NCAA Tournament: 5 Players to Watch From Mid-Major Teams

Jock Landale, St. Mary's Gaels

If you've heard of any of these players before today, it was probably St. Mary's star big man Jock Landale. In 32 games, the 6'11" center has produced 16.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks across 27.7 minutes. To say he's been instrumental in the Gaels' successful season would be an understatement.

With .295 win shares per 40 minutes, the junior is the most valuable player in the nation to his team, according to this advanced measure. He's accrued 6.5 total win shares on a ridiculous player efficiency rating of 33.8.

If they want to find further success in the tournament, St. Mary's will need Landale to be just as effective against teams not from the West Coast Conference. The 7-seeded Gaels will be tested early when they take on VCU Thursday night.