Last night was selection Sunday, the most anticipated night in NCAA Division I men’s College Basketball. It is when the basketball committee reveals which 68 teams have made the field to compete for the National Championship. It is a big event as it was televised on both NCAA.com and CBS. This year they made the show a two hour broadcast with more of an in depth look of how the college basketball analysts think the teams will do. Now with every team knowing where they will be playing this Thursday or Friday, the team’s best players will look to rally the team together and make a run deep into March. Below you will find the top 4 players heading into the NCAA tournament.
Coming in at number one, is no other than the front-runner for the National Player of the Year award, Buddy Hield. Hield is one of the most exciting players to watch in college basketball. The Senior guard ranks second in the nation with 25 points per game, and has been the main reason why Oklahoma has enjoyed so much success this season. Hield has eclipsed the 20-point barrier in 22 of the Sooners’ 30 regular-season games and reached 30 points nine times. Oklahoma has not reached the Final Four since 2002, so you get bet that Hield will do everything in his power to get them there in his final season.
Denzel Valentine – Michigan State
Another Senior standout, Denzel Valentine, is also in the running for National Player of the Year. The 6 foot 5 guard is the first player to average more than 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. An impressive stat line to say the least. Valentine’s leadership has also been key for the Spartans fantastic run this season. All of the players admire Valentine’s hard work and energy he brings each and every game. The Spartans will be a tough out once the tournament kicks off, especially with Valentine leading the way.
The talented star out of Providence has been extremely impressive this season and he looks to take the Friars deep into March. Dunn is a versatile players, as he can score and defend very well. He ranks fourth in the nation in steals with 2 steals game and he also averages 16 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.4 assists per contest. He and the Friars will be force to reckon with come Thursday.
Ulis is arguably the best point guard in college basketball. With Ulis leading the way, Kentucky has a shot of getting back to the Final Four for the fifth time in the past six years. The 5 foot 9 first team All-American is having one of best seasons in Kentucky basketball history. He ranks sixth in the nation in assists per game with 7.2 and averages 16.8 per contest. Ulis has been dominant down the stretch, especially in the SEC tournament where he led Kentucky to a SEC tournament title and took home the SEC Tournament MVP. All I have to say is watch out for Ulis and the Wildcats!