4 Players Who Will Be The Most Valuable In March

The college basketball season is just five weeks away from Selection Sunday, when the 68-team field is announced for the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Which players are likely to be the most critical and valuable ones for their respective teams when March Madness gets rolling? These are not so much the best players, but the ones who are essential to their teams. That is sometimes the same player, but not always the case.

K.D. Johnson, Auburn Tigers

The best player on Auburn is future lottery pick Jabari Smith, but Johnson seems to be the guy who gets the biggest baskets on the team and the guy who rises up when a late-game situation is creating a lot of pressure and causing a sense of panic to creep into the Auburn huddle. Johnson seems to be the stabilizing force who calms the team and prevents opponents from gaining the upper hand. Auburn has lost only one game because of its balance and depth, but while Smith is the high-end superstar, Johnson is the glue guy who holds everything together. He is the one to watch when Auburn gets into the teeth of March Madness.

Andrew Nembhard, Gonzaga Bulldogs

The Gonzaga offense is highlighted by Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme. Holmgren is the elite freshman star who is putting up eye-popping numbers and is progressively getting better. Timme could have been a first-round draft pick last year but decided to come back this year. He is a polished low-post player who demands attention from opposing defenses and makes the Zags that much harder to defend. Yet, the whole Gonzaga offense would not function nearly as well without Nembhard. He is the guy who will often get an open 3-point shot because of the attention defenses pay to Holmgren and Timme. He is the guy who has to facilitate offense with the dribble and make sure halfcourt sets flow smoothly. Holmgren will probably play well in every game, but Gonzaga becomes unbeatable when Nembhard plays well. That makes him the team’s extremely valuable cog.

Dalen Terry, Arizona Wildcats

The best player on the Arizona roster is either Bennedict Mathurin or Azuolas Tubelis, but the key piece is Terry, whose two-way play was instrumental in carrying Arizona past UCLA this past Thursday. Terry is a well-rounded player who doesn’t get as much attention as his Arizona teammates, but he is the least likely to break down or suffer a lapse in a close, late-game situation. If Terry is locked in this March, Arizona’s margin for error increases because the big men don’t have to be perfect. Terry can hold the team together when one of the bigs isn’t especially strong.

A.J. Griffin, Duke Blue Devils

The best perimeter shooter on Duke is Griffin. The other Blue Devil starters and main rotation players have struggled to hit perimeter shots for most of this season. Without Griffin’s 3-point prowess, Duke’s halfcourt offense would not be able to function. Paolo Banchero is Duke’s best and most talented player, but Griffin is by far the Blue Devils’ most valuable player.