Ken Davis

We’ve got a little bit of everything in this year’s Sweet 16. The four No. 1 seeds — North Carolina, UCLA, Memphis and Kansas — are all still alive. But for only the third time since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, two teams seeded 12 or lower have moved on to the second weekend.

History doesn’t bode well for Villanova, the No. 12 seed in the Midwest, or Western Kentucky, the No. 12 seed in the West. In 1999, Missouri State (12) and Oklahoma (13) lost in the Sweet 16. DePaul (12) and Cleveland State (14) were both eliminated in the same round in 1986. Villanova plays Kansas in Detroit on Friday. Western Kentucky draws UCLA on Thursday in Phoenix.

But so many dreams are still alive and Davidson will likely attract the most attention this week. The tiny college that could, the No. 10 seed in the Midwest region, got an incredible performance again from Stephen Curry and upset second-seeded Georgetown 74-70 on Sunday. With a player like Curry, who scored 25 of his 30 points in the second half, and the confidence that comes from victories over Gonzaga and Georgetown, the Wildcats have become a dangerous participant in this dance.

Once again, we realize it’s all about the players. So, in the spirit of Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats, we are here to name our own Sweet 16. Here are the 16 players you should watch in the upcoming regional semifinals — and beyond. We have divided them into two categories: Eight Who Are Great (you should know these guys already) and Eight Who Are Shining (newcomers to the big stage).

Here we go:

EIGHT WHO ARE GREAT
Darren Collison, UCLA: There are so many things that make the UCLA Escape Artists special. Start with their experience and poise. Kevin Love, despite being a freshman, is the most fundamentally sound big man in the tournament. But Collison is the point guard who pulls everything together. He was the guy who took the ball to the hole and scored the go-ahead basket against Texas A&M on Saturday when UCLA won 51-49 in the second round. Collison is the guy who makes sure the Bruins aren’t going home too soon. “Once the time clock goes zero, zero, we’ll stop playing,” Collison says.

Stephen Curry, Davidson: The super sophomore has stolen the show and carried the Wildcats into the Sweet 16. Curry was pretty sensational in the regular season, averaging over 25 points, but he has taken his game to a higher level in the tournament. Curry lit up Gonzaga and Georgetown for a combined 70 points in Raleigh. It’s hard to say which performance was better. Against Gonzaga, Curry scored 30 of his 40 points in the second half and pumped in 8 of his 10 3-point attempts. Sunday against Georgetown, he led the Wildcats back from a 17-point deficit and simply refused to let his team lose.

Brandon Rush, Kansas: The Jayhawks are unselfish and balanced, so there’s no way to predict who will lead Kansas in scoring on any given night. But Rush is the versatile wing man who needs to be productive four more times before he moves on to the NBA. The Jayhawks are counting on him. Coach Bill Self has preached and urged Rush to be more aggressive on offense. Rush, averaging 15 points in the first two tournament games, is doing exactly that. His sweet stroke from 3-point range has found consistency. He is getting into the lane, scoring and dishing, with authority. Despite fouling out in Saturday’s 75-56 win over UNLV, Rush played 36 minutes, scored 12 points, was 5 for 10 from the field, grabbed six rebounds and had three assists. All the demanding rehab work after last summer’s torn ACL will be worthwhile if Rush leaves Kansas with a national championship ring.

Drew Neitzel, Michigan State: When it came to crunch time against Pittsburgh, Neitzel and Kalin Lucas were there for the Spartans. The Michigan State guards scored 21 of their team’s final 25 points on the way to a 65-54 victory over the Panthers. There was nothing tentative about Neitzel’s shot Saturday night and that’s the guy coach Tom Izzo loves. Why would Neitzel play any other way at this point in his career? “This is it,” he said. “This is my last run. So I don't want to have any regrets. I just want to go out there and be aggressive and play the game the way I have my whole life.” That could be very bad news for John Calipari and the Memphis Tigers.

Brook Lopez, Stanford: It’s safe to say Dec. 19, 2007, was a good day in Stanford history. That was the day Lopez returned from being academically ineligible. He scored 20 points and had six rebounds in a victory over Santa Clara and the Cardinal season suddenly was headed up — way up, you might say. Stanford prides itself on defense, a unit built around Brook and his twin brother Robin. But Brook owned the offensive end of the floor in overtime against Marquette, scoring eight of Stanford’s 11 points, including a tough baseline leaner with 1.3 seconds left that gave Stanford an 82-81 win.

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Scottie Reynolds, Villanova: Coaches from the power conferences often talk about not giving the underdog a “sniff.” In other words, don’t allow them to get the confidence they need to stay in the game. Villanova got off to a fast start Sunday on its way to an 84-72 victory over Siena. It was clear the Wildcats wanted the ball in the hands of Reynolds and he was hot early on his way to 25 points. “We wanted to be aggressive and get off to a good start and I kind of lifted the whole team,” said Reynolds, who was 7 for 15 from the field, had eight rebounds and five assists. Nova is in the Sweet 16 for the third time in four years. Villanova coach Jay Wright tried to make it clear Sunday that it was the USA Basketball committee that cut Kansas guards Mario Chalmers and Sherron Collins from the Pan Am Games team last summer — not Wright himself. “Now I have to face these guys,” Wright said. So does Reynolds, who played for Wright but really struggled in the Pan Am Games.

Drew Lavender, Xavier: It seems wrong to single out any player for the Musketeers. Like Wisconsin and Kansas, Xavier really does have a balanced attack. But when it comes to leadership, direction, and taking control of a game, Lavender is the man for Xavier. Lavender scored 18 points, sharing team-high honors with C.J. Anderson, in an 85-78 victory over Purdue in the second round. He also directed an offense that shot 54 percent from the field against the team that led the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense. Lavender is small at 5-foot-7, but his game is so big. He had nine assists and came up with a big basket after Xavier had let a sizeable lead slip away. Lavender, who fought through injuries at the end of the season, also went 8 for 8 from the free-throw line in the final minute. Xavier coach Sean Miller was able to play Lavender sparingly at the end of the regular season, but if the Musketeers are going to get past West Virginia, Lavender will have to play a similar game. “I’m not making any excuses,” he said. “I’m going to go out there and play 100 percent.”

A.J. Abrams, Texas: It seemed appropriate that Abrams made two free throws with 9.5 seconds left Sunday as the Longhorns held off Miami 75-72. Abrams scored 26 points and had six 3-pointers for the second consecutive game as Texas marched into the Sweet 16. The Longhorns now have the benefit of playing in Houston while trying to reach the Final Four. The first test will be against Stanford in a real clash of styles. Stanford features the Lopez brothers inside and a stingy defense. Abrams and D.J. Augustin, probably the best starting backcourt combination in the nation, have been the focal point of the Texas offense all season. Abrams, with his quick release and silky smooth touch is the perfect complement for Augustin, the playmaker and point guard for coach Rick Barnes.

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