not get much national attention, but people will remember this big man after Saturday's game.

William Buford, G, Ohio State

William Buford does not get the NBA chatter teammate Jared Sullinger gets, but he is just as important to Buckeye success.

Buford had 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting in Ohio State's second-round victory over Loyola (Md.). He did not fill up the box score in any other area, but he usually does. 

Buford is a versatile threat on offense, with the ability to step out or bang down low. He has great size for a guard and often bullies smaller guards with his strength. 

The Buckeyes do not have a David Lighty-type wing defender this season, but Buford is close. He has a motor that never stops and uses his length to defend multiple positions. 

Ohio State is in for a tough game against Gonzaga on Saturday. Buford will need to step up.

Rodney McGruder, G, Kansas State

Rodney McGruder is going to give Syracuse a lot of problems on Saturday. McGruder is not this year's Jacob Pullen for the Wildcats, but he may need to be. 

McGruder dropped 30 points on Thursday on 11-of-16 shooting. He also had four rebounds and four steals. 

The Wildcats are not an offensive juggernaut. McGruder is easily their biggest scoring threat, and he must play up to his potential every time for the Wildcats to be victorious. 

The key to defeating Syrcause's 2-3 zone is to shoot, and shoot well. McGruder must stretch the top of the zone, allowing the Kansas State big men to bang in the paint. 

The Wildcats' big men can exploit the void left by Fab Melo's absence. But it all comes down to McGruder's hot hand.

Isaiah Canaan, G, Murray State

Isaiah Canaan did not have his best performance in Murray State's second-round victory over Colorado State. 

Canaan scored 15 points on 4-of-11 from the floor. Canaan went 1-of-6 beyond the arc.

The Racers need Canaan to have a huge game against Marquette on Saturday. The Golden Eagles play a very similar style. The game will be played at breakneck speed with perimeter shooting as the key component.

Canaan is one of the best players in the nation. He has been the lifeblood for Murray State all season, and that must continue for the Racers to keep dancing. 

He is an exceptional playmaker with electric scoring ability, whether people know his name or not.