March Madness 2013: Prime Time Players Who Will Carry Their Team on Sunday

Under the constant pressure that brings the madness to March Madness, true stars of college basketball carry their team to the Sweet 16 and beyond.

The round of 64 treated us to some special individual performances. Vander Blue's heroics for Marquette down the stretch were memorable. Michigan State's Derrick Nix posted 23 points and 15 rebounds in the Spartans' win over Valparaiso.

Sunday's slate of games will see eight teams punch their ticket to the tournament's fourth round. Eight more teams will also get sent home packing. The difference will likely be which team's star steps up to lead the way.

Whether they be long-range assassins, big men in the middle or do-it-all wingmen, these stars are sure to give their team a huge edge over their opponent.

Marshall Henderson, G, Ole Miss

Henderson was made for March Madness.

He's the kind of intense, emotional player who is fun to watch whether you love or hate him. His willingness to pull the trigger from just about anywhere has even caught the attention of LeBron James.

The sharpshooting guard is one of the most prolific scorers in the tournament. He scored 19 points against Wisconsin in the round of 64 while only shooting 28.6 percent from the field.

Don't expect him to shoot that poorly two games in a row. He could put on a show against No. 13 seed La Salle in the round of 32.

Deshaun Thomas, F, Ohio State

As Deshaun Thomas goes, so go the Buckeyes.

The 6'7" forward paces Ohio State offensively. He's capable of creating his own shot when the offense breaks down and is one of the best perimeter shooters on the team.

He made a big splash in the team's round of 64 game against Iona with 24 points, but the Buckeyes scored 95 as a team. They didn't need him to carry the team.

Now that they're in the round of 32, the competition should be stiffer. And Thomas will need to rise to the occasion. After he only played 30 minutes against Iona, expect him to have fresh legs and put up good numbers against Iowa State.

Jeff Withey, C, Kansas

The Kansas Jayhawks go into Sunday facing a tough matchup. North Carolina is a highly talented team that has just struggled to put things together consistently.

P.J. Hairston is capable of matching Ben McLemore basket for basket down the stretch. The Tar Heels have enough three-point shooting to do damage from the outside. However, Withey is the X-factor who should win this game for Kansas.

The seven-footer was huge in the team's opening game against Western Kentucky. He controlled the paint with seven blocks and went 7-of-9 from the field on the offensive end.

Don't expect him to rack up that many blocks again, but Withey's inside presence will serve the Jayhawks well in the round of 32.

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