NCAA Tournament: Top 10 Players in the Midwest Region
By Shane Black
The 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket has been released, as we are just days away from the start of the Round of 64.
While pre-tournament storylines of teams like Duke, Kansas, and Kentucky dominate the headlines, what makes March Madness special is the emergence of some unknown superstars on the national level.
Last year, Saint Peter’s Doug Edert etched his name in the history books as he spearheaded the Peacocks’ run to the Elite Eight. In 2008, the now 4x-NBA Champion Steph Curry announced his name on the national stage as he led Davidson to the Sweet Sixteen.
Even Power Six programs have players introduced to a new audience, most notably Carsen Edwards of Purdue, averaging 34.8 points per game in the 2019 Tournament.
Over the next three weeks, a new crop of players will inevitably leave their imprint on college basketball. Although it is tough to predict which teams will break through, what I have done is compile the ten best players in the Midwest Region.
The Midwest Region has been dubbed “the region of guard play” due to the talented floor generals that lead all 16 teams in this quarter of the bracket. You may be familiar with some of these players, but others, not so much.
Marcus Sasser and the best players in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region
Before I get into the list of ten, I want to mention a few honorable mentions that are more than deserving of being on the list and certainly have a chance to leave their imprint on the Tournament:
Jarace Walker (Houston), Timmy Allen & Sir’Jabari Rice (Texas), Souley Boum & Colby Jones (Xavier), Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana), Jordan Miller & Norchad Omier (Miami), Wendell Green & Johni Broome (Auburn), Jamarius Burton & Blake Hinson (Pitt), Malique Jacobs (Kent State), Terrell Burden (Kennesaw State), and Tucker Richardson (Colgate).
Seeing all those honorable mentions shows the plethora of talent this region offers. Now, let’s look at the top ten players in the Midwest Region of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, starting with numbers ten through eight.