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Houston, Texas has officially become title town as we are just four days away from finding out who will be the 2011 NCAA Tournament champion. At the beginning there were 68 teams who all had the same goal and now there are just four remaining. This year’s Final Four was quite difficult to predict. Kentucky and UConn were looked at as capable, but by no means were guarantees to make it this far. Virginia Commonwealth and Butler on the other hand are the textbook definitions of bracketbusters. Their march to the Final Four has truly been blindsiding. However, there is no denying that they belong due to the teams they beat to punch their ticket to Houston. With the semifinals set to get underway Saturday we take a look at the top ten players who need to come up big in order for their teams to accomplish the ultimate goal of cutting down the nets on Monday.

Kemba Walker, Jr. (UConn) – 6’1, 172 lbs. Point Guard
There is no bigger star left in this tournament than Kemba Walker. He’s been on fire all year long and has played his best basketball in the biggest games. He’s set some pretty high expectations for his play in Houston, but Walker has been delivering at a high rate and it’s hard to see him slowing down now with a national title two wins away. His combination of an incredibly-improved jump shot along with ball-handling skills that are unmatched in this tournament make him the scariest player to defend. He’s got a knack for the heroics; don’t be surprised if the best is still yet to come.

Jeremy Lamb, Fr. (UConn) – 6’5, 185 lbs. Shooting Guard
Most of the country has been blown away with the emergence of Jeremy Lamb as one of the tournament’s biggest stars, but those from Connecticut saw it coming. Lamb has always had the makings of a great one and in the tourney everything has clicked for him. He’s been the perfect sidekick for Walker and is proving that the Huskies are anything but a one-man squad. Despite being a freshman he’s played with incredible poise and maturity. The big stage hasn’t frightened him, it’s brought out his best.

Alex Oriakhi, So. (UConn) – 6’9, 240 lbs. Power Forward
Interior play is going to be very critical for the UConn if they’re going to get by Kentucky, meaning a big outing from Alex Oriakhi is vital. He’s been solid throughout the tournament, but this is going to be his toughest test yet as he goes up against a frontline that held strong against Jared Sullinger’s Ohio State Buckeyes and the big three of North Carolina. He cannot afford to be in foul trouble and has to be extremely aggressive on both the offensive and defensive glass. His individual offensive should be a secondary thought right now.

{AUTHOR_BOX}Brandon Knight, Fr. (Kentucky) – 6’3, 185 lbs. Point Guard
For Brandon Knight this year’s tournament has been all about blossoming into a certifiable star. He’s hit two game-winning shots and was the best player on the floor in the Wildcats’ Elite Eight victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels. He’s getting his second crack at UConn’s Kemba Walker, who owned him in a one-sided victory back on November 24th at the Maui Invitational. Knight had the worst game of his college career on that day, going 3-15 from the field, 0-8 from deep while matching his five assists with five turnovers. If he gets dominated in the same fashion the Wildcats don’t stand a chance.

Terrence Jones, Fr. (Kentucky) – 6’8, 244 lbs. Power Forward
So far throughout the tournament Terrence Jones has been relatively quiet, which could be a bad thing for the Connecticut Huskies. He’s due for a big game and he definitely has confidence in his ability to go to work against UConn after scoring 24 against them in the fifth game of the season. He’s got to make the most of his great versatility and make the Huskies pay for whatever they give him. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t have his best game of the tournament because he can attack in every which way.

Josh Harrellson, Sr. (Kentucky) – 6’10, 275 lbs. Center
Almost as surprising as VCU’s run to the Final Four has been Josh Harrellson’s rapid development into a major difference maker for Kentucky. The senior has been huge for them and has made himself some money with the way he has played up to this point. He’s averaging just under a double-double and has shown abilities that few knew he possessed beforehand. At the beginning of the season the Kentucky faithful were yearning for Enes Kanter, now they’re thanking the-hated Billy Gillespie for recruiting this late bloomer.

Shelvin Mack, Jr. (Butler) – 6’3, 215 lbs. Point Guard
At times last year during the Butler Bulldogs’ magical run to the tournament’s championship Shelvin Mack was content to take a secondary role behind future first-round pick Gordon Hayward. This year he’s firmly taken a hold of the leadership position and has been nothing short of spectacular. He’s proven to be quite explosive offensively and timely with his eruptions. Expect Mack to further showcase why he’s a future pro in a head-to-head matchup with the smaller Joey Rodriguez of VCU. Pittsburgh and Florida’s pro-bound guards couldn’t contain him and it’s unlikely that Rodriguez will be able to either.

Matt Howard, Sr. (Butler) – 6’8, 230 lbs. Power Forward
Prior to the start of this year’s tournament Matt Howard’s career was already one that most players would be very proud to have. Now it’s looking like something out of a motion picture as he has Butler one win away from a second-consecutive trip to the championship game. They wouldn’t be there without his two game winners or his steady play inside the paint. He’s not your typical post player and he likely will get nothing more than a cup of coffee in the NBA, but Howard produces.

Jamie Skeen, Sr. (VCU) – 6’9, 240 lbs. Power Forward
The Kansas Jayhawks are Power likely still having nightmares about Jamie Skeen, who went off for 26 points and 10 rebounds against them in the Elite Eight. Skeen has looked every bit like the high-major recruit he was out of high school here in the tournament as he works his way onto the NBA Draft radar. At 6’9 he’s a threat to knock it down from beyond the arc, which he did on four of his seven attempts against Kansas. Butler’s big men will have to be aware of where he is at all times.

Bradford Burgess, Jr. (VCU) – 6’6, 225 lbs. Shooting Guard
Also starting to garnet interest from the next level has been Skeen’s teammate Bradford Burgess. Burgess has hit some of the biggest shots of the tournament for the Rams and there’s a lot to like outside of his plays in the clutch. At 6’6 he’s got ideal size for an NBA shooting guard with a three-point shot that has been absolute money from the start of the tourney. He’s gone 13-18 from distance so far and will torch Butler as well if they make the mistake of even giving him a second of daylight.

HOOPSWORLD’s senior NBA and NCAA analyst Yannis Koutroupis hosted his weekly chat earlier today, you can view his chat wrap here. You can also follow him on twitter. For more coverage of the 2011 NCAA Tournament make sure to check out HOOPSWORLD’s 2011 March Madness headquarters!