The top bench player on each Sweet 16 team
When coaches turn to their benches in today's pivotal matchups, who will provide a spark?
Welcome to Sweet 16 Friday! As I look at these eight matchups set for this afternoon and evening, one thing that always comes into the conversation is the question of depth and the role that a strong bench will play. As the stakes get higher, the rotations tend to get smaller, but that means the two or three players coming off the bench have that much more importance, especially when foul trouble or fatigue enter the equation down the stretch of the fourth quarter.
So in this post, I thought I’d take a look at each Sweet 16 team’s top bench player, using minutes/game, points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks as a baseline, while also factoring in recent performance (players that performed better over the last two weeks in their conference and NCAA Tournament games will be in position for a similar or bigger role today). This is not a list based purely on stats, though I did my best to be as accurate in putting this together as possible, aiming to gauge which bench players have been most consistent for their teams, and which ones you’ll want to keep an eye on as you watch this weekend. Enjoy!
Bowdoin — 5’7 G Grace Kinum, 18.5 MPG — I wrote about Kinum in my “Top 10 Freshman Guards” post back in January, and her impact has continued to be felt for the 29-0 Polar Bears. One of only two players that has appeared off the bench in all 29 games, the freshman is sixth on the team in minutes per game, averaging a solid 7.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, and has tallied the third-most assists (54). In Bowdoin’s second round win over Cortland, Kinum shot 4-of-5 from the field and 4-of-5 at the free throw line, finishing with 12 points in 19 minutes. And while she might be coming off the bench in every tournament contest, Kinum is certainly a central part of every opponent’s defensive scout; she has tallied seven 10+ point games since Feb. 1.
Smith — 5’10 F Virginia Johnson, 14.1 MPG — Smith plays a small rotation to begin with, and that tends to get even smaller come tournament time. Besides the five starters, only sophomore Uta Nakamura averages more than 15.0 min/game, and Nakamura played a total of just seven minutes last weekend. So Johnson is the name to know here, especially considering she found herself on the floor for 20 minutes in the Pioneers’ second-round win over Amherst. The sophomore from Minneapolis scored nine points and grabbed two rebounds in the 52-50 victory, and I’d expect she’ll see some significant action against Bowdoin on Friday. On the year, Johnson has seen action in all 30 contests and started two, averaging 5.6 PPG and 4.3 RPG.
McMurry — 6’0 F Jordan Gillespie, 14.6 MPG — The Warhawks have a few candidates for this, but in terms of consistency and recent impact, Gillespie stands out. In watching the Warhawks several times this season (including twice in person), Gillespie capability on the boards is where she makes her biggest impact. There have been instances of solid scoring performances—she notably had 10 points against Colorado College—but her stat line is highlighted by 4.2 rebounds per game, including four instances of 5+ rebounds in McMurry’s last seven. The junior’s 17 blocks are also the second-most on the team. In the first two rounds of the tournament last weekend, she averaged 17.0 min/game, and I’d expect to see Gillespie continue in that role within the rotation.
Gustavus Adolphus — 5’11 F Rachel Kawiecki, 18.0 MPG— It feels odd to put a player with 16 starts this season on this list, but considering Kawiecki has come off the bench in all but two games since Jan. 22, it makes sense to recognize her here. The senior is averaging 23.6 min/game over GAC’s last three, including a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double in the MIAC title win over Bethel. Statistically, she is the Gusties’ fourth-leading scorer (8.7 PPG) and second-leading rebounder (4.4 RPG), despite playing the sixth-most minutes on the team. An efficient shooter, Kawiecki is capable of providing a scoring spark off the bench, shooting 48% from the field and 81.9% at the FT line, and on a team that has just seven players averaging above 10 min/game, having your first player off the bench be Kawiecki is a major plus for the 28-1 Gusties.
NYU — 5’9 G Eden Williamson, 14.6 MPG — NYU has no shortage of exceptional contributors off the bench, but where Williams especially separates herself is on the defensive end. The sophomore’s 36 steals are fourth on the roster, and that includes five games of at least 3 steals, including in the first round win over Gallaudet. Amongst bench players, her 2.6 rebounds/game are the second-most, and on a team that prioritizes ball movement, the Washington, Pennsylvania native averages 1.1 assists per game (31 total). That is the most assists by any non-starter for the Violets this season. Doing those little things extremely well in short spurts off the bench has certainly increased Williamson’s value in the rotation, especially on a team led by multiple All-American caliber players.
SUNY Geneseo — 6’1 F Audrey Hintz, 17.1 MPG — Aside from a stretch in January where Hintz started seven games, the sophomore has largely been one of the Knights’ most productive players off the bench. On a team heavy with height—they average 70.4 inches on their starting five—Hintz adds even more depth for Geneseo in the post. She had 11 points in 16 minutes in Geneseo’s massive first-round upset over Catholic, and followed that with 18 points and eight rebounds in just 21 minutes in a trouncing of Montclair State. I think it’s telling of Hintz’s value that over Geneseo’s last five games, she is averaging 20.2 min/game, on the floor more now than she has been at any point this season. On the year, the Rochester native is averaging 8.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and has 23 blocks.
Randolph-Macon — 5’9 G Morgan Miller, 20. 9 MPG — There is some recency bias in doing this, but I think that’s necessary considering we’re looking at this through the lens of, ‘Who will contribute most off the bench in the tournament?’. While she has played pretty big minutes for the Yellow Jackets throughout this season, Miller’s last three games have been tremendous, averaging 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. The Lancaster, Pennsylvania product had 10 points in the second round win over Elizabethtown and is certainly capable of being a 3-point threat when she enters the game, with 25 made 3s this season.
Gettysburg — 5’10 G/F Skylar Reale, 15.3 MPG — Gettysburg has several bench players that have made contributions, but in just over 15 min/game, Reale has been solid for the Bullets all season. That is particularly true with the rebounding aspect, as she averages 3.2 RPG, the fourth-most on the team and the most amongst players off the bench. Reale shot 3-of-3 from the field and had seven rebounds in Gettysburg’s first-round win over Stevens and added three boards against Western New England in the second round. The sophomore also has 24 assists and 18 steals this season.
Illinois Wesleyan — 6’0 F Caite Knutson, 21.0 MPG — If we’re using recent rotations to form this list, then Knutson is a very easy pick. While she has started just one of IWU’s last eight, her ability to score and rebound in the post is incredibly key for such a guard-heavy squad. Averaging 19.2 min/game over the Titans’ last five, Knutson averages 7.0 PPG and 4.3 RPG and should play a considerable role defensively against Oshkosh’s Kayce Vaile, at least in certain stretches, on Friday.
UW-Oshkosh — 5’6 G Sammi Beyer, 23.6 MPG — A transfer from St. Thomas (MN), Beyer has instantly made an impact for the Titans. While she has come off the bench in all 29 games, she is second in scoring (10.6 PPG), and put up 27 points in the WIAC Tournament final against UW-Whitewater. In her first two D-III tournament games, the sophomore had 12 and 16 points against Calvin and Bethel, respectively. In terms of pure scorers off the bench, nobody in this field of 16 is better than Beyer, who shoots 40.2% from 3 and 43.8% from the field.
Ohio Wesleyan — 5’6 G Mia Guscoff, 14.3 MPG — Guscoff is OWU’s player averaging above 10 min/game off the bench, and she has certainly been impactful for the Battling Bishops in one of their best seasons to date. A stellar 3-point shooter, her 37 3s are third on the team and she went 5-for-10 from beyond the arc in the first two rounds of the tournament. The junior guard played 22+ minutes in both of OWU’s tournament wins over Immaculata and W&J.
Baldwin Wallace — 5’6 G Ava Wilkerson, 17.8 MPG — Wilkerson has been very productive offensively for the Yellow Jackets, especially over the last few weeks. The sophomore shot 3-of-5 from 3 and had 11 points in BW’s win over Washington & Lee in the second round and on the year, has shot 43.2% from the field. She is sixth on the team in scoring (5.4 PPG) and and fifth in total assists (38), while also grabbing 1.5 rebounds per game.
UW-Stout — 5’9 F Rosella Wille, 18.5 MPG — Stout has plenty of depth on the bench, but I think Wille stands out for a few reasons. From a stats standpoint, the junior averages 4.0 PPG and 3.5 RPG, solid numbers considering how many scorers are on the floor at any given point. But where I think Wille really gives Stout an edge is what she does defensively. Her toughness embodies the style Stout wants to play, with a hard-nosed, don’t-give-an-inch sort of approach, and while she’s just 5’9, Stout often puts her up against an opponent’s 4 or 5 (as they did with her fronting Whitman’s Korin Baker in the second round). She is capable of going toe-to-toe with opposing posts who are two or three inches taller, which is incredibly valuable for Stout, who lacks some height and doesn’t have a true post amongst its players averaging 10+ min/game.
UW-Whitewater — 6’1 F Mia Gillis, 20.9 MPG — Gillis has seen considerable action as the season has gone on, even playing 32 minutes in the Warhawks’ WIAC championship win over UW-Oshkosh two weeks ago. Capable of scoring from short-range when given the opportunity, Gillis leads the team in shooting percentage (52.7%), amongst players with at least 30 FG attempts and averages 6.6 PPG. She also comes into this Sweet 16 matchup with 3.4 rebounds per game, and had five in 21 minutes in Whitewater’s WIAC semifinal against Stout. The sophomore also had six assists in Whitewater’s first-round win over Principia.
Johns Hopkins — Layla Henderson, 17.2 MPG — Averaging 7.0 PPG, Henderson has been very consistent off the bench for the Blue Jays, with five games of 7+ points in JHU’s last six. She played 23 minutes and had eight rebounds in JHU’s second round win over Carnegie Mellon, and could see similar minutes off the bench in a Sweet 16 game against Scranton that will certainly test JHU’s depth. Henderson’s defensive contributions have stood out in particular. Her 40 steals are the third-most on the team, and the sophomore has the quickness to defend the opponent’s top ballhandlers, making her a notable part of JHU’s main rotation.
Scranton — 5’11 F Elizabeth Bennett, 18.4 MPG — Bennett has been terrific for the Lady Royals this season, providing a spark nearly every time she checks into the game. You won’t find many bench players that rank second on the team in scoring, but Bennett, a sophomore, has done just that, averaging 11.9 PPG. She scored 14 points in just 18 minutes in Scranton’s first round win over Mount St. Mary, and is second on the team in 3s made (38), shooting 40.4% from long-range. Bennet also tallied 45 assists and 22 blocks in 29 games up to this point, significant increases from her production as a freshman a season ago.
Today’s Sweet 16 schedule
NYU vs SUNY Geneseo | Gettysburg, PA | 4:30 p.m. ET
Gustavus Adolphus vs McMurry | Brunswick, ME | 5:00 p.m. ET
UW-Stout vs UW-Whitewater | Scranton, PA | 5:30 p.m. ET
Baldwin Wallace vs Ohio Wesleyan | Bloomington, IL | 6:00 p.m. ET
Randolph-Macon vs Gettysburg | Gettysburg, PA | 7:00 p.m. ET
Bowdoin vs Smith | Brunswick, ME | 7:30 p.m. ET
Scranton vs Johns Hopkins | Scranton, PA | 8:00 p.m. ET
Illinois Wesleyan vs UW-Oshkosh | Bloomington, IL | 8:30 p.m. ET
» Watch every game live on NCAA.com.