The college basketball season is through the first week of February, meaning only three weeks are left before March. It’s getting very serious, and so for the teams which are not where they want to be, the message is very simple: Key players have to be more of what they hoped to be before the season began. Stars or vital role players who haven’t been performing at a given level must kick it up a notch or two. Of all the players who fit that category, here are the five foremost examples:
Siyani Chambers, Harvard
There is no doubt that Princeton is the team to beat in the Ivy League, but what is different this year is that the Ivy League has a tournament. In the past it did not, meaning that the regular season champion went directly to the NCAA Tournament. Princeton would have been the overwhelming favorite to make March Madness. This year, though, the creation of a conference tournament gives contenders such as Harvard a fighting chance. If the Crimson are going to upset Princeton and make the tournament, this is the player who must rise to an even greater level. Chambers is the point guard and therefore the catalyst for this offense. He simply needs to be more dynamic and find ways to impose himself more firmly on defenses, making them even more hesitant and uncertain of how to cover the whole floor. A Harvard team in which Chambers provides top-tier production becomes the dangerous force many expected the Crimson to be back in November.
Thomas Bryant, Indiana
The Hoosiers have a very tough schedule ahead, and therefore an anything-but-certain path on the road to the NCAA Tournament. If they are at least going to get to March Madness, and if they are going to morph into the type of team that many opponents will fear in the coming weeks, there is no question that Bryant must be the man. An average of roughly 13 points is well below what Hoosier fans were hoping for. They were expecting at least 18 if not 20 a night. Bryant has come and gone this season instead of being there every game. With James Blackmon, Jr. dealing with injuries and limited effectiveness, it is that much more urgent for Bryant to become a total beast in the paint. That hasn’t happened yet, but it needs to.
Rodney Purvis, Connecticut
The Connecticut Huskies will not be an at-large NCAA Tournament team. They have missed Alterique Gilbert and Terry Larrier, two players they were counting on for a large share of their production this season. If UConn is to steal an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, by virtue of winning the AAC Tournament in March, Purvis – a hot-and-cold long-distance shooter – has to get hot and stay hot. It’s hard to see UConn doing much of anything if Purvis can’t get on a roll. Jalen Adams is a quality player, but he will need some help, and Purvis is his most likely source of support.
Grayson Allen, Duke
This is the highest-profile disappointment of the whole season. Duke was projected to be a national title contender because Allen was supposed to be a player of the year candidate. Instead, he has been ordinary – not a terrible player, but nothing resembling a star. In terms of attitude, effort, scoring proficiency, defense, and shooting accuracy, Allen has not been the vibrant cornerstone of the Blue Devils’ offense. If the arrival of the stretch run wakes him up, Duke could become the major threat most people thought it would become this season.
Moses Kingsley, Arkansas
The Razorbacks were embarrassed at home by Vanderbilt on Tuesday night, and Kingsley was not able to do much about it. He’s an upperclassman on the Arkansas roster and a player who should be providing leadership for his teammates. That has been completely absent the past week against Missouri and then Vanderbilt. As a player, a scorer, a rebounder, a leader, and a teammate, Kingsley desperately needs to overhaul and improve how he plays on the court.
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