Veteran Leadership: 5 Best Upperclassmen of the Sweet Sixteen
As the Sweet Sixteen is about to kick off, fans scrutinize match-ups, pray their brackets don't collapse and get ready for a full night of Madness.
Before the elimination resumes, let's remember the upperclassmen that represent some of the elite programs in the second weekend of the tournament. When the game is on the line look for one of these five to have the ball in their hands and never count their teams out of a game.
5. Nolan Smith, G, Duke
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Smith is a senior leader for the Blue Devils. He is also arguable the most complete player on the roster.
Smith excels at creating off of the dribble, three-point shooting and setting up his teammates. He is also very capable of locking down other lead guards and is brilliant at setting Coach K’s offense in motion.
Even when Smith's shooting struggles, he makes sure the offense is still dynamic. In his lowest scoring output of the year (two points) he had 10 assists in a 35-point win over Bradley.
Tournament production: 21.3 Pts 4.6 Reb 5.2 Ast
4. Jon Leuer, F, Wisconson
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Leuer is the central player on Bo Ryan's hard nosed Badgers squad. He is long and versatile, effective both in the paint and from the perimeter as he is shooting 37.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Thanks, to Leuer's multifaceted game, he is a matchup nightmare for the opposition. He's too tall (6-10) and skilled inside for smaller players and too dangerous a shooter to be covered by most big men.
He has grown tremendously in his four years at Wisconsin going from scoring 2.9 points per game in limited minutes as a freshman to being one of the top players in the perennially strong Big 10 as a senior.
He has a natural scoring ability every team needs as evidenced by his 24 point, 13 rebound outburst against Purdue earlier this year.
Tournament production: 18.7 Pts 7.3 Reb 1.6 Ast
3. Marcus Morris, F, Kansas
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Morris could be the most versatile player in the country.
The Big 12 POY can score inside, rebound, shoots 36 percent from the arc and is an improved defender.
His averages might not jump out as much as some of those listed earlier, but Morris is the focal point of KU’s offense and the brightest star on a deep, talented team. Morris is incredibly efficient, shooting 59 percent from the field and can take over a game as shown by his 33 point, 13 rebound outburst in a narrow 84-79 win at Iowa State.
Tournament production: 17.3 Pts 7.2 Reb 1.6 Ast
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2. Kemba Walker, G, UConn
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Walker has been a dominant force for Jim Calhoun’s Huskies.
His ability to create his own shot and make clutch plays against defenses designed to stop him makes UCONN games Must-See-TV. Walker is a Bronx native who shines in the spotlight as shown by the six game-winning shots he has made in his career.
Though often deemed undersized (6'1", 172) he is fearless driving to the basket and has single handedly won more games than any player in the country not named Jimmer.
Tournament production: 23.4 PTs 5.4 Reb 4.5 Ast
1. Jimmer Fredette, G, BYU
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Freddette has carried the BYU cougars for two seasons now, but he has come into his own this season raising his scoring average by 6.5 points.
Freddette has unbelievable range and makes NBA distance three-pointers look like free throws. By far the most well known (and maybe best named) player in the MWC, Jimmer lives up to his reputation as an explosive scorer. He’s been know to drop unheard of scoring totals like 52 on New Mexico or 42 and 43 in consecutive games against SDSU and Colorado State.
Tournament production: 28.6 PTs 3.5 Reb 4.3 Ast
.png?w=480 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
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