Who are five players to catch while you can?
Kim Demmings, Wright State: You might have missed the Horizon League final between Wright State and Green Bay -- even Demmings missed most of the first half because of foul trouble. But the Horizon League player of the year took over the game in the second half and scored 22 points after halftime. Down 10 points at one point early in the half, Wright State instead came away with its first ever win in Green Bay. Demmings can score off the dribble or at the 3-point line. It is no insult to Kentucky to say the best guard on the court in the first round may be in the other uniform.
Jennifer Hamson, BYU: NC State saw just about every kind of player there is to see over the course of an ACC season, but it didn't see a 6-foot-7 center with the kind of agility and athleticism Hamson possesses. Second in the nation in blocks entering the tournament, Hamson also averages 18.3 points, 11.2 rebounds and shoots 72 percent from the free throw line -- where she tends to spend a lot of time. A volleyball All-American who put that career on hold to focus solely on basketball this season, she is as good as any center in the country.
Tyaunna Marshall, Georgia Tech: Elite scorers for teams in this seed range tend to be inefficient scorers, players who pile up points on a high volume of touches but lack an all-around game. Marshall is the complete opposite. One of the ACC's leading scorers at 19.6 points per game, she not only shot 48 percent from the field but committed just 49 turnovers (against 93 assists) in 1,000 minutes on the court. And we haven't even gotten to the rebounds and steals she comes up with. Enjoy one of the game's underrated all-around seniors while you can.
Rachel Theriot, Nebraska: The Huskers should make it back to Lincoln for the tournament's second week, by seed, but there are no givens when a 4-seed plays a 5-seed in the second round (or potentially Hamson and an upset-minded BYU). So keep an eye on Theriot, who is just getting started as one of the nation's elite point guards. One of those players who seems to be able to move at a casual pace and still be a step ahead of defenders, she bettered predecessor Lindsey Moore in both assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio, while picking her moments as a scoring threat.
Ebony Rowe, Middle Tennessee: She is sixth among active players in scoring and fourth in rebounding. The only other player in the top 10 in both categories at the moment? Stanford's Chiney Ogwumike. That's good company to keep, and it's company Rowe earned both on and off the court. Like Ogwumike, the would-be engineer is as good in the classroom as she is on the court. Her GPA won't help against Oregon State, but what will is her ability to provide a consistent scoring presence for a Middle Tennessee State team that otherwise relies on defense to create points.
Kim Demmings, Wright State: You might have missed the Horizon League final between Wright State and Green Bay -- even Demmings missed most of the first half because of foul trouble. But the Horizon League player of the year took over the game in the second half and scored 22 points after halftime. Down 10 points at one point early in the half, Wright State instead came away with its first ever win in Green Bay. Demmings can score off the dribble or at the 3-point line. It is no insult to Kentucky to say the best guard on the court in the first round may be in the other uniform.
Jennifer Hamson, BYU: NC State saw just about every kind of player there is to see over the course of an ACC season, but it didn't see a 6-foot-7 center with the kind of agility and athleticism Hamson possesses. Second in the nation in blocks entering the tournament, Hamson also averages 18.3 points, 11.2 rebounds and shoots 72 percent from the free throw line -- where she tends to spend a lot of time. A volleyball All-American who put that career on hold to focus solely on basketball this season, she is as good as any center in the country.
Tyaunna Marshall, Georgia Tech: Elite scorers for teams in this seed range tend to be inefficient scorers, players who pile up points on a high volume of touches but lack an all-around game. Marshall is the complete opposite. One of the ACC's leading scorers at 19.6 points per game, she not only shot 48 percent from the field but committed just 49 turnovers (against 93 assists) in 1,000 minutes on the court. And we haven't even gotten to the rebounds and steals she comes up with. Enjoy one of the game's underrated all-around seniors while you can.
Rachel Theriot, Nebraska: The Huskers should make it back to Lincoln for the tournament's second week, by seed, but there are no givens when a 4-seed plays a 5-seed in the second round (or potentially Hamson and an upset-minded BYU). So keep an eye on Theriot, who is just getting started as one of the nation's elite point guards. One of those players who seems to be able to move at a casual pace and still be a step ahead of defenders, she bettered predecessor Lindsey Moore in both assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio, while picking her moments as a scoring threat.
Ebony Rowe, Middle Tennessee: She is sixth among active players in scoring and fourth in rebounding. The only other player in the top 10 in both categories at the moment? Stanford's Chiney Ogwumike. That's good company to keep, and it's company Rowe earned both on and off the court. Like Ogwumike, the would-be engineer is as good in the classroom as she is on the court. Her GPA won't help against Oregon State, but what will is her ability to provide a consistent scoring presence for a Middle Tennessee State team that otherwise relies on defense to create points.
