Rival Views: Who will be the MVP of the NCAA Tournament?

HOW THEY WERE BUILT: NW | UCLA | Kansas | Kentucky | Duke | UNC | Villanova

In this edition of Rival Views, Rivals.com national recruiting analysts Eric Bossi and Corey Evans debate who will be the MVP of this year's NCAA Tournament.

The NCAA Tournament starts today and millions of people across the country have filled out their bracket and made their March Madness picks. As I look around at all of the great players competing in this year's tournament, I keep locking in on Arizona shooting guard Allonzo Trier as the player who could have the biggest impact on his team’s tournament run.

A 6-foot-5 sophomore from Seattle who played high school ball in Oklahoma, Maryland and Nevada as a five-star high school prospect, Trier began the year suspended by the NCAA. He tested positive for PED usage and missed 19 games.

Since Trier returned to the Arizona lineup the Wildcats are 13-2, won a share of the Pac-12 regular season title and took home the Pac-12 Tournament title behind Trier’s MVP performance. He has size, he can shoot from deep, he can drive and he’s been terribly underrated for what he’s capable of defensively. Plus, he has a gigantic chip on his shoulder and desire to redeem himself.

I really think things have set up for Arizona to make a deep run as the No. 2 seed in the West and help Sean Miller advance to the Final Four. Trier’s recent play is a big reason for that belief and I don’t see him letting up anytime soon.

Making an NCAA Tournament MVP pick is almost like two predictions in one, as it's hard to imagine singling out a player on a team that won't make it past the Sweet 16. Seeing as how I believe North Carolina will cut down the nets next month in Phoenix, Justin Jackson gets my nod as the tournament's MVP.

Jackson, the Tar Heels' leading scorer, has been the model of consistency all year for Roy Williams' program and enters the postseason having scored more than 20 points in eight of his last 12 games.

Ranked No. 11 in the 2014 Rivals 150, Jackson had been knocked for his inconsistent shooting from beyond 20 feet and a lack of toughness heading into this season. He has improved significantly in both areas as a junior, which is one reason why he is a likely first-round pick in the NBA Draft.

If North Carolina makes a run to the title, the Tar Heels will likely have to beat UCLA, Kentucky and a number of other top programs this month. Jackson has the goods to get this team to the final weekend and, thanks to his abilities, earn MVP honors.