Midwest Regional Breakdown

The Midwest region is undoubtedly the most daunting section of the NCAA tournament. While Louisville highlights the region as the number 1 overall seed in the whole tourney, Duke is a very formidable two seed, as the Blue Devils are 18-1 with Ryan Kelly in the lineup, which includes a non-conference win over Louisville in the Bahamas. As a three seed, not only does Michigan St. have size inside with Adreian Payne and Derrick Nix, but any team coached by Tom Izzo is a dangerous threat in the big dance. To cap off the top four seed line in the region, Saint Louis is one of the hottest teams in the country, as the Billikens have won 15 of their last 16 games with their tenacious defense and pertinacious playing style. The team that comes out of the Midwest region and advances on to the Final Four will certainly have to go through a rigorous path to get to Atlanta.

Key Players To Watch:

Missouri's Phil Pressey:

Phil Pressey, who led the SEC and was 8th in the nation in assists at more than 7 per game, is one of the quickest and most effective guards in the country. Although Pressey is undersized at 5-11 and is sometimes turnover prone by forcing the ball into the lane, the point guard is one of the best passers in all of college basketball. His ability to penetrate and attract defenders allows the Missouri big men like Laurence Bowers and Alex Oriakhi to finish with easy baskets at the rim. Pressey could cause Colorado St. a great deal of trouble in the round of 64, especially if Dorian Green, the Rams second leading scorer, is not fully healthy due to his right ankle injury.

Creighton's Doug McDermott:

Every college basketball fan has become accustomed to watching the panoply of moves that Creighton's Doug McDermott possess. The 2-time Missouri Valley Player of the Year can stroke the three ball, overpower smaller defenders in the post, use his mobility and quickness as a 6-8 forward to score around defenders, as well as get to the free throw line for easy points. Most importantly, McDermott, who is coached by his father Greg, knows how to get open, as his movement without the ball frees him up for isolations and easy baskets. Although the Blue Jays have some nice complimentary scoring pieces like three point threat Ethan Wragge and slasher Grant Gibbs, McDermott, who was second in the nation in points are more than 23 per game, will have to carry a bulk of the team's offense. Creighton and Cincinnati will prove to be an intriguing round of 64 match-up because of the contrasting style of the two teams. While the Bearcats heavily rely on their three guard attack of Sean Kilpatrick, Cashmere Wright, and JaQuon Parker, the Bluejays like to pound the ball inside with McDermott.

Possible Round of 64 Upsets:

#12 Oregon over #5 Oklahoma State:

Considering the fact that Oregon are massively under-seeded, their round of 64 encounter with Oklahoma St. should prove to be a tight contest. Although the Ducks did not receive much respect from the selection committee, the Pac-12 tournament champions should not be underestimated or deprecated. While Oregon can rely on E.J. Singler for a key shot in crunch time, the team is predicated on their balanced offensive attack, as six Ducks averaged at least 8.5 points per game during the season. If Oregon want to pull off the upset, their back court of Damyean Dotson and Dominic Artis will have to try and contain the Cowboys dynamic duo of Marcus Smart and Markel Brown. Although Smart's size is often an issue for smaller back courts, Dotson is one of the biggest guards in the country and he shouldn't be pushed around by the highly rated NBA prospect. If the Ducks are able to neutralize the Cowboys back court, their front-court of Tony Woods and Arsalan Kazemi could be too much for the Cowboys big men.

#11 Saint Mary's over #6 Memphis: 

Although Memphis went undefeated in Conference USA and won 30 games for the first time since 2009, the Tigers have not proven that they can beat high quality opponents. With their only three RPI top 50 wins coming over Southern Miss, Memphis is a team that could face a scare from a hot shooting Saint Mary's team. While the Tigers are much more athletic than the Gaels and could pose a problem on the glass, Matthew Dellavedova is the biggest scoring threat on the entire floor, as the Australian point guard is one of the best shooters in the country. Although Dellavedova struggled from three in the WCC tournament (1-18 in three games), the all-conference first-teamer found his stroke in the Gaels first four win over Middle Tennessee, as he nailed 5 of his 7 three point attempts. Saint Mary's will miss shooting guard Jorden Page, who is out with a knee injury, but Jordan Giusti is a solid defender and will be able to irritate Memphis guards Joe Jackson, Chris Crawford, and Geron Johnson. The Gaels should also be in a nice rhythm after getting some of their early tournament nerves out in their first round victory. However, the x-factor in the game will be Adonis Thomas because if the versatile small forward shows up to play, he is a match-up problem for Saint Mary's.

Marshall Henderson Is Good For The NCAA Tournament

Sports are notorious for creating immortal legends, exalted superstars, and sublime leaders. Names like Montana, Jordan, Mays, Robinson, Orr, and Nicklaus have become glorified for their immeasurable impact in the world of sports. While these renowned and celebrated figures have become the model for legendary status, much like a movie or a book, sports are also synonymous with villains. Every fan has an envisage in their head of an athlete that just gets under their skin with their antics, attitude, and behavior. Whether it is Bill Laimbeer, Christian Laettner, Michael Vick, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, or Art Modell in Cleveland, sports certainly have their fair share of vilified characters. In fact, look no further than Marshall Henderson at Ole Miss to find college basketball's new antihero.

College basketball has provided an unprecedented amount of excitement this season due to the myriad of upsets amongst the top teams. TCU had a 2-16 record in the Big 12, but the Horn Frogs miraculous beat the Big 12 regular season and tournament champion Kansas Jayhawks. South Florida began their Big East campaign with a conference record of 1-14, but their sole win came over Big East regular season champion Georgetown. Penn St. lost their first 14 Big Ten conference games until they knocked off Michigan and put a dent in the Wolverines chances at a regular season Big Ten title. However, while the shocking results have certainly been thrilling, fans have become petulant with the lack of quality players and teams in the college game. Due to the one and done rule, teams are constantly having to recycle their squads because so many underclassmen are leaving for the NBA after just one season. In last year's draft, 5 of the top 10 picks were freshman, leaving a huge talent void at several schools. With so many young players still maturing and developing (see Perry Ellis at Kansas), the parity in college basketball is readily apparent, as many of the top teams lack real star power. Without high end superstars like in years past, college basketball is lucky to have an vivacious and sprightly player like Marshall Henderson in the big dance.

The adjectives often used to delineate Henderson may not seem to have the most positive connotations. The junior guard is often described as arrogant, audacious, insolent, and impetuous, and his on-the-court behavior is subject to much attention, as experts often vituperate the fact that he plays with such much emotion and flare. However, Henderson's in-your-face attitude and fiery playing style makes him one of the most exciting players to watch in the country. His unpredictability turns every Ole Miss game into a unique and riveting experience.

Mississippi's slim victory over Auburn at the end of January began the country's fascination with Henderson. With Ole Miss in the top 25 for the first time in nearly 3 years, their battle with the Tigers was a heated affair, which undoubtedly meant that Henderson would be at the center of the tight contest. With 6.4 seconds left and the game tied at 61, Henderson, an 88 percent free throw shooter, drained both of his foul shots and the Rebels went on to survive 63-61. Following the game, the always spontaneous Henderson ran over to the Auburn fans and began to taunt the student section. Holding his Rebels jersey out and mocking the fans, Henderson began to show his passionate, yet impulsive nature. The polarizing guard had a simple response when asked about the incident, "That was me. That was my heart just going out. Just going over there. We are Ole Miss, take that. You just came here for two-and-a-half hours just to yell and scream for no reason because you just lost the game." And thus, college basketball found a player that was so appealing, and yet so provocative at the same time.

The excitement that comes along with Henderson continued throughout SEC play. The flamboyant and theatrical guard had a game against Kentucky in which he had a heated confrontation with his head coach, and threw ice at his own student section all in the first half. There was the SEC tournament final against Florida where Henderson did the gator chomp all the way up the floor after nailing a fade away three pointer to cap off a 33-15 Ole Miss run to begin the second half. While Henderson's antics are certainly extravagant, it would not be prudent to doubt his passion for the game or his intensity.

Often times in sports, the in-your-face and over ebullient player on a team is not the star, but rather a role player that provides a spark and added intensity. However, the fact that Henderson is Mississippi's best player and is one of the most prolific shooters in the country makes his entire act that much more fascinating. The Utah transfer led the SEC in scoring at more than 20 points per game and was also second in the nation in three point makes at nearly 4 per game. With his quick release and ability to find openings on the floor off screens, Henderson shot nearly 40 percent from behind the arc in Mississippi's 5-game win streak at the end of the season. While at times Henderson's shot selection is not always the best, as evidenced by his poor game against Mississippi St., where he made just 3 of 18 threes, the sharp shooter has the ability to catch fire at any time.

Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy also deserves a lot of credit for allowing Henderson the freedom he needs on the court. Kennedy, who led the Rebels to their first SEC tournament title since 1981 and the program's first NCAA tournament appearance since 2002, has allowed Henderson to play with his unique passion and fervor, which makes the guard flourish and gives the team their identity. Kennedy said, "I think he's [Henderson] been readily open with the fact that if he didn't play with that edge, he wouldn't be a guy that could lead the SEC in scoring... His passion comes from a good place, it really does."

#12 Ole Miss opens up the NCAA tournament in Kansas City against the #5 Wisconsin Badgers in the west region with the winner taking on #4 Kansas St. or #13 Boise St/#13 La Salle. The stifling Wisconsin defense, which ranked 9th in the country in points allowed at just under 56 per game, will be geared to slow down Henderson and will be focused around chasing him off the three point line. However, the entertaining and compelling Henderson will certainly provide some magical tournament moments, and his radiant and resplendent personality are a must watch for college basketball fans.