5 Mid-Major Players That Must Play In NCAA Tournament

Tacko Fall, Central Florida

At 14-6, Central Florida will need a great run to end the season to make the NCAA Tournament or will have to win the American Conference tournament to earn an automatic bid. Tacko Fall is only a sophomore so there are still two more years to see him play in March, but the more times the better.

It’s hard not to be intrigued by Fall. He’s not the most skilled player, didn’t play AAU ball and didn’t even pick up basketball until he was a teenager, but he’s seven feet, six inches tall.

From opponents not even attempting to jump on jump balls to Fall barely needing to leave the ground for an alley-oop dunk, watching a player his size play is mesmerizing. Plus, he’s made huge strides as a sophomore.

This season in 27 minutes per game, Fall is averaging 13.1 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game on 78.2 percent shooting. He is one of just 23 players in the nation to average a double-double this season.

Most people know Tacko Fall as “the super tall guy on Central Florida.” That was a fair assessment of his play last season, but he’s become one of the best centers in the nation this season, and it’s not just because of his size. He’s continuing to learn the game and his fundamentals have followed.

Whether this year or in the future, the NCAA Tournament seems like the perfect place for Fall to have a breakout game and dunk over an entire team.