In the way: The best player every SEC team will face in opening round of NCAA Tournament
By Adam Spencer
Published:
The NCAA Tournament field is set, and seven SEC squads are going dancing. Six of the seven are the better seed in the first-round matchups.
Only Florida, a No. 10 seed, is outranked in Round 1, facing a tough test in No. 7 seed Nevada. However, upsets happen every March, so the teams would be wise to take each test, no matter how much of a mismatch it looks like on paper, seriously.
After all, even teams like No. 12 seeds Liberty and New Mexico State have some outstanding players and will be hungry for an upset. Here’s a look at the best player awaiting each SEC team in Round 1:
Auburn: Terrell Brown, G, New Mexico State
New Mexico State is a dynamic squad that hasn’t lost since Jan. 3, but the Aggies don’t really have one true star. They have a whopping 13 players who averaged more than 10 minutes per game this year, with all of those guys appearing in at least 24 games.
However, if there’s one guy the Tigers should look out for, it’s the guy who would fit right in on the Auburn roster. Brown averages a team-high 11.3 points per game (the only Aggie in double figures) and shoots 43.1 percent from 3-point range.
Florida: Caleb Martin, F, Nevada
Martin was a transfer from N.C. State and has become a star with the Wolf Pack (the Reno, two-word version). He has never met a long-range shot he doesn’t love, shooting 9.3 3s per game while averaging 19.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
The Wolf Pack have four players who average double-digit points, and as a team, they can light up the scoreboard, averaging 80.7 points per game. That’s good for No. 24 in the country. Martin leads that charge, so stop him, and the Gators might be able to pull off the upset.
Kentucky: Jaren Lewis, F, Abilene Christian
The Wildcats shouldn’t have any trouble taking down Abilene Christian (also nicknamed the Wildcats), but they’ll need to make sure they pay attention to Lewis.
The senior forward averages 13.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He’s a well-rounded player, but he’ll have to deal with an athletic Kentucky squad that has several strong defenders.
LSU: Miye Oni, G, Yale
Even though he’s a guard, Oni can flash some serious big-man skills. He averages 17.6 points per game, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 blocks. He has four double-doubles this year and can explode at any given time.
Against Princeton earlier this year, he scored 35 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, blocked three shots and went 5-for-7 from 3-point range.
Mississippi State: Scottie James, F, Liberty
The Flames have a number of talented scorers, but James is the one who does it all. The junior big man averages 13.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He’s had eight double-doubles, too.
Liberty has proven it can beat talented teams, so the Bulldogs will have to focus on getting James frustrated early. If he controls the paint on both ends, the Bulldogs could find themselves on the wrong end of the dreaded No. 5 vs. No. 12 upset.
Ole Miss: Christian James, G, Oklahoma
James is a story that is becoming much less frequent in today’s college basketball. He’s a senior who has increased his production every year, only becoming a full-time starter in the past two seasons.
Now, he’s a star, leading the team with 14.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. The Sooners had an up-and-down season, but if James is hot, they can hang with anyone in the country. However, the Rebels have a deep backcourt, so we’ll see if James can keep pace.
Tennessee: Rapolas Ivanauskas, F, Colgate
The big forward will be tough for the Vols to handle. This year, he’s averaging 16.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per night.
On the road against Lehigh earlier this season, he scored 33 points and had 10 rebounds and five assists. For the year, he finished with 10 double-doubles.
However, the Patriot League is a far cry from the SEC, so the Vols should still be able to advance comfortably against the Raiders.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
