The fun part about the NCAA Tournament is making March Madness predictions. The event brings co-workers and families together all over the country as they flex their knowledge gathered over the entire season and attempt to turn that into NCAA TO NCAA Tournament tournament cash via pools and wagers on BetUS.
When choosing teams to pull off the coveted upset and become Cinderella it’s important to know which players have the ability to be this year’s Max Abmus. The Oral Roberts scoring machine made headlines last year when he led the Golden Eagles to a Sweet Sixteen appearance, scoring 80 points in three games.
Here are some players who could become household names on the biggest stage come tournament time.
David Roddy-Forward-Colorado State Rams
When you are talking about players that jump off of the screen, you are talking about David Roddy. The All-Mountain West Conference selection from a season ago decided to go bigger his year averaging 19.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. For fun, he will also throw in a block and a steal.
Roddy averaged roughly 15 points and 9 rebounds in last year’s postseason NIT as the Rams made a bit of a run before falling twice to end their quest. He is a three level scorer and does so efficiently from near or far. Over his last nine games, Roddy is averaging 21.6 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 50% from deep and nearly 59% overall. Login to BetUs and put a prop bet on David Roddy.
Graham Ike-Power Forward-Wyoming Cowboys
It’s not a one man show in Laramie but Ike (pronounced EE-Kay) is the brightest star. The lanky left hander is averaging nearly a double-double on the season at 20.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Ike has some handle as well as the athleticism to get out and run the open court. He is not much of a rim protector but he is fantastic on the offensive glass and establishes good position to convert second chance opportunities.
Ike also has some help on the offensive end in teammate Hunter Maldanado. The 6’7 senior guard is averaging nearly 20 points per game himself while being the team leader in assists. His ability to create and score should provide Ike opportunities to succeed depending on who teams decide to key on.
Darius McGhee-Point Guard-Liberty Flames
It may be a bit of a longshot that we even get to see McGhee on the big stage this season as the Flames are going to have to win their conference tournament in order to participate. That said, Ritchie McKay has brought Liberty to the tournament the last three seasons so maybe we will get lucky.
The 5’9 McGhee is one of the most effective shooters in the nation and averaging nearly 25 points per game. He puts up nearly 11 three-point attempts per game and connects at better than a 40% rate. When he isn’t putting points on the board in bunches he is handing out assists (3.6 per game) and grabbing rebounds (4.5 per game) while also leading the team in steals.
In last season’s NCAA Tournament game against Oklahoma State, the Flames were able to stick around despite McGhee’s struggles. He went just 4-13 from the field as Liberty fell by a score of 69-60. He will no doubt be looking to make more of a statement this year given the opportunity.
Marcus Shaver & Abu Kigab-Boise State Broncos
If you haven’t watched the Broncos play this season you are doing yourself a disservice. The combination of Shaver and Kigab has been phenomenal and seems to still be gaining speed. Kigab has been an absolute monster over his last three games averaging 20.3 points while shooting nearly 70% from the field and connecting on six of his eight attempts from deep.
Not to be outdone, Marcus Shaver has been just as hot over his last four games averaging 19.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 47.4% from behind the arc on 19 attempts.
Both players were somewhat afterthoughts last season due to the star power possessed by Derrick Alston. However, they have both made the most of their opportunity to shine this season as the pair lead the team in scoring around 14 points per game on the season. Though they may be saving their best for last as they have been on fire lately. Get to BetUS and start making your March Madness bets today!
