by Sweetbob

Created on: March 04, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

The players to watch in this year's tournament are barely out of high school. Players from large schools like North Carolina and Texas will swallow up the headlines, but also some mid-major schools will garner some attention. Here is a list of major players during March Madness:

Brandon Rush, Kansas This sophomore has a group of some of the most talented players in this tournament. Rush is a multi-faceted player, he's more than just a scorer. He can clean up on the boards and get the Jayhawks some extra opportunities. Kansas has under-achieved a bit and can prove that this young team is worth a possible #2 seed.

Kevin Durant, Texas Most eyes are going to be on this fabulous freshman this tournament. Durant, with a good performance, could leapfrog Greg Oden as the #1 pick in the NBA draft, if they choose to come out early. Durant has been described as "Kevin Garnett with a 3-point shot," that is just scary to think about. Durant doesn't have much help on his team, so he will have to carry the team on his shoulders.

Roy Hibbert, Georgetown This defensive wizard will have to keep the opponent's scoring to a minimum, if they want to advance. Hibbert has been cleaning the glass and blocking everything in sight this year. He will need to command respect in the paint and force opponent's to take perimeter shots. If Hibbert can do this, Georgetown could be looking at their best tournament performance since Patrick Ewing was an under-grad.

A.J. Graves, Butler Graves could be this year's mid-major darling. He has a Dan Majerle-like aim from downtown and can score as much as J.J. Redick and take over a game. Butler had some upsets earlier in the year against Indiana and Gonzaga, mostly thanks to Graves' 3-point shot. Butler has unfortunately been too reliant on his scoring. Butler has lost to a few lower-tier teams when Graves went cold from the field. If Butler wants to make it deep in this tourney, Graves will have to stay hot.

Greg Oden, Ohio State Bill Russell comparisons have been abundant when describing this freshman's game. Oden has to make it to the Final Four to validate some of the hoopla. Oden is on a young Ohio team that plays five freshmen. They struggled earlier in the year against Florida and Wisconsin, but since Oden's hand has healed, they have been very dominant. Ohio State should get a #1 seed in the Midwest bracket, playing their opening games in St. Louis should help out. It will take a team that is hot from the perimeter to beat Ohio State in this tournament.

Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina Hansbrough has some experience in this tournament, only one year, but that is more than Oden and Durant. Hansbrough is on a young team with a few key freshmen, he is the leader on both sides of the ball. He will need to be a dominant force in the low-post. It will be difficult when he is facing bigger bodies like Greg Oden, Roy Hibbert, or Nick Fazekas of Nevada. North Carolina has been cold the last couple weeks, I look for them to turn it on and make it to the Elite Eight.

Joakim Noah, Florida In 2006, Noah made a name for himself in the NCAA tournament. Noah could have been the first overall pick in the NBA draft last year, but opted to stay in school. Noah has been under the microscope since his Most Outstanding Player award during the Final Four last year. His every move is being criticized and there is speculation that his draft stock has possibly dropped out of even being a lottery pick. Noah is on a team full of future NBA players, if Noah plays at the same level he has all season, Florida should be the favorite.

Any one of these players could be cutting down the nets. This year's tournament is going to be very competitive.

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