Players to watch in the Final Four

Brown has been simply outstanding this tournament. He's averaging 18.3 points and hitting 47 percent of his threes during the dance and was nearly unstoppable against Kentucky. And to think that his horrible foul on New Mexico State's Terrell Brown in the first round nearly ended the Tigers' season weeks ago. 

One of the most impressive things about the freshman Clark came during the Cavaliers' win over Purdue in the South Region final. As the Boilermakers' Carsen Edwards was hitting everything during the game, Virginia benched the young Clark for the second half to try something different. That could easily shake anyone's confidence, but there was Clark running down a tip out and throwing an unbelievably perfect pass to Mamadi Diakite for the game-tying shot. In overtime, there was Clark in Edwards' face slowing him down enough to help Virginia pull out the win. 

Even if you haven't watched a second of Texas Tech basketball this season, it won't take long to figure out Culver is the focal point of the Red Raiders offense. He takes a bulk of Tech's shots and is the team playmaker. Not much happens without his fingerprints on it. That goes on the defensive side of things, too, where he's one of the best defenders in the nation. He is a likely lottery pick in the NBA Draft if he comes out and could be the name you hear the most in Minneapolis. No player has more on his shoulders than Culver. 

If Virginia wins its first NCAA championship, Diakite may not have to buy his own dinner in Charlottesville again. His tip out of a missed free throw and subsequent shot at the buzzer to tie the regional final against Purdue goes down as one of the greatest sequence of events in this tournament. When watching Virginia play, you can see his blond hair mixing it up in the paint all game. He's earned back his starting job and has rewarded Tony Bennett with 13 points and nine rebounds per game during the tournament. 

With Chuma Okeke out for the tournament after tearing his ACL against North Carolina, Dunbar's workload got a bit heavier. He hit three huge threes against the Tar Heels to create separation in the upset win and will be relied on in Minneapolis. He will need to stay out of foul trouble, which he wasn't able to do against Kentucky. While the Tigers' quick guards are whizzing around the court, Dunbar will need to mix it up and get open for more of those dagger threes. 

Francis is the Red Raiders' scoring punch off the bench. Sure, he's scored in double figures only seven times this season but he scores in a variety of ways and, yes, he does a great job defensively. He is best known for the emotional viral video of reuniting with his mom, whom he hadn't seen in two years, on senior night. 

With Nick Ward hampered a bit by a hand injury, Goins has been asked to play big minutes and be a force on the glass. He has certainly stepped up to the task, as he has averaged over nine rebounds per game during the tournament. His shot has been off during March Madness (he is just 12-of-46 from three since the end of the regular season), but he hit the biggest shot of the Spartans season with the go-ahead three against Duke. He's also played 140 of 160 possible minutes during the tournament. 

Kyle Guy is the (smiling) face of Virginia basketball. He is the Cavs' leading scorer and their deadly three-point threat. While he's struggled during the tournament with his shot (he's just 8-of-38 from behind the arc), he did have a hot streak against Purdue to keep them in the game. If he figures out his shot in Minneapolis, it may be hard to pry the championship trophy from Virginia's hands. 

Harper has broken out during the tournament. He's averaging 17.5 points per game, topped off with 26 points against Kentucky in the Midwest Region final. His blazing speed has been so difficult for defenders to contain, and he's been available to get pretty much anywhere he wants. His threes haven't been falling at the rate they did during the season, but he's getting to the basket at will and, like his 11 assists against North Carolina show, he's been great at distributing the basketball and has been a pest on the defensive end.

Most people know Henry as the player who was the subject of Tom Izzo's wrath during Michigan State's close win over Bradley in the first round, but the freshman has been a major player during this Final Four run. Against LSU in the Sweet 16, Henry poured in a career-high 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting and added eight rebounds and six assists. While he only scored four points against Duke, he chimed in with four assists, three rebounds, a block and a steal. He does a little of everything on the floor as a talented wing who also picks up some tough defensive assignments. 

Everyone seems to forget that when Virginia lost to UMBC in last year's tournament, its fantastic freshman Hunter was injured and could not play. He's back this year and has been huge for the Cavaliers as their do-everything talent. He's the guy who can score, pass, rebound and defend — giving Virginia whatever it needs. Against Gardner-Webb in the first round, he lifted the Wahoos with 23 points to avoid a second straight embarrassing tournament loss. The ACC's Defensive Player of the Year can stick with guards or bang with the big men. He is likely to be the first player in this Final Four to be drafted this June. 

Ty Jerome is Virginia's best passer and has been its most reliable three-point threat during the tournament. He is the guy with the confidence to shoot deep threes at big moments while picking up tough defensive assignments on the other end. He's also the most vocal of the Cavaliers who even admitted he wasn't trying to miss the free throw that led to the stunning play that tied their game with Purdue at the end of regulation. While teams are dealing with De'Andre Hunter and Kyle Guy, there's Jerome hitting a dagger. 

This may sound like a broken record, but the Tigers need to have their role guys step up to replace the scoring, rebounding and defense that Chuma Okeke provided. McLemore can be that guy. His playing time went up against Kentucky, he's done a good job on the glass and even blocked two shots against the Wildcats. He's done a fine job of just being a nuisance and needs to continue his play against a disciplined and patient Virginia team. 

When Joshua Langford went down with a season-ending injury, the senior McQuaid was counted on to pick up some of the slack. He's done a fine job, averaging nearly 10 points per game this season and has become a deadly threat from three-point range. While he hasn't been a major scorer during the tournament, he's made some big plays along the way. (His pirouette layup against Duke was nice.) Even if his shot isn't going down, he's a good defender, and the threat of him warming up (he did score 27 points against Michigan in the Big Ten title game) creates space for his teammates.  

Mooney took a long route to get to the 2019 Final Four. He spent two years at Air Force — one as a player and another as a cadet — then transferred out due to not fitting into the culture there. Mooney would move on to South Dakota and became one of the best players in the Summit League but was overshadowed by South Dakota State's Mike Daum. After head coach Craig Smith left for Utah State, Mooney decided to become a graduate transfer and landed at Texas Tech. He has become a pesky backcourt defender for the Red Raiders and a sound ball handler.

The sophomore has stepped nicely into the role of a perimeter threat (hitting 46 percent this season) and secondary scoring option. He complements Jarrett Culver well by making defenses honest in their defensive principles. He doesn't just possess a Euro offensive game, but he's also become a fine defender. He's been a guy who is the cold-blooded assassin for the Red Raiders this season. 

Like his teammate Matt Mooney, Owens took a winding road to get to Lubbock. He began his collegiate career at Tennessee before transferring to St. John's. After becoming a difference maker his junior year, he also used the graduate transfer rule to go to Texas Tech. Now he's developed into a great shot blocker (he alters many others) and a much more efficient scorer. Just ask Gonzaga how scary he can be.

Auburn needs some extra scoring with Chuma Okeke out for the Final Four, and Purifoy may be the guy who shows up for them. Against North Carolina and Kentucky last weekend, he hit 6-of-12 from three and played 32 minutes (easily a season high) against the Wildcats. 

Tillman has been the guy doing the grit work inside for Tom Izzo and the Spartans. Against Duke he piled up 19 points and nine rebounds, continuing his outstanding work on the glass this postseason. He's averaging 8.5 boards during the NCAA Tournament. However, it is his offense that has taken a surprising surge, averaging 15.3 ppg — a five-point uptick. With some good paint players in the Final Four, Tillman will be a key cog toward a national championship. 

Winston has been the heart and the soul of this Spartans team. He's reliable with the ball, both as a scorer and a playmaker. He rarely turns it over and is a solid three-point shooter. He's everything you want your floor general to be...and more. Against Duke he scored 20 points, had four steals, dropped 10 assists and had just one turnover.