NCAA tournament Sweet 16: Most important players for every March Madness team

Basketball is undoubtedly a team game, but March Madness always has room for star players who can take over with highlight-reel, buzzer-beating heroics.

Now that we're down to 16 teams in the NCAA tournament, there will be players who are crucial for their team's advancement to the Elite Eight — either because of their takeover abilities or game-changing style of play.

Some might be stars, some might be unsung heroes. USA TODAY Sports tracks every Sweet 16 team's most important player (in no particular order). 

Cameron Krutwig, Loyola-Chicago. There's no star player on the Ramblers' roster, and that's what makes them so dangerous. There's a plethora of weapons at coach Porter Moser's disposal. But for the hot-shooting guards to be successful on the perimeter, there has to be a little inside-out game. That's where 6-9 center Krutwig (10.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg), a true freshman who plays like a senior, comes in. His passing skills are exceptional for a big man, and his defense against the athletic bigs of Miami and Tennessee paved the way for this Cinderella's buzzer-beating wins. 

Cody Martin, Nevada. Caleb Martin has been the Wolf Pack's leading scorer and alpha dog all season, but in the team's stunning 22-point comeback against Cincinnati, it was twin brother Cody Martin (13.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.7 apg) who sparked the resurgent Wolf Pack. Martin does a little of everything to help this team win and he'll likely be the player to step up if his brother and elite scorer Jordan Caroline aren't on their A-game against Loyola. 

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Tyler Davis, Texas A&M. Davis pairs with Robert Williams to make the Aggies' twin towers presence for this team's formidable frontcourt. But it was Davis' offense (18 points, nine rebounds) that fueled a dominant win over North Carolina in the second round. He'll need another big performance against Michigan. 

Mortiz Wagner, Michigan. Jordan Poole's buzzer-beater helped the Wolverines prevail over Houston, but in order for Michigan to get to the Elite Eight it's going to need better production from the 6-11 big man. Wagner is averaging just 8.5 points in the tournament. 

Dean Wade, Kansas State. The Wildcats survived without their leading scorer in wins over Creighton and UMBC to get to the Sweet 16. But Wade, who said he's "98% sure" he will play against Kentucky after dealing with a foot injury, could give this team enough offensive firepower to pull off a big upset over the heavily-favored Wildcats. He averages 16.5 points and 6.3 rebounds. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kentucky. The Wildcats guard came up big with 27 points, six assists and six rebounds in Kentucky's second-round win over Buffalo. He also was huge in UK's SEC tournament title game against Tennessee, finishing with 29 points and seven assists. The better Gilgeous-Alexander plays, the better Kentucky plays. 

Terance Mann, Florida State. The junior guard wasn't expected to play against Xavier due to a groin injury. However, he opted to play and came up big for FSU by scoring 10 points, including some crucial baskets to help the Seminoles take down a No. 1 seed. 

Zach Norvell Jr., Gonzaga. The freshman guard put the team on his back in a second-round win over Ohio State, finishing with 28 points and 12 rebounds. Norvell is really blossoming as a playmaker in March. He'll also draw a tough defensive assignment in trying to slow Florida State's guards in the 'Zags' Sweet 16 matchup against the Seminoles. 

Gabe DeVoe, Clemson. The 6-3 senior guard helped pilot a 31-point blowout win vs. Auburn in the second round, finishing with 22 points. He and the rest of the Tigers' backcourt will be tasked with slowing Big 12 player of the year Devonte' Graham, an elite scorer who usually needs to play well for Kansas to win. 

Udoka Azubuike, Kansas. Coach Bill Self put it out bluntly following the Jayhawks' win over Seton Hall in the second round. "If Udoka wasn't able to come back from his injury, we don't win." The 7-foot big man missed Kansas' three Big 12 tournament games with a knee injury. His re-emergence was crucial in helping KU get to the Sweet 16. His presence in the paint, for an undersized team, can be a difference-maker against Clemson. 

Jevon Carter, West Virginia. The All-American guard is the Mountaineers' best offensive catalyst, averaging 17.4 points and 6.6 assists. He also is a tenacious ballhawk on the defensive end. To beat Villanova, Carter will have to frustrate national player of the year Jalen Brunson in the same fashion he did Oklahoma's Trae Young during Big 12 play. 

Donte DiVincenzo, Villanova. Brunson and NBA talent Mikal Bridges will dominate most of the attention, but DiVencenzo's offense and three-point shooting will be key for the Wildcats to escape West Virginia. His ball handling also will be needed for WVU's press. 

Tyus Battle, Syracuse.  The Orange only has three capable scorers (and Battle is one of them) and relies heavily on its effective 2-3 zone. So, Battle will have to take on the scoring load and hit clutch shots — as he did against Michigan State in the second round, for this No. 11 seed to keep its unexpected tourney run going.  

Trevon Duval, Duke. The Blue Devils' point guard doesn't demand the same type of attention as All-Americans Marvin Bagley III or Grayson Allen, but it's Duval who has the ball in his hands a lot in close-game situations. His playmaking can be a difference-maker by getting into the seams of Syracuse's 2-3 zone. Duval averages 10.2 points and 5.6 assists, and he's given coach Mike Krzyzewski a true point guard that he was lacking last season when the Blue Devils bowed out in the second round. 

Keenan Evans, Texas Tech. The senior guard hasn't been at 100% while dealing with a turf toe injury, but he's been a warrior and the spark plug during the Red Raiders' advancement. In TTU's close win over Florida, it was Evans who drained a tie-breaking three-pointer with 2½ minutes left and assisted Zhaire Smith for an alley-oop with 30 seconds remaining. If it's close late in the game, Texas Tech will have the ball in his hands. 

Matt Haarms, Purdue. With Isaac Haas sidelined with an elbow injury, backup 7-footer Haarms is the next man up and will have the most important role in Purdue's Sweet 16 clash against Texas Tech. A 7-3 freshman, Haarms played well through 29 minutes to help the Boilermakers advance past Butler. He's certainly not as good as Haas, but he probably can do enough to help Purdue advance. 

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