Most Indispensable Player from Every Top 10 College Basketball Team

Duke center Jahlil Okafor was the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and a first-team Associated Press All-American last year. But he was not a major factor for most of the national championship game against Wisconsin, primarily because of foul trouble.

It was freshman point guard Tyus Jones who saved the Blue Devils by being the star of that game as Duke claimed the national title. That was not an anomaly. When Jones had a good game, the Blue Devils won. It was in games in which he was slightly off or was limited in some way that Duke struggled most. Although Okafor was the team's star, Jones was its most indispensable player.

All the top teams have star players, but some players are more critical to the team's success than others. Sometimes the team's best player is not its most indispensable player, as depth at a given position or the responsibilities of a certain player make him a player the team can't be without.

Often a team does not realize how important a player is until he is gone. In its loss to Northern Iowa, North Carolina discovered the importance of a player who was not available.

We considered the top 10 teams from this week's Associated Pres poll and chose a player from each team it can least afford to lose.

10. Gonzaga Bulldogs

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Most Indispensable Player: Domantas Sabonis

This choice may come as a surprise, because Gonzaga senior Kyle Wiltjer was the top vote-getter on the Associated Press preseason All-American team.

Sabonis, meanwhile, was not even a starter last season as a freshman and did not start in the Bulldogs' first game this season, against Northern Arizona. But what Sabonis gives the Bulldogs is something no other player on the team can—a strong, athletic presence in the low post.

Wiltjer is one of four perimeter players in Gonzaga's starting lineup, and while Wiltjer is effective on the block, Gonzaga is best served with him facing the basket. Mammoth Przemek Karnowski can do damage in the paint against most of the competition Gonzaga will face in the West Coast Conference, but he is limited against the bigger, more athletic teams the Bulldogs will play outside the conference.

That's where the 6'9" Sabonis comes in. He is outstanding around the rim, and he is strong enough and quick enough to get scoring opportunities against top-flight defenses. He made 66.8 percent of his field-goal attempts last season, and in this season's game against Northern Arizona he went 12-of-13 from the field and scored 26 points in just 18 minutes.

Obviously, the Bulldogs will face stiffer competition than the Lumberjacks as the season goes on. But we expect Sabonis to improve as the postseason approaches. That's when the Bulldogs will require the low-post offensive threat Sabonis provides.

9. North Carolina Tar Heels

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Most Indispensable Player: Marcus Paige

Any doubts about Paige's importance to the team were erased when North Carolina lost to Northern Iowa on Saturday. Presumably, the Tar Heels would not have blown a 16-point second-half lead to the Panthers if Paige had been on the court.

Paige will be sidelined another week or two after suffering a broken right hand in early November. Because the Tar Heels do not play a top-flight opponent until its Dec. 1 game against Maryland, it seemed the the Tar Heels might survive that early stretch without Paige.

They couldn't.

The game against the Terps will be telling. It may be Paige's first game back. If he plays and displays minimum rust, the Tar Heels have a good chance of winning that game, which will be played in Chapel Hill. If Paige cannot play in that game or is not in midseason form, North Carolina will have trouble winning, even at home.

Before the Northern Iowa loss, proof of Paige's importance came last season. Ranked No. 6 in the preseason Associated Press poll, the Tar Heels finished with 11 losses. The reason can be traced primarily to Paige's health. Bothered throughout the season by plantar fasciitis and hip problems, Paige's scoring average dipped from 17.5 in 2013-14 to 14.1 last season. His field-goal percentage dropped to 41.3 percent.

North Carolina lost three games during one four-game stretch last February, and Paige scored eight, five and seven points in losses to Pittsburgh, Duke and North Carolina State, respectively, in that span.

Paige played better late in the season, and the Tar Heels got to the ACC tournament finals and the NCAA tournament Sweet 16.

With Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson, the Tar Heels have plenty of inside power, but without Paige they lack the perimeter threat, floor leader and calming influence needed to beat the top teams. Paige is also the player likely to take the big shot at the end of games.

8. Villanova Wildcats

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Most Indispensable Player: Ryan Arcidiacono 

Arcidiacono is in his fourth year as the Wildcats' starting point guard and is coming off a season in which he was named the Big East Co-Player of the Year. He achieved the latter while averaging just 10.1 points, third-most on the team. Now, with three starters from last season's squad gone, Arcidiacono is even more indispensable.

Arcidiacono has been consistent, averaging 11.9 points as a freshman and 9.9 points as a sophomore before last season's 10.1 output. He has improved his scoring a bit through three games this season, averaging 12.7 points on 58.3 percent shooting. However, the Wildcats have not yet faced a challenge.

More noteworthy is the fact that Villanova struggled last season in the games in which Arcidiacono struggled offensively. He averaged just 6.3 points in Villanova's six losses. He scored two points in defeats against St. Joseph's and Seton Hall and four points in the NCAA tournament loss against North Carolina State.

7. Oklahoma Sooners

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Most Indispensable Player: Buddy Hield

Hield was the Big 12 Player of the Year last season and was an Associated Press preseason All-American this season. If there was any doubt about Hield's value to the team, he removed it in the season-opening road victory over Memphis. 

The Sooners had more trouble than expected with the Tigers, but Hield came through with 30 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. He made four free throws in the final 14 seconds to squelch the upset bid of a Memphis team that held the lead with 1:38 to go.

Hield's decision to return to school this season instead of entering the NBA draft made the Sooners a Final Four contender.

Discussing Hield's decision to return to Oklahoma, Myron Medcalf of ESPN.com noted:

"Hield is one of the best scorers in the game. He can carry the Sooners in tough moments. He'll ask for the rock in clutch moments. And he's a capable defender. But few players can match his offensive abilities. Hield gets buckets."

6. Duke Blue Devils

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Most Indispensable Player: Grayson Allen

For better or worse, Duke's success this season rests in large part with guard Grayson Allen. The sophomore has started only three games in his career, but already it is apparent his output in any given game will directly affect the Blue Devils' ability to win.

He averaged 28 points in Duke's first three wins, even coming off the bench to score 30 points while leading the Blue Devils' comeback victory over Virginia Commonwealth. But when he went 2-of-11 while scoring six points against No. 2 Kentucky, the Blue Devils had little chance to beat a team as good as the Wildcats, losing 74-63.

Allen's performance against Kentucky was "an aberration," per Eamonn Brennan of ESPN.com, and coach Mike Krzyzewski must hope that is the case.

Slender Duke freshman Brandon Ingram did not appear to be ready physically to dominate against a top-tier teams, per Brennan. He had 21 points against overmatched Bryant, but was 3-of-13 for 12 points in the competitive games against Kentucky and VCU combined. Meanwhile, Matt Jones and Amile Jefferson are consistently productive, but they are not the explosive scorers that Allen can be.

Allen showed his scoring potential in last season's national championship game, putting up 16 points off the bench in a surprising performance that played a major role in the Blue Devils' victory over Wisconsin.

Allen looks for his shot at every opportunity, sometimes sacrificing team-offense elements to attempt to score. When he's productive, the Blue Devils are a high-quality team.

5. Kansas Jayhawks

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Most Indispensable Player: Perry Ellis

Now in his third year as a starter, Ellis is Kansas' only reliable frontcourt threat on the offensive end. Presumably 6'9" freshman Cheick Diallo, rated the nation's No. 7 prospect by ESPN.com, will provide help in the paint when the NCAA clears him to play, but it is unclear when that will be.

The Jayhawks' other two big men of note at the moment, Jamari Traylor and Landen Lucas, are not major threats on the offensive end. So while Wayne Selden Jr. and Frank Mason III combine to form a backcourt that can match up against virtually any opponent, the 6'8" Ellis is left to hold down Kansas' inside game virtually by himself.

Ellis was Kansas' only first-team all-Big 12 selection last season, when he was the team's leading scorer and rebounder. He leads the team in scoring through two games this season, averaging 18.5 points. 

Given the uncertainty of Diallo's status and influence, the Jayhawks' bid for a 12th straight conference title would be in serious jeopardy if they lost Ellis.

4. Iowa State Cyclones

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Most Indispensable Player: Monte Morris 

This was a tough call between Morris and forward Georges Niang, an Associated Press preseason All-American. Niang is particularly valuable because of his versatility, as he can play almost any position—perhaps even point guard.

The problem is that the 6'8" Niang may have to play some point guard if Morris gets injured. Not only is Morris among the best points guards in the country, but the Cyclones don't have a reliable backup.

Freshman Nick Noskowiak was penciled in to be Morris' backup this year, with the understanding that he would move to shooting guard as a sophomore. That idea fell apart when Noskowiak left school in August for personal reasons, per Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register.

It leaves Morris to play heavy minutes in the most important position on the floor. He played 36 minutes in the Cyclones' only test of the season, a 68-62 victory over Colorado. The only two guards off the bench in that game, Matt Thomas and Hallice Cooke, are shooting guards, with Cooke having the ability to play the point in a pinch, according to Ben Visser of the Iowa State Daily.

ESPN analyst and former Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg called Morris the best point guard in the country, per Travis Hines of the Ames Tribune. Morris has done nothing to dispel that notion this season, collecting 12 points, four assists, five rebounds and three steals in the victory over Colorado.

3. Michigan State Spartans

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Most Indispensable Player: Denzel Valentine

Ranked as the third-best player in the country this year by ESPN.com, Valentine proved his value in the season-opening win against Kansas. Valentine had a monster triple-double, with 29 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds to carry the Spartans, who were ranked No. 13 at the time.

Valentine helped Michigan State crawl out of a 13-point hole to pull off the upset. And guess who made the three-pointer with less than five minutes left to put Michigan State ahead? Valentine, of course.

Valentine's role as team leader was underscored late in the game when coach Tom Izzo let him have his say during a timeout huddle, as noted by David Gardner of Sports Illustrated. Valentine played 38 minutes in that game. No other Spartans player played more than 29. 

Valentine played just 28 minutes in the blowout of Arkansas-Pine Bluff but still managed 11 assists, giving him 23 assists in two games. Although Lourawls Nairn Jr. is the team's point guard, Valentine may be the Spartans' top facilitator this season as well as a consistent scoring threat.

He was a major reason Michigan State got to the Final Four last season, averaging 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists in those five games.

2. Maryland Terrapins

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Most Indispensable Player: Melo Trimble

Last season as a freshman point guard, Trimble shared leadership duties with senior guard Dez Wells. Now Trimble is the man in charge. He will handle most of the ball-handling duties and will be asked to distribute the ball to the Terps' array of offensive weapons while still getting plenty of points himself. The media who cover the Big Ten apparently believe he can carry that load because they named him the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year.

Maryland brought in Jaylen Brantley from junior college to be Melo's backup at point guard, but Brantley played just one minute against Georgetown and four minutes against Rider. Presumably Brantley's court time will increase as the season wears on, but there is little doubt that coach Mark Turgeon is relying heavily on Trimble to lead the team.

Maryland will depend on Trimble in tight games, and he has already come up big twice. The Terps trailed Georgetown nearly the entire game, and were behind by seven with 5:48 left. But Trimble hit a three-point shot with 3:56 left to tie it, and the Terps went on to win. In the next game, a surprisingly difficult victory over Rider, Trimble converted a three-point play with 6:16 left to tie the game after the Broncs had led by 14 just 10 minutes earlier.

Trimble was noticeable in his absence in last season's 69-59 NCAA tournament loss to West Virginia. With Trimble missing the final 8:25 because of a head injury, the Terps could not get back into the game.

"Would the outcome have been different?" Turgeon told reporters afterward. "We don't know. But obviously we weren't the same without him out there."

1. Kentucky Wildcats

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Most Indispensable Player: Tyler Ulis

Unlike last season, when the big men and low-post offense were the focal points of Kentucky basketball, the Wildcats this season rely on their backcourt to create the team's identity. Freshmen Isaiah Briscoe and Jamal Murray are important components of that backcourt, but sophomore Tyler Ulis is the centerpiece, the fulcrum around which the Wildcats move.

“When he’s off the court, you know we’re not the same,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said of Ulis, per Brian Hamilton of Sports Illustrated. “He’s like a baseball player who watches the ball and he can see the seams. The game happens slower for him.” 

Because he is just 5'9", Ulis is unlikely to be an NBA lottery pick, like teammates Murray and Skal Labissiere are expected to be, according to the ESPN.com prospect rankings. But Ulis is the one who controls the tempo, makes the right passes, leads the break effectively, gets the ball to the right people and is the point man on defense. He provides consistency. Ulis is also an excellent three-point shooter, making better than 40 percent from distance last season, although he has shot poorly so far this season.

His toughness and leadership are unquestioned. Kyle Tucker of the Courier-Journal noted that DraftExpress.com asked every Kentucky player it interviewed at the NBA combine which Kentucky teammate he would choose to go to war with. All of them said Ulis.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was impressed by Ulis after the Wildcats' victory over the Blue Devils this season. Per Hamilton, Krzyzewski said: “God was good to him. They didn’t give him height, but they gave him probably a heart that’s five times bigger than most people. He has great balance. And he’s got poise. It doesn’t look like he gets tired. He’s in complete control of his team."