March Madness: The 11 best individual player matchups of the NCAA tournament

You've likely heard over the course of the last few days that the NCAA tournament is all about "matchups" and that's how upsets happen and how title paths are carved out. Digging a bit deeper, the individual positional matchups can be the difference-maker in winning, losing and bracket-busting. Maybe they don't guard each other for the whole game, but their position battles are sure to turn the tide in momentum at one point.

Here's a look at the most intriguing player matchups for the first round of the NCAAs.

1. Bonzie Colson (Notre Dame) vs. Steven Cook (Princeton)

Both standing at 6-5 and playing forward as the best players on their teams, Colson and Cook are the energizers for their teams in this upset-prone 5-12 seed clash. If one can limit the other, it could stunt the momentum for the opponent. Colson, who plays with a Charles Barkley-esque bruiser style, averages a double-double and is tenacious on the glass, whereas Cook is more finesse and crafty maneuvering with his inside-out game.

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2. Monte Morris (Iowa State) vs. Marcus Marshall (Nevada)

In a battle between elite point guards, Morris (16.3 ppg, 6.1 apg) is the key cog for the Cyclones — nearly posting a triple double of 21 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists — in a Big 12 tourney win over Oklahoma State en route to the tournament title. Marshall (19.8 ppg, 3.6 apg) catapulted the Wolf Pack into the NCAAs via the Mountain West tournament crown. He had 28 points vs. Fresno State in the semis. On a March 4 win over Colorado State, he dropped 18 points and 10 assists.

3. Nigel Hayes (Wisconsin) vs. Zach LeDay (Virginia Tech)

Hayes is the experienced veteran of the NCAAs, having played in the Final Four and been instrumental in the Badgers' success for four years now. If they want to advance this year, he'll have to help limit the Hokies' best player. LeDay (16.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg) had 31 points and 15 rebounds in an ACC tournament win against Wake Forest.

4. Derrick Walton Jr. (Michigan) vs. Jawun Evans (Oklahoma State)

Veteran Walton Jr. (15.2 ppg, 4.7 apg) is a big reason why the Wolverines are a sleeper Final Four pick in a wide array of brackets following a Big Ten tournament title, while Evans (19.0 ppg, 6.2 apg) is one of the most underrated players in the country who can fuel a surprisingly deep run. He had 29 points in the Cowboys' Big 12 tournament final loss.

5. Sindarius Thornwell (South Carolina) vs. Jajuan Johnson (Marquette)

Both are 6-5 explosive guards. Thornwell (21.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg) has put up monstrous numbers as a senior, including a 44-point outing against Alabama on Feb. 7. But they don't always end in victories. Johnson (11.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg) molds more into the Golden Eagles' system. How these players contain each other will be big in this showdown.

6. Melo Trimble (Maryland) vs. Trevon Bluiett (Xavier)

Trimble (17.0 ppg, 3.7 apg) had his best season with the Terrapins after being the face of the program for the past three years, guiding a cast of freshmen this year. Bluiett (18.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg) has helped the Musketeers weather the storm since starting guard Edmond Sumner went down. With limited other options, both players have to produce for their teams to win.

7. Dillon Brooks (Oregon) vs. Jordan Washington (Iona)

Brooks, the first-team All-American and star of last year's Elite Eight run, will have his work cut out in a positional battle against a player similar to his 6-7 frame. Washington (17.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg) is the anchor for the Gaels in their upset bid. Iona's never won a tournament game, and the Ducks are vulnerable without starter and shot-blocking specialist Chris Boucher.

8. KeVaughn Allen (Florida) vs. T.J. Cromer (East Tennessee State)

The Florida-ETSU matchup has sprouted upset talk, and this individual guard matchup will have much to do with that outcome happening or not. Allen (13.9 ppg) helps the Gators go, while Cromer (19.1 ppg, 3.2 apg) does the same for the Buccaneers, scoring 41 points in a March 5 game against Samford.

9. Bryant McIntosh (Northwestern) vs. Riley LaChance (Vanderbilt)

Both crafty floor generals who do their best Steve Nash impressions with their style, this will be a nice matchup between two dangerous teams in the 8-9 seed matchup of the West. Northwestern's McIntosh (14.4 ppg, 5.2 apg) is better at creating for himself and his teammates, while LaChance (10.5 ppg, 3.9 apg) leads the Commodores in an equally important way.

10. Jalen Brunson (Villanova) vs. Junior Robinson (Mount Saint Mary's)

Standing at 5-foot-5 as the smallest player in Division I, Robinson is the little-engine-that-could of this year's Dance, as he carried his team to a play-in game victory with 23 points and clutch shooting. Brunson, one of the most improved players in all of college basketball this season, is an X-Factor in Villanova's quest to repeat as national champions. First he'll have to slow down a lightning quick guard in Robinson. Brunson's 6-3 but will be about a foot taller than Robinson.

11. Emmett Naar (Saint Mary's) vs. JeQuan Lewis (VCU)

With much more of a paint precense this year, Naar's numbers dipped from 14.0 ppg in 2015-16 to 9.5 ppg this past season. But he's still undoubtedly an offensive force. So is JeQuan Lewis (14.7 ppg, 4.6 apg) VCU's most lethal player, who will be the catalyst to victory if the Rams can pull an upset in this 7-10 seed matchup.

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