Eight players to watch in the Final Four

After 64 games with drama, excitement and heartbreak, an NCAA Tournament field that began with 68 teams is now down to its Final Four. Oklahoma, Villanova, Syracuse and North Carolina all won their respective regions and are now set to face off in Houston to determine this year's champion in Division I college basketball.

So with that in mind, let’s take a look at two players for each team that could be the difference between cutting down the nets one more time and going home.

1) Buddy Hield, Oklahoma

It’s safe to say that the star of this year’s tournament has been Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield. Averaging a tournament-leading 29.2 points per game on 56.7 percent shooting from the field, Hield has likely cemented his status as the John R. Wooden Player of the Year.

While winning the Wooden Award is an impressive feat, you can be sure that Hield cares much more about winning the NCAA Tournament. In order for that to happen, Hield pretty much has to do two things: stay on the floor and keep his red-hot shooting alive.

Granted, that’s a bit of an oversimplification, but it’s still true. Hield means everything for this Sooners team. If he were to go on a cold streak or miss an extended amount of playing time due to foul trouble, that alone could spell the end for Oklahoma. It’s always dangerous when one player carries such a large load for a team, but thus far, it has worked for Lon Kruger’s team. With two more dominant games, Hield could lead the Sooners to a national title.

2) Isaiah Cousins, Oklahoma

While Hield is unquestionably the best player on Oklahoma, if the Sooners have an X-factor, it's guard Isaiah Cousins. The talented senior can do a little bit of everything on the floor but also has the poor habit of disappearing sometimes on the court.

With all eyes on Hield, it would help the Sooners' cause tremendously if they were to find a secondary scorer/playmaker. Cousins is their most capable option. With the ability to create open shots through dribble penetration and active hands on defense, Cousins is the one player on Oklahoma who can truly take some of the pressure off of Hield. If he does so, the Sooners could win their first-ever national title in basketball.

3) Josh Hart, Villanova

Josh Hart does a little bit of everything for head coach Jay Wright and the Villanova Wildcats. The junior guard can score, play defense and is a tremendous rebounder for a player who is only six-foot-five.

With Kris Jenkins and Ryan Arcidiacono leading the scoring charge, the Wildcats haven’t had to lean on Hart as much as they usually do, but now with a Final Four date against Oklahoma, that will change. Villanova will need its regular-season leading scorer in Hart to be at his best if the Cats hope to win their first national championship since 1985.

4) Daniel Ochefu, Villanova

Villanova’s swarming defense is anchored by Daniel Ochefu in the middle. Ochefu is the only Villanova player standing above six-foot-six to receive playing time on a regular basis. Knowing this, if Ochefu were get into foul trouble, the Wildcats would be at a major disadvantage.

Playing small ball has worked this season for the Wildcats, but without Ochefu in the lineup, even this team would be just a bit too small. Rim protection and rebounding often turn the tide of postseason games, and the one Villanova player who can make the biggest difference in those two areas is Ochefu.

5) Michael Gbinije, Syracuse

Despite being slammed by pundits as a team that should have never made it into the field of 68 to begin with, head coach Jim Boeheim and the Syracuse Orange find themselves in the Final Four. The Orange is the the first 10 seed in NCAA history to do so, somehow making this traditional powerhouse the Cinderella team of the tournament.

That being said, if Syracuse fans are to have any hope of their school winning it all, they’ll need their best player, Michael Gbinije, to be at his best. Gbinije, who led Syracuse in points and assists in the regular season, has had a solid but far from spectacular tourney thus far. However, if the Orange wants to continue to stun the basketball world, “solid” play from Gbinije won’t be enough. He will need to be the best player on the floor if Syracuse is to cut down the nets in Houston.

6) Trevor Cooney, Syracuse

Lost amid the amazing comeback against Virginia in the Elite Eight was the fact that senior guard Trevor Cooney had a poor night shooting from the field. Cooney is one of coach Boeheim’s most trusted players and a leader on the floor for Syracuse.

With the pressure mounting, younger players like Malachi Richardson and Trevor Lydon will need to lean on an experienced senior like Cooney for solace on the court. A few clutch second-half shots from Cooney could act as the catalyst that turns Syracuse’s national title dream into a reality.

7) Brice Johnson, North Carolina

If it weren’t for Buddy Hield, we would be calling North Carolina forward Brice Johnson the best player of this year’s tournament. Along with playing himself into the lottery of the NBA Draft, Johnson has averaged 21 points per game on 63 percent shooting from the field for Roy Williams' squad. He also leads the Tar Heels in rebounds and blocks.

Simply put, Johnson has owned the low post thus far this tournament. If the Tar Heels are to win their first national championship since 2009, they’ll need Johnson keep doing exactly that he’s been doing.

8) Joel Berry II, North Carolina

While Brice Johnson, Justin Jackson and Marcus Paige have all been outstanding, sophomore guard Joel Berry II has struggled in one specific key area: three-point shooting. Berry II, a 37.6 percent three-point shooter in the regular season, has shot just 26 percent from beyond the arc in four tournament games.

Taking into the consideration the manner in which UNC has steamrolled its competition thus far, if Berry II were to catch fire from three, it’s difficult to envision a scenario in which the Tar Heels wouldn’t win their sixth national championship.