10 Players Who Can Take Over the 2019 NCAA Tournament
Markus Howard, Marquette Golden Eagles
Elsewhere in the West, the Marquette Golden Eagles are the 5 seed behind the offensive dynamo that is Markus Howard. The junior guard looks like a guy tailor-made for the madness of March, boasting a versatile offensive game with a nearly unlimited ceiling.
On the nation's fourth-highest usage rate (37.2%), the Naismith semifinalist has hit 7.4 of his 17.4 field goal attempts (42.4%) for 25.0 points per game -- the sixth-highest mark in the league. He maintained those numbers throughout conference play, as he averaged 24.9 points per game in 34.1 minutes a game. Howard finished the regular season with 10 games of 30 or more and three with at least 45, one time going for 53.
Marquette is 9-1 when Howard has scored 30 points and 15-3 when their fearless leader has tallied at least 25.
The Golden Eagles have a tough draw and are on early upset alert ahead of a first round game against 12-seeded Murray State.