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The best individual performances from the NCAA Tournament sometimes remain part of our memories as much as what we remember about eventual national champions. The Big Dance is college basketball’s biggest stage, and there’s something special about a player putting the team on his back in a win-or-go-home situation. 

Sometimes it’s desperation, sometimes it’s just dominance; we’ve ranked the top individual performances from the 2017 NCAA Tournament to this point, taking stats, stage and stakes into consideration. 

10. Devin Robinson, Florida (First round vs. ETSU) 

More engaged than maybe ever since arriving at Florida, Robinson has jumped outside his comfort zone, raised his level of defensive play and been a huge key in the Gators getting to the Sweet 16. Robinson, at 6-feet-8, 200 pounds, with handles and an NBA-ready offensive game, has never matched the star rating he carried out of high school until this season, but he looked every bit the part dropping 24 points on East Tennessee State to go with seven rebounds and two blocks. 

9. Bronson Koenig, Wisconsin (First round vs. Virginia Tech)

Koenig just gets bigger in March. Wisconsin’s point guard hit some huge shots in the upset win against Villanova but he was a monster against Virginia Tech, totaling 28 points (a new career high) in a hard-fought 10-point win. He has been here before, reaching the Sweet 16 in 2016 and the Final Four in ‘14 and ‘15, and the experience shows. 

8. Lonzo Ball, UCLA (Second round vs. Cincinnati)

UCLA played poorly in the first half and was lucky to be down only three points at the break. As he did during a similar situation earlier this season versus Oregon, Ball turned it on after halftime and led the Bruins to a huge win. Ball had 18 points, nine assists and seven rebounds against the Bearcats, but there’s definitely a feeling his best NCAA tourney performances could be coming at the end of the week in Memphis, and possibly beyond. 

7. Jevon Carter, West Virginia (Second round vs. Notre Dame)

It’s really startling to see Notre Dame’s offense in fits, totally out of sync and struggling to find its rhythm. West Virginia did a perfect job of disrupting everything that Mike Brey’s “get old and stay old” program wants to do, using their pressure defense to squeeze the life out of the Irish in the second-round win. One of West Virginia’s best players down the stretch, Carter was the best Mountaineer vs. ND, logging 37 minutes and burying four 3-pointers en route to 24 points. 

6. Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina (Second round vs. Duke)

When Thornwell committed to South Carolina in 2012, he had other options. Four-star prospects coming out of Oak Hill Academy usually do, but the Lancaster, South Carolina, native wanted to play in his home state. With 29 points in the comeback win against Marquette and 24 points in the upset of Duke, he has etched himself into school history forever as the face of the Gamecocks’ first NCAA Tournament run -- and only sixth overall appearance -- since 1973. 

5. Tyler Dorsey, Oregon (Second round vs. Rhode Island)

All he does these days is hit huge shots. Dorsey hit two 3-pointers in the final two minutes, finished with 27 points against Rhode Island to put the Ducks in a second straight Sweet 16, eyeing a Final Four run despite losing Chris Boucher in the Pac-12 tournament. Dorsey is averaging 13.4 points, but has scored 20-plus in every postseason appearance (five games), going 9 for 10 from the field Sunday. Oregon’s hopes used to ride or die with Dillon Brooks, but now Dorsey is another game-changer and makes the Ducks a worthy foe in Kansas City. 

4. Trevon Bluiett, Xavier (First round vs. Maryland)

He had more points (29) during Xavier’s second-round blowout win of Florida State, but his 3-point shooting against Maryland was far more impressive. It’s clear that Chris Mack has given Bluiett, a 37.8 percent shooter from long range, the green light. A couple of times, Bluiett has ripped through opponents from behind the arc. Sometimes he catches fire for a half, sometimes for a whole game, but it’s always fun for everyone but the other team. Against Maryland he connected on 5 of 10 3s and scored 21 points. Against FSU he hit on 3 of 5 3s with 29 points. In terms of high-volume shooters, Blueiett is the most dangerous offensive weapon remaining in the West Region. 

3. Caleb Swanigan, Purdue (Second round vs. Iowa State)

His National Player of the Year case will be made before, during and after Thursday’s regional semifinal against Kansas. But no matter how that goes, there is no doubt Swanigan has been the country’s best big man. He had his hands full on the defensive end against Deonte Burton as Iowa State tried to rally from 19 points down in the second round but fell short as Swanigan had 20 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, a block and a steal in the 80-76 win. 

2. Josh Jackson, Kansas (Second round vs. Michigan State)

Midwest Region attendees are lucky to get some of the best teams and individuals in the tournament in Kansas City, but familiar surroundings should benefit my pick for the eventual champion, Kansas, and star freshman Josh Jackson. Jackson utilized the full toolbox of offensive skills against Michigan State, picking apart several defenders en route to 23 points, saving some of his best for the second half as the Jayhawks blew open a close game to win by 20. 

1. Moritz Wagner, Michigan (Second round vs. Louisville)

Michigan needed 16 3-pointers to outlast Oklahoma State in the first round to extend its dream run. Chase them off the 3-point line and you should be able to keep the Wolverines’ high-powered offense in check, right? Wrong. Sophomore big Wagner ascended Sunday, taking charge in the second half and finishing with a career-high 26 points on 11-for-14 shooting. The 6-11 German scored 20 from two-point range, attacking the rim and running two-man game sets that destroyed Louisville inside. 

Wagner, 19, averaged only two points as a freshman. The light has gone on for the skilled big man this season, and especially in the NCAA Tournament, and that’s bad news for Oregon, Purdue and Kansas in the Midwest Region. 

Honorable mention: De’Aaron Fox, Kentucky; Deonte Burton, Iowa State; Kelan Martin Butler; Landry Shamet, Wichita State; Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin; Elijah Stewart, SMU; Frank Mason, Kentucky; Kennedy Meeks, North Carolina