7 Players Who Can Take Over the NCAA Tournament
Georges Niang, Iowa State
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.