Yep, Conner Frankamp. In the tournament, the unheralded freshman was the only reliable source of perimeter offense KU could find — he made four of the Jayhawks’ five 3-pointers in their two games — so the ball was in his hands. Nobody could have reasonably expected that development, but it was the reality of the moment.
Frankamp scored 22 points in the two games, after compiling only 45 points — total — in KU’s first 33 games. That’s how the tournament works sometimes. With that in mind, let’s look at one player from each of the eight Sweet 16 games who could play the role of unexpected hero this weekend.
No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 4 Michigan State, East region
The potential unexpected hero: Mike Tobey, Virginia
My first instinct was to choose London Perrantes, the freshman who has a knack for knocking down important 3-pointers, but he runs the point and is second on the team in minutes per game. So that doesn’t quite work, which leads to Tobey, the 6-11 sophomore who teams with 6-8 sophomore Anthony Gill as reliable big men off the Virginia bench.
Tobey has come up big in some of Virginia’s biggest games. He had 11 points in the win against Syracuse, 14 in a close road win at Clemson and 13 in one of the Cavaliers’ three wins against Florida State. Plus, he had 11 points and six rebounds in the most recent game, a romp over Memphis for the right to get to the Sweet 16. The Cavaliers will need effective minutes from Tobey and Gill in the post against a physical Michigan State team.
No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 7 Connecticut, East region
The potential unexpected hero: Monte Morris, Iowa State
Chances are, Morris will continue to do what he does so well, and won’t get the credit he deserves. But maybe, on the big stage at Madison Square Garden, people will notice.
The Cyclones’ freshman point guard has been an incredibly reliable ballhandler this season — he has 124 assists and just 23 turnovers, while averaging 6.2 points per game on a team with a healthy amount of scorers. Morris had three turnovers in his college debut, an easy win against UNC-Wilmington, and hasn’t repeated that number since. In fact, he’s had more than one turnover just eight times in Iowa State’s 35 games.
No. 1 Florida vs. No. 4 UCLA, South region
The potential unexpected hero: Zach LaVine, UCLA
OK, it feels a bit like cheating to include LaVine, considering how much NBA types love this kid’s game. But the reality is, he’s been non-existent lately, and if the Bruins are going to knock off top-seeded Florida, they need him to play like a future NBA first-round draft pick.
In his past four games, LaVine has scored a total of six points. In his past 17 games, he’s scored in double digits just four times. So, yeah, he counts. LaVine has the athleticism that can exploit defenses — even Florida’s — and he has a decent stroke from the perimeter. Before this four-game slump, he was shooting 40.7 percent from 3-point range (48-for-118).
No. 10 Dayton vs. No. 11 Stanford, South region
The potential unexpected hero: John Gage, Stanford
Coach Johnny Dawkins has plenty of tall trees to bring in to control the paint, and Gage is the first one off the bench for the Cardinal. The 6-10 senior averages 11.5 minutes, but his availability is huge with starter Dwight Powell’s tendency toward foul trouble.
Gage can shoot, too. His 3-point numbers are down from his junior season, when he shot 44.6 percent beyond the arc, but he hasn’t lost confidence. He attempted seven triples in Stanford’s first two NCAA Tournament games, and though he only made one, the boldness to continue firing is an important part of March success.
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 4 San Diego State, West region
The potential unexpected hero: Matt Shrigley, San Diego State
If the Aztecs are going to upend top-seeded Arizona, they’re probably going to need to knock down a healthy number of 3-pointers. And they’ll need someone other than their outstanding star, Xavier Thames, to contribute to that cause.
Shrigley could be that outside spark. He’s averaging just 5.4 points per game on the season, but he went 4-for-5 from deep against UNLV in the Mountain West season, and 4-for-7 against Utah State. In the Aztecs’ NCAA Tournament opener against New Mexico State, he was 2-for-2 from beyond the arc.
No. 2 Wisconsin vs. No. 6 Baylor, West region
The potential unexpected hero: Rico Gathers, Baylor
Gathers is almost never the tallest guy on the court, but he’s almost always the most physically intimidating guy on the court. He’s 6-8, 270, and there isn’t an extra ounce of fat on his body. He goes after rebounds with never-ending intensity, and dunks the basketball with a ferocity that makes you glad you’re not the rim.
Should Baylor need a hustle play to save a possession or a rim-rocking dunk to spark a run, Gathers, who averages 6.6 points and 6.5 rebounds, is the perfect candidate for the job.
No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 8 Kentucky, Midwest region
The potential unexpected hero: Terry Rozier, Louisville
All eyes in this game will be on the stars, and that’s OK. There are plenty of prime-time players who will lace ’em up for this contest. Rozier can/will one day be a star for the Cardinals, though the Louisville backcourt right now belongs to Russ Smith and Chris Jones.
Should the need arise, though, through foul issues or injury trouble or for whatever reason, Rozier — who averaged 7.2 points this year — is more than just a capable fill-in.
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 11 Tennessee, Midwest region
The potential unexpected hero: Zak Irvin, Michigan
This kid will one day be a star for Michigan. He’s struggled with consistency as a freshman, but he has a nice shooting touch from outside the arc, which will be important in a high-scoring game against a Tennessee team playing with a ton of confidence.
In a three-game stretch of Big Ten play in early February, Irvin made 10 of 17 shots from 3-point range. In the win against Texas on Saturday, he made two of his four attempts from long range in just nine minutes of play. Should Michigan get down against the Volunteers, he’s the type of player who can cut into a deficit quickly.
