NCAA Tournament: Top 10 Players in the Midwest Region
By Shane Black
7. Marcus Carr, G, Texas
15.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists – 42.6 FG%, 36.0 3P%, 77.2 FT%
Fifth-year senior guard Marcus Carr, a First Team All-Big 12 selection, is the most dangerous offensive weapon for the Texas Longhorns. Carr is an experienced scorer who gets buckets from all three levels. He creates separation as well as anyone at the collegiate level and is the guy who will take the inevitable late-game crunch-time shot in the Tournament.
Carr ended the season on a bit of a cold spell but turned the corner with a 17/3/3 performance in the Longhorns’ Big 12 Championship game victory on Saturday. If the No. 2 seeded Longhorns want to reach their first Final Four since 2003, Carr must be aggressive and efficient on the offensive end of the floor.
6. Sincere Carry, G, Kent State
17.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists – 41.3 FG%, 30.9 3P%, 80.7 FT%
Sincere Carry is the name the whole country may know by the end of this week. The fifth-year senior helped Kent State to its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2017. Carry was an All-MAC First Team selection after leading the Golden Flashes in points and assists.
Carry might be the most confident player in the Midwest Region. He averages nearly 15 shots per game and is the type of player that will shoot himself out of slumps. That said, Carry is certainly not a selfish player (his 4.9 assists per game prove that). Coach Rob Senderoff keeps this ball in Carry’s hands for the majority of the game to allow his best player to, well, make plays. If the 13-seeded Golden Flashes make some noise this week, it will largely be due to the play of Sincere Carry.
5. Kris Murray, F, Iowa
20.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists – 48.4 FG%, 33.9 3P%, 73.7 FT%
A Murray brother is once again leading the Iowa Hawkeyes. Junior forward Kris Murray was a First Team All-Big Ten and Third Team All-American selection for the Hawkeyes. The do-it-all forward is a crafty scorer who can get buckets from anywhere on the floor. Murray uses his frame well to create space and navigate the many styles of defenders the opposition throws at him.
Murray is an elite rebounder and can rip and run, sparking an Iowa offense that ranks in the top 20 percent in adjusted tempo. Murray has scored 25 or more points in nine games this season. He is the type of player that can carry a team in March and will have to play A+ basketball if the Hawkeyes want to advance deep into the Tournament.