A review of March Madness: The best performances ahead of the Final Four
Photo courtesy of Blervis /Wikimedia Commons
March Madness’ biggest stage belongs to its brightest stars, as standout performances from Keaton Wagler, Koa Peat, Tarris Reed Jr., and Yaxel Lendeborg power their teams into a star-studded Final Four in Indianapolis.
As March Madness reaches its grandest stage (the final four in Indianapolis), there have been countless spectacular individual performances, but a few key players have separated themselves from the rest with consistent clutch performances, cementing their memorable collegiate careers with legendary March Madness performances. We will be narrowing down the list to four players, one from each of the final four teams, who, instead of crumbling in the bright lights of March Madness, have embraced the pressure and have risen to the moment.
Keaton Wagler:
The Illinois freshman point guard has been instrumental in leading the Fighting Illini to their first final four in 21 years. Wagler, who has only ranked 150th in his high school recruiting class, has proved all doubters wrong this month. But especially in the elite eight against Iowa, Wagler led the way with 25 points, three assists, and two rebounds. Iowa had no answer for his lethal combination of superb interior finishing and slick ball-handling ability. Now in the final four, Wagler has the opportunity to write a few more chapters in his storybook freshman season.
Koa Peat: Arizona Wildcats
Peat, like Wagler, has been the catalyst for ending a lengthy final four drought for his team, the Arizona Wildcats, who have been a force to be reckoned with all season long. The freshman forward has improved upon his excellent regular-season numbers, as in the NCAA Tournament, he is averaging 17.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. He has saved his best for his last as well, scoring over 20 points in both the sweet sixteen against Arkansas and the elite eight matchup with Purdue. The Chadler, Arizona native will be forever immortalized in his home state if he can deliver the Wildcats their first national championship in 29 years.
Tarris Reed Jr.: UConn Huskies
The 6-foot-11, 265-pound center has been unstoppable all tournament long. Reed has been a double-double machine, averaging 21.8 points and an astounding 13.5 rebounds. The senior Louis, Missouri, has been a major reason why UConn will be making its third final four appearance in just four years. If Reed can continue to dominate down low and crash the glass with reckless abandon, the Huskies will have a good shot at establishing a collegiate dynasty under coach Dan Hurly.
Yaxel Lendeborg: Michigan Wolverines
The man who has acquired the moniker of “Dominican Lebron” from his teammates has not sullied the name in the slightest. Lendeborg was named as the Midwest Region's Most Outstanding player, and became the first Michigan player to score at least 20 points in three consecutive NCAA tournament games since program legend Juwan Howard in 1994. Lendeborg’s gravity-defying athleticism and relentless motor were on full display against Tennessee in the Elite Eight. Yaxel poured in 27 points and led Michigan to a decisive 95-62 victory. Lendeborg, a fifth-year senior, will look to cap off his illustrious career by cutting down the nets with the maize and blue.
What is so fascinating about this group of players is that while each is so unique in their abilities and playing styles, they are all in the final season of college basketball. Wagler and Peat, despite being freshmen, have all but declared for the National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft, while Lendeborg and Reed are both seniors in their final years of college eligibility. It is a shame that the final four will be the last time that we will have the pleasure of watching these college legends suit up for their respective universities. Fans will know with certainty that each of these players will leave nothing out on the table in their lifelong pursuit of having the honor of calling themselves a national champion.