You ever go to the gym and see some guy off to the side with awkward footwork who then comes in and dominates your game? That's what the South Region's 3 seed Iowa State (25-8) has in 6'8" junior forward Georges Niang, and the formula works very well, including a Big 12 conference tournament championship.

Niang is essentially a "point forward," and a very good Cyclones offense (95.4% percentile) flows through him. He's scored double figures in 27 of 33 games and is the leader of the team, averaging 15.5 points per game. His leadership and all-around game, though, is what adds value for the team as he passes well (3.5 assists per game), shoots 40.2% from three, and is a solid rebounder (5.4 rebounds per game).

Niang's leadership is the main reason that no deficit seems too big against the Cyclones as they have overcome double-figure deficits in five straight games.