Wednesday: Top 5 players remaining in the NCAA tournament

It’s hump day, and that means it’s time for this week’s top 5.

As you might expect, this edition will be all about college basketball still as we are in the thick of the NCAA tournament.

I’m all about big time players making big time plays at this time of year, so this week’s topic: Top 5 players remaining in the Big Dance.

   1.  Shabazz Napier, Sr., No. 7 Connecticut: There isn’t a more valuable player in the country thanNapier is to the Huskies. He leads them in points, rebounds, assists and steals. Oh, and he might be their best perimeter defender as well. In the tournament alone, he has 49 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals. And it's not just how he fills the stat sheet, but when he fills it. He’s always doing the right thing in the clutch. He’s also a 87 percent free throw shooter. If you don’t believe how good this guy is, tune in to the TBS about 6:30 p.m. Friday night. He’ll put on a show for you. 

   2. Deandre Kane, Sr., No. 3 Iowa State: If it weren’t for Napier, this guy would be the most valuable player on any team right now. Where Kane goes, so does Iowa State, especially after losing Georges Niang to an injury in the opening round. Kane is big—6-foot-4—and versatile, always looking for a challenge. He plays his best against the opponent’s best, as he showed against Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart earlier this year. Also, like Napier, he’s the man in the clutch, as he showed by hitting a game winner against North Carolina in the round of 32. Look for a superb matchup between him and Napier Friday night.

   3. Julius Randle, Fr., No. 8 Kentucky: When Randle is focused, he might be the best big man in college basketball. He’s big, athletic and powerful when he gets the ball in the low post. He bullies his way past defenders, even good ones like Michigan State’s Adreian Payne earlier this year. He’s also one of just three players in the country to average a double-double this season. Not bad for a freshman. Randle is the focal point for the Wildcats. When he is playing well, few teams in the country can beat them.  

   4.  Adreian Payne, Sr., No. 4 Michigan State: Randle might be the best big man in the country, but Payne is the most consistent. He has dominated the tournament thus far on both ends of the court. He dropped 41 points and 8 rebounds in just 24 minutes of play in an opening round win against Delaware. He followed that up with a 12-point performance against Harvard, but he was an enforcer in the paint in that one. Like everyone else on this list, he is the key for Michigan State to make a run to the Final Four. Virginia will have its hands full Friday night.

   5.  Russ Smith, Sr., Louisville: It’s been fun watching Smith grow in Rick Pitino’s system. He plays with such energy and emotion, how can you not love the guy? This year has been even more impressive, as he has limited his mistakes and increased his assists. He’s averaging the same amount of points—18 a game—but is dishing out two more assists (4.7 a game) and is shooting 47 percent from the field and nearly 40 percent from three. This will be Smith’s last hoorah, as he goes for a third-straight trip to the Final Four. If Louisville doesn’t make it, it won’t be on Smith’s account.

-Rounding out the top 10: 6. Nick Johnson, No. 1 Arizona; 7. Xavier Thames, No. 4 San Diego State; 8. Andrew Harrison, No. 8 Kentucky; 8. Scottie Wilbekin, No. 1 Florida; 10. Nik Stauskas, No. 2 Michigan.

Top Videos:

-Here’s a story on Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg. And here’s a video of him dancing as well. Take a look at both, and smile.

-Jared Allen signs with the Bears. 

-Chris Berman reflects on Bills owner Ralph Wilson, who passed away yesterday. 

Thanks for reading, and look for a my predictions for the Sweet 16 tomorrow in a special edition of The Warden.

Reach me at: award6344@gmail.com

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