5 Mid-Major Players That Must Play In NCAA Tournament

Marcus Keene, Central Michigan

This might be the only time anyone says they want Central Michigan in the NCAA Tournament, but Marcus Keene makes it worth it. The nation’s leading scorer, 5’11” point guard Marcus Keene, has transformed from an average shooting guard with Youngstown State to one of the most prolific scorers in the nation at 29.8 points per game.

Keene’s shot selection can be described as spastic at times, but that’s the kind of player who can thrive in the NCAA Tournament on an underdog team. Central Michigan, 13-7 on the year, would need to win their conference tournament and still would face a top 10 caliber team in the first round, so they’d need Keene to play fearless.

Must Read: Marcus Keene: Best Player You've Never Heard Of

Despite being 5’11” and playing in the Mid-American Conference, it’s evident that Keene is not scared of the spotlight and willing to take as many shots as his team needs him to.

His 411 field goal attempts this season is second in the nation and he averages 20.6 per game. Sure, sometimes it can lead to an unproductive game, but other times it leads to Keene recording the first 50-point game in college basketball since 2013.

His couple of appearances on SportsCenter and 50-point game against Miami (OH) has him on the national spotlight a little but playing on Central Michigan doesn’t help. As crazy as it sounds for a player with three games of at least 40 points and a 50-point outburst, Keene still is waiting for his breakout game.