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2017 NCAA tournament: Here are nine big men that can carry their teams to a Final Four

Crossroads Classic

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 17: Caleb Swanigan #50 of the Purdue Boilermakers dunks the ball during the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 17, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

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One of the great things about the 2017 NCAA Tournament is that there will be a number of great big men taking the floor all over the field.

There are one-and-done NBA Draft prospects, senior veterans, sophomore All-Americans, juniors coming off of career seasons. It’s a wide variety of players on this list, but they are all low post studs who you need to see during the next few weeks.

While many of these guys are playing on teams that expect to make deep tournament runs, there are other elite bigs who might only last for a round or two.

Make sure to catch these guys if you can.

Caleb Swanigan, Purdue: The man known as Biggie as much for his frame (6-9, 250 pounds) as his game (18.5 points and 12.6 rebounds per game), Swanigan might be the premier big man in the country. His production is immense and consistent as he’s registered 26 double-doubles on the season along with four 20-20 games. After spending last year as somewhat of an understudy to A.J. Hammonds, Swanigan this year has emerged as a national player of the year candidate as the numbers he’s put up are not only huge, but they’re also not a product of tempo inflation. The Boilermakers are in the middle of the pack in terms of pace, and Swanigan’s efficiency numbers are all strong, especially his 33.3 defensive rebounding percentage, which ranks third nationally.

Ethan Happ, Wisconsin: Happ is much in the same mold as Swanigan, if not quite the voracious rebounder but certainly skilled, effective and a serious difference-maker on the defensive end. Happ is putting up 13.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game while shooting 58.2 percent from the field. His offense extends beyond just scoring, however, has he’s an adept distributor and excellent on the offensive boards. Wisconsin may be entering the NCAA tournament having just fought off a late-season skid, but Happ is as good and reliable as they come.
Power Rankings 1-68 | Duke deserved a 1 seed | Committee got bubble right

REGIONAL BREAKDOWNS: East | Midwest | South | West

Johnathan Motley, Baylor: The latest in a long line of length, athletic big men at Baylor under Scott Drew, Motley has had a brilliant season that helped push the Bears to No. 1 in the country at one point and his draft stock into the first round. The 6-foot-10 junior is putting up 17.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game after averaging 11 and 5 a year ago. He’s one of the most relentless offensive rebounders in the country, and rarely does a game go by without a tip dunk from him. He and fellow Baylor big Jo Lual-Acuil anchor Baylor’s amoeba zone that will undoubtedly be difficult for teams unacquainted with it to crack this month.

Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame: Colson is a big by position only, as at 6-foot-5, he doesn’t fit the typical definition. His size, though, doesn’t preclude him from putting up big numbers in the post, as he’s averaging 17.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. He’s ultra-crafty and possesses basketball IQ in abundance. He’s more than capable of beating teams inside (54 percent shooting on 2s) and outside (40.7 percent on 3s) while also being a better rebounder and shot blocker than his size and limited athleticism would suggest possible.

Mike Daum, South Dakota State: You may not know the name now, but after a Daum-inant performance against No. 1 Gonzaga in the first round, you’ll probably find yourself Daum-anding a Daum-onstration on why he’s so Daum-aging to a defense. He scored 51 points in a game earlier this year and went for 35 points and 12 boards in the Summit League title game. That should be worth some free Daum-inoes after the game.

Jock Landale, St. Mary’s: The Gaels have largely been overshadowed, not only nationally by in their own conference, by Gonzaga, and Landale’s fantastic season has been underappreciated. The 6-foot-11 junior is shooting 60.9 percent from the floor, averaging 16.8 points along with 9.3 rebounds per game. His is a name to know well this month.

Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga: The man is a mountain. At 7-foot-1 and 300 pounds, there are few college players that can counter Karnowski’s size, but that’s not the only way he’s able to be effective. He’s a 60.1 percent shooter, yes, but Karnowski’s true talent is his ability to pass. Given his girth, teams frequently send double-teams his way, but they are often proven ineffective and he’s able to first diagnose them and then able to beat them with his vision and deftness at moving the ball. His size and ability is one piece of what makes the Zags so seriously good.

Angel Delgado, Seton Hall: Delgado is another double-double machine on this list, averaging 15.3 points and 13.1 rebounds per outing. He ranks in the top-12 in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage nationally, per KenPom, while playing major minutes for a big. He doesn’t offer the same level of rim protection as some of the other players on this list, but his rebounding eliminates opportunities for opponents while creating them for his team.

Lauri Markkanan, Arizona: The freshman 7-footer’s big season helped the Wildcats not only stay afloat by thrive early in the season with Alonzo Trier sidelined, and he’s established himself as quite the draft prospect. The most appealing aspect of his game is the 43.2 percent he shoots on the more than four 3-point attempts he averages per game. He’s no slouch on the boards, either, averaging 7.1 per game.