NCAA Tournament 2011: The Best Mid-Major Players in the Tournament

The NCAA tournament is officially underway and the mid-major schools are fighting for a chance to become the next Cinderella team in basketball.

Most of a team's success rests on the top players from each school and this list will break down the top players to watch as the tournament progresses.

Here are the best players from the top mid-major schools starting with Old Dominion...

Old Dominion: Frank Hassell

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NEW ORLEANS - MARCH 20: Frank Hassell #21 of the Old Dominion Monarchs reacts during the second round of the 2010 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the New Orleans Arena on March 20, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Dave Martin/Getty Images)

Frank Hassell is a senior at Old Dominion and is making his presence felt more in his final season than he ever has before. Standing at 6'9", Hassell leads the team in scoring with 15 points per game and is also a consistent force on the defensive end.

Hassell has averaged nearly 10 rebounds a game this season and has 43 blocked shots.

Morehead State: Demonte Harper

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DAYTON, OH - MARCH 20: Demonte Harper #22 of the Morehead State Eagles handles the ball against Edgar Sosa #21 of the Louisville Cardinals during the first round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the University of Dayton Arena on March

Morehead State always seems to be in the mix of things around NCAA tournament time and Demonte Harper has been a big reason why over the last four years.

Harper leads the team with 16 points per game this season and 3.4 assists. His best game of the season came against Austin Peay on Dec. 21 as he scored 34 points and collected four rebounds.

Richmond: Kevin Anderson

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PROVIDENCE, RI - MARCH 18: Kevin Anderson #14 of the Richmond Spiders shoots a basket against the Saint Mary's Gaels during the first round of the 2010 NCAA men's tournament at Dunkin' Donuts Center on March 18, 2010 in Providence, Rhode Island. (Jim Roga

The Richmond Spiders may not only have the best team name in the entire NCAA tournament but they also have a pretty good point guard in Kevin Anderson.

Anderson has led Richmond in minutes played every season for the past four years and has become nearly automatic behind the three-point line.

Anderson has drained 67 three-pointers this season and leads the team with 16.5 points per game.

Wofford: Cameron Rundles

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - MARCH 19: Cameron Rundles #1 of the Wofford Terriers tries to drive around Jon Leuer #30 of the Wisconsin Badgers in the first round of the 2010 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Jacksonville Veteran's Memorial Arena on March 19, 201

Cameron Rundles has only spent two years with Wofford after he transferred from Montana after the 2008-09 season.

Rundles has put up good numbers on the floor but has become more of a vocal leader as the senior.  He's said to be one of the most excitable members of the team and is always outspoken.

Even though Rundles leads the team in scoring, his ability goes beyond the offensive side of the ball as he is always strong with his defensive pressure and has collected 39 steals on the season.

Oakland: Keith Benson

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MILWAUKEE - MARCH 19: Keith Benson #34 of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies looks to shoot over Gary McGhee #52 of the of the Pittsburgh Panthers in the first half during the first round of the 2010 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Bradley Center on Ma

Keith Benson has been a force for Oakland this season as he leads the team in both points per game and rebounding.

Benson's 10 rebounds per game were among the top in the entire Summit Conference and were a big reason why the Golden Grizzlies finished 17-1 in conference play.

UT-San Antonio: Devin Gibson

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DAYTON, OH - MARCH 16: Devin Gibson #21 of the Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners handles the ball against Tramaine Butler #21 of the Alabama State Hornets during the first round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at UD Arena on March 16, 2011 in Day

Devin Gibson is leading the Roadrunners in scoring per game and defensive rebounding. 

UT-San Antonio slipped into the NCAA tournament.  The Roadrunners did not have a great record during the 2010-2011 season as they only went 9-7 in the Southland Conference.

The team did manage to go 20-13 over the course of the entire season as Gibson scored over 20 points in a game on 10 separate occasions.

Princeton: Kareem Maddox

Image from GoPrincetonTigers.com

The Princeton Tigers have progressively gotten better over the last few years and have finally broken down the wall by getting into the NCAA tournament in 2011.

Kareem Maddox is a big part of Priceton's success as the senior has averaged a team-best 13.0 points per game and slightly less than eight rebounds.

Helping his teammates is also a big part of Maddox's game; he is among team leaders in assists and second-chance points.

Belmont: Ian Clark

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TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 28: Ira Clark of the Blaze dribbles the ball during the round 16 NBL match between the Townsville Crocodiles and the Gold Coast Blaze at Townsville Entertainment Centre on January 28, 2011 in Townsville, Australia. (Photo

Ian Clark is only a sophomore on the Belmont Bruins but he has already made an impact that will not be soon forgotten.

Clark has carried the team in points as Belmont has made the NCAA tournament for the second time in the last five seasons.

Clark's numbers slightly decreased from his impressive freshman season but things seem to be looking up for the young Bruin as he scored double figures in nine of his last 10 games.

Who Did We Forget?

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WASHINGTON - MARCH 17: Keyon Carter #33 of the Old Dominion Monarchs goes up for a shot against the Butler Bulldogs during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Verizon Center on March 17, 2011 in Washington, DC. (Photo by

There are many good players left in the mid-majors of the NCAA tournament.

Leave a comment below and tell everyone who you think should be on this list.