The Unsung Difference-Makers on the Top 10 College Hoops Teams

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The Olympics are done and dusted and we've now turned the calendar to March. Any sports fan with a pulse is preparing for Spring's version of Christmas, otherwise known as March Madness. This season has an aura of the unknown as juggernaut teams don't exist like in recent years. Just last week five teams in the AP poll's top 10 felt the agony of defeat.

This sense of the unknown is also common to the players involved since the NCAA Tournament often provides a showcase for off-the-radar players to rise to the occasion. With less than two weeks left before the brackets are announced, let's take a look at which unsung players are essential to the title runs of who I think are the 10 best teams in the country.

10. Wisconsin: Jordan Taylor
Taylor was thrust into the starting lineup when Jon Leuer got hurt and he's held onto the spot at Tim Jarmusz's expense upon Leuer's return. Wisconsin's basketball program has never been blessed with as many scoring options as the K Klub on a Saturday night (especially if you're wearing your drinking glove), so Taylor's ability to light it up as he did recently against Purdue and Penn State will likely be required again.

9. Purdue: Lewis Jackson
Times are somber in West Lafayette these days as the team adjusts to life without star Robbie Hummel. The Boilermakers' best bet for success going forward is to surround JaJuan Johnson with four guards. LewJack is the closest thing Purdue has to a true point guard, but he has yet to show the decision making necessary to give me complete faith in his ability. If Purdue hopes to not falter post-Hummel, Jackson will need to take the next step in his development in spite of missing a good chunk of the season himself.

8. West Virginia: Joe Mazzulla
Those who remember NCAA tournament upsets of years past remember Mazzulla for singlehandedly leading the Mountaineers to an upset of Duke in 2008. So much has changed for Mazzulla since then as last year's shoulder injury still prevents him from being the player he once was. You might wonder how a player whose high scoring game this year was a six-point effort against Notre Dame can be his team's key to tournament success. The reason he's here is because of his leadership (I don't trust Truck Bryant's play at PG just yet), his defense, and a set of onions that would make Bill Raftery proud.

7. Villanova: Corey Stokes
Anyone who watched Saturday night's surprisingly lopsided contest between 'Cuse and 'Nova might wonder if Corey Stokes' disappearing act -- just three points in the loss -- was a result of his public urination ticket two days before or a defensive maneuver by Jay Wright to get more height in the starting lineup. Stokes' shooting hasn't been as crisp this year, but he's added the ability to leave some lingerie on the deck by scoring off the dribble. Nova is incredibly deep, but Stokes' experience and offensive ability will be needed because it seems like Nova's defense prevents them from doing anything other than outplaying the other team's offense to garner victories.

6. Ohio State: Dallas Lauderdale
Everyone knows Ohio State as the Evan Turner show (and rightfully so as Turner deserves serious Player of the Year consideration), but the surrounding parts play a very important role as well. Lauderdale is more important than all the rest because what surrounds him are a cast of characters who all share very similar dimensions. Lauderdale is the only skilled big for a team with extremely limited depth so he can't afford foul trouble, poor play, or any other road bump that might get in his way.

5. Duke: Brian Zoubek
Duke's big three of Scheyer, Singler, and Smith have carried the team offensively all season, but its recent surge in play has come due to the increased performance of cult hero Zoubek. Big Z's greatest gift is his height and it's shown in the last five games as he's put up some monstrous rebounding efforts. If Zoubek can stay out of foul trouble and provide the same level of play going forward, he'll not only earn himself a future NBDL contract, but will also give Duke the chance to return to their first Final Four since 2004.

4. Kansas State: Curtis Kelly
Frank Martin has had his crew rolling like real Cubans and not some Dominican imposters as they've quietly gone about their business since losing to Kansas in The Octagon seven games ago. They'll have their chance at redemption this week, but they should still have their eyes on a larger prize as they're eminently capable of cutting down the nets. In his first year as as Wildcat since transferring from UConn, Kelly has shown flashes of brilliance. And since K State's guards will be the focus of any defense they face, Kelly's length and athleticism will need to be on display to keep any opponent honest.

3. Kentucky: Patrick Patterson
Two years ago one never would've thought Patrick Patterson would become a forgotten man. Freshmen John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins have stolen the attention from the national media, but it's the upperclassman Patterson that will need to lead the troops come tournament time. Cousins has the mental stability of that ex-girlfriend who stalks your Facebook account, so Patterson will need to continue to mentor him and score in the paint should Cousins fall off the tracks.

2. Syracuse: Kris Joseph
Coach Jim Boeheim likes to say his team has seven starters and while the rule books dictate otherwise, it's hard to argue with the fact that all seven players Boeheim is referring to have the ability to score. While Joseph won't hit the mainstream until his role increases on next year's team, he's shown the ability to be the team's star scorer when called upon. His 23-point performance against Providence when Wesley Johnson got injured might need to be replicated a few weeks from now and Joseph seems ready to answer the call.

1. Kansas: Xavier Henry
Coming out of the womb with arrogance befitting of a musketeer, Xavier has let the public know he'd like his name pronounced with a French accent as opposed to the university in Ohio with the same spelling. Henry didn't adjust well to the beginning of conference play, but he's averaged 18 points in the last six games to show he's ready for primetime. The Jayhawks will need Henry to score because their frontline seems to find foul trouble and Sherron Collins has been off in recent games.