The NCAA tournament is as defined by players as it is by filling out brackets.
Superstars can carry their teams to a national championship. NBA draft prospects can raise their stock.
That’s why the top 50 players to watch this March Madness have been ranked, not just by talent, but by expected impact on their teams’ trajectory in the tournament.
Teams with Multiple Players to Watch
Five teams had three players make the cut: Arizona, Florida, Iowa State, Michigan and UConn.
Another six teams had two players make the cut: Duke, BYU, Arkansas, Kansas, Tennessee and Louisville.
Mid-Major Standouts
Davis started his career with stops at Iona then St. John’s, but he didn’t truly find his footing until transferring to Hofstra.
Davis has established himself as one of the premier mid-major scorers in the country, averaging 20.2 points this season while shooting nearly 40% from 3 on 6.0 attempts per game.
He is capable of eruption performances, as evidenced by averaging 29.0 points in wins at Pitt and Syracuse in December.
Players Who Can Score Big
If you’re looking for a player to score 30 or 40 points in a 4-13 matchup, Daniels is your guy.
He is fifth in the country in scoring at 23.2 points per game.
He put up 41 points in the WAC semifinals and hit the winning shot in the conference title game.
He also had 47 points against regular-season league champ Utah Valley earlier this season and put up 31 against Utah in December. Daniels is an absolute bucket-getter.
Loyalty Rewarded
After the RedHawks lost to Akron in the MAC tournament final last season, Suder told coach Travis Steele that he had decided to reject NIL offers from power programs in favor of staying with Miami.
That decision compelled other key players to return, setting the stage for Suder and his teammates to become just the fifth Division I men’s college basketball team of this century to finish the regular season with a perfect record.
Suder is averaging 14.6 points and 4.0 assists while shooting 42.9% from 3.
New Coach, Instant Success
Billy Armstrong captured the Southland tournament title in his first season at the helm.