Three Players to Watch in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday

With the bracket being unveiled on Sunday night, all college basketball fans around the nation are turning their attention to Dayton and the First Four on Tuesday night. But I am looking forward to Thursday and the First Round of the madness, and I believe three players are must-watch come Thursday night. Now these names aren’t the most household names with only one of these players coming from a single-digit seed, but when you turn on your TVs to watch the games on Thursday look out for these three to make some noise.

Marquel Sutton, Omaha

The Omaha Mavericks roll into their first tournament appearance led by the Summit League Player of the Year Marquel Sutton, the 6-foot-8 senior out of Tulsa is the leader of this team alongside JJ White and is the key to the Mavericks success. Sutton comes into the NCAA Tournament coming off of a career night in the Summit League Final where he recorded 22 points and 18 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season. During the Summit League tournament, Sutton averaged 23 points per game as well as 12.3 rebounds per game, so you could say that he is playing his best ball at the right time. While not being much of a threat from outside, Sutton’s post-play is at the level of a high-major forward with his patience and shot-making in the paint being great all season. Now Sutton and the Mavericks have a tough task at hand with the Big East Champion St. Johns Red Storm. Sutton will have a tough matchup with the Johnnies All-Big East First Team forward Zuby Ejiofor down low; expect these two to battle down low for forty minutes with Sutton’s success in this matchup being the determining factor for how long the Mavericks can stay in this game.

JT Toppin, Texas Tech

The only player on this list from a single-digit seed is the Big 12 Newcomer and Player of the Year JT Toppin. The sophomore transfer from New Mexico has been electric since stepping foot in Lubbock, with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks in his first game as a Red Raider against Bethune-Cookman. From that point on Toppin dominated the Big 12 conference, averaging 18 points and 8.5 rebounds throughout conference play. Toppin can break you down in many different ways, from his post-game, to crashing the glass for putbacks, and even stretching the floor a little bit where he shoots around 32% from three. Toppin is a finalist for the Karl Malone Award for the best Power Forward in College Basketball and it’s pretty easy to see why. With the upcoming matchup against UNC Wilmington, Toppin will see a matchup against a Seahawks frontcourt that has plenty of size with 7-footer Harlan Obioha and 6-foot-9 Khamari McGriff who are two of UNCW’s best players. This could prove to be difficult early for the Red Raiders but as the game progresses expect Toppin and the Red Raiders to overwhelm UNCW en route to an opening-round victory.

John Poulakidas, Yale

A proven big game player already following his 28-point explosion against Auburn last year in the First Round, Poulakidas comes into the NCAA Tournament ready to lead this Yale team against an SEC foe for the second year in a row. One word to describe Poulakidas is “bucket”, and that was evident in the second half of the Ivy League final Sunday afternoon against Cornell. After struggling in the first half, Poulakidas proceeded to shoot 7-of-7 from the field, 5-of-5 from three, putting up 23 points in the second half to lead Yale to a 90-84 win over the Big Red. But this was not just a one-time event, Poulakidas put up a great campaign averaging over 19 points per game shooting 45% from the field and 40% from three, if it wasn’t for his teammate Bez Mbeng putting up three triple-doubles this year, he would’ve been conference player of the year in the Ivy League. In the first round, he will face a stingy Texas A&M Aggies defense but expect Poulakidas to come out ready to go Thursday night, no matter what matchup the Aggies might throw at him, expect Poulakidas to get his shots up, and for many of them to drop. The matchup between Poulakidas and A&M’s Wade Taylor should be one of the most entertaining matchups of the first round, so grab your popcorn and make sure to tune in.

Bonus Player: Drake Powell, North Carolina

Earlier I did say that my attention was turned to Thursday, but I will still be glued to my screen Tuesday night when Powell and the Tar Heels take on the San Diego State Aztecs. I am interested in watching Powell more so as an NBA prospect instead of as a college player. As a Nets fan, I am invested in Brooklyn’s rebuild and the tournament is a great place for players to stand out on the biggest stage. Powell is a very raw prospect, and although he is only averaging 7.5 points per game, I like his shooting efficiency as well as his defensive ability. Powell is shooting 47.5% from the field as well as 37.3% from three and has shown out as the Tar Heel’s best wing defender. I am intrigued by Powell’s potential as a solid 3 and D player in the NBA and look forward to seeing what he does on Tuesday night.