This time last year, while the biggest shot of his career was still in the air, North Dakota State guard Lawrence Alexander's teammate heard him say one word: "Buckets."
Alexander's 3-pointer did indeed find the bottom of the net, a game-tying hoist against 5-seed Oklahoma to send the NCAA Tournament meeting into overtime.
The 6-foot-3 swingman went on to score six of his 28 points in the overtime period, and just like that another memorable March moment was in the books. North Dakota State would lose in the following round, but Alexander's shot went into a growing database of big-time plays from small-time schools. There will be more added over the next few weeks. FOX Sports South takes a look at some of the top mid-major players -- not including Alexander, who is back and better than ever this season -- looking to lead a Cinderella run during the 2015 Big Dance:
Stats: 15.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 119.4 offensive rating, 68.2 true shooting percentage
First-Weekend Path: Wyoming; Louisville/UC Irvine
If the Panthers are poised to make a run in the East Regional, they will need their 6-foot-8 big man to build upon his standout season. Tuttle followed the likes of former All-Americans Doug McDermott and Fred Van Vleet as Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year -- and he earned it. Northern Iowa grew into one of the most balanced teams in college basketball this season, ranking top-20 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and Tuttle's all-around game had a lot to do with that.
While being utilized on more than 30 percent of the Panthers' possessions, Tuttle averaged 15.3 points on 68.2 percent true shooting (fifth-best mark in the nation). Among players using 28 percent or more of their team's possessions, he was the most efficient. He can rebound, pass out of the post, get the free-throw line and score from various spots on the floor, occasionally drawing opposing big men out to the 3-point line where he's shooting 43 percent. An opening-round frontcourt matchup with another mid-major standout -- Wyoming's Larry Nance Jr. -- promises to be one of the most intriguing of the first weekend.
Stats: 22.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 122.5 offensive rating, 62.4 true shooting percentage
First-Weekend Path: Georgetown; Utah/Stephen F. Austin
Harvey can flat-out score, and he can do it from distance. That's pretty much the basic blueprint you're looking for from a 6-foot 4 guard out of the Big Sky Conference. In general, the Eagles are one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country -- bad news for a Georgetown team that does not defend outside shooting very well -- and Harvey is the No. 1 threat. He's knocked down 108 3-pointers at a 40-percent rate. He's done it against NCAA Tournament competition, too: scoring 49 total points against SMU and Indiana. If Eastern Washington is going anywhere in this tournament, it's shooting its way there.
Stats: 16.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 115.3 offensive rating, 57.6 true shooting percentage
First-Weekend Path: Ohio State; Arizona/Texas Southern
VCU has been in the national spotlight for so long, it feels strange calling Graham a mid-major player to watch. He's a senior whose credentials are not much of a secret. (Following this same logic, it's probably why any number of Gonzaga stars like Kevin Pangos, Kyle Wiltjer or even Domantas Sabonis didn't make this list's cut after the Bulldogs earned a 2-seed. The same applies to Wichita State stars Van Vleet and Ron Baker.) Still, VCU is looking for its first Sweet 16 appearance since its 2011 Final Four run, and with star guard Briante Weber out for the season Graham is the senior leader.
The inside-outside threat is also an athletic piece in a defense that remains a turnover-creating force. Can he help disrupt an under-seeded Ohio State team and its dynamic backcourt?
Stats: 17.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 110.5 offensive rating, 57.6 true shooting percentage
First-Weekend Path: West Virginia; Maryland/Valparaiso
Bobby Hurley is back in the NCAA Tournament, but its the Buffalo coach's frontcourt standout that should attract plenty of attention in the 5-versus-12 matchup with West Virginia. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound Moss is a quality rebounder and shot-blocker, but it's his ability to get to the free-throw line that could cause some problems. Moss draws seven fouls per 40 minutes, the 16th-highest rate nationally, and shoots the ball at a 73-percent clip from the stripe. That's disconcerting news for West Virginia coach Bob Huggins, whose team fouls at a higher rate than any other Division I program.
It's not the most electric way to nearly average a double-double, but if Moss can get the Mountaineers in some foul trouble it could level the playing field and key an upset.
Stats: 18.1 points, 3.2 assists, 109 offensive rating, 61.6 true shooting percentage
First-Weekend Path: Virginia; Michigan State/Georgia
Ask the Ohio Bobcats about what Bradshaw is capable of. Back in late November, the Bruins junior knocked down a game-winning shot to cap a 42-point outburst against them. Or ask Murray State, the 27-win NCAA Tournament snub, about Bradshaw. In the Ohio Valley tourney title game to decide the conference's automatic bid, Bradshaw scored 25 points in an upset that eventually kept the Racers out of the 68-team field and helped Belmont steal a bid.
The 6-foot-3 guard is a volume scorer -- one that shoots 42 percent from long range -- and he'll likely be given the green light against a extra-stingy Virginia defense in Belmont's tournament opener.
Stats: 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 111.5 offensive rating, 54.6 true shooting percentage
First-Weekend Path: Baylor; Xavier/BYU/Ole Miss
Hunter, a bona fide NBA Draft prospect, is a 6-foot-6 sharpshooter with the ability to completely take over a game. After barely missing the tournament field last season, Hunter leads a talented backcourt featuring former Bluegrass State standouts Ryan Harrow (Kentucky) and Kevin Ware (Louisville) into a matchup with Big 12 power Baylor. His season-long numbers (29.4 percent from long range) are down, but Hunter was the focal point for opposing defenses during his junior year. He found his rhythm as the season went on, though. In two of the Panthers' final three games, he topped 30 points. If Hunter catches fire, he has the ability to shoot the 14-seed into the Sweet 16.
Stats: 16.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 108 offensive rating
First-Weekend Path: North Carolina; Arkansas/Wofford
Last season's Ivy League Player of the Year, Saunders is no stranger to this process. The senior has been to the Big Dance every season of his career, including tourney wins over New Mexico and Cincinnati, and he's averaged 15 points in his past four appearances. He's added to his game over the years, becoming a better shooter and passer on the offensive end while becoming more disruptive and forcing turnovers defensively.
In an opening-round matchup with North Carolina, Saunders & Co. will clash styles and pace. The Tar Heels want to run, but it will fall primarily on the 6-foot-6 wing to control the tempo and come up with big plays if the Crimson wants to reach the Round of 32 for the third straight year.
Stats: 16.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 125.4 offensive rating, 62.3 true shooting percentage
First-Weekend Path: Maryland; West Virginia/Buffalo
Valparaiso is one of the tallest mid-major teams in the country, but Peters, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, functions more as a stretch-four that can hurt defenses in a variety of ways. He's shooting an excellent 46.2 percent on 158 3-point attempts this season, he rarely misses from the free-throw line. In total, he's one of the 30 most efficient players nationally. As strong as second-round opponent Maryland has been defensively, Peters offers a unique defensive assignment (not unlike Maryland's own Jake Layman).
Peters averaged 16.7 points in seven games against top-100 KenPom teams this season, but he'll need to be even better to beat a Terrapins team unhappy with its seeding. The Crusaders are a defensive-minded group that typically rely on Peters and junior guard Darien Walker to handle most of the scoring load.
Stats: 14.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 125.8 offensive rating, 65.6 true shooting percentage
First-Weekend Path: Utah; Georgetown/Eastern Washington
Lumberjacks standout Thomas Walkup gets much of the attention -- and for good reason. The Southland Player of the Year can fill up the statsheet. Walkup will be priority No. 1 for 5-seed Utah's defense. Jacob Parker is simply No. 1A.
Walkup unseated Parker as the conference's top player, but the 6-foot-6 senior does one thing much, much better: stretch the floor. Shooting nearly 48 percent from beyond the arc, Parker puts constant pressure on opposing defenders to constantly account for him. His 65.6 true shooting percentage ranks 16th nationally. Facing a Utes roster with a significant size advantage, Stephen F. Austin will need Parker, along with fellow outside shooters Ty Charles and Jared Johnson, to be effective.
Stats: 17.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 125.6 offensive rating
First-Weekend Path: Iowa; Gonzaga/North Dakota State
What's a mid-major list without Davidson? Kalinoski posted 10 20-point games this season, including outings against Virginia and VCU, and he'll be looking to spearhead the Wildcats' first NCAA Tournament win since Steph Curry jumped to the NBA.
He'll have plenty of help -- namely Jack Gibbs, Jordan Barnham and Brian Sullivan -- in what is a high-scoring attack, but when the Wildcats need a big shot the ball will likely end up in Kalinoski's hands. In the Atlantic-10 quarterfinals against La Salle, the 2013 tourney darlings, Kalinoski's buzzer-beater sealed Davidson's tourney resume. Now he'll be looking to replicate that performance on an even bigger stage.
