Syracuse Region Standouts

Hawkeye Hoops posted comprehensive "players to watch" lists before the tournament began. From these lists it's easy to see why North Carolina so good.

UNC has four players who have an offensive rating above 120 (which is very, very impressive). Neither Wisconsin nor NC State have a player on the O Rtg list. Curtis Sumpter checks in with the sixth-best offensive rating in the Syracuse region, so it's clear that he's a major loss for the Wildcats.

Big Ten Wonk has ranked the players on the Sweet Sixteen teams according to a stat called Points Per Field Goal Attempt, which was developed by John Hollinger. Wonk calls the stat Points Per Weighted Shot (PPWS).

PPWS = Pts / (FGA + (0.44 x FTA))

The PPWS list also speaks well for North Carolina, as the Heels have five guys in the top 30, which is more than any other team. Illinois has four.

Some of the guys near the bottom of the list may surprise you: Deron Williams, Daniel Ewing, Hassan Adams, Randy Foye.