The 68 faces of March Madness: Players, coaches who will define the Big Dance

It’s time to dance. The madness is about to begin, and with that, there are players and coaches across college basketball that will turn into household names overnight when you’re talking with your family and friends about the Big Dance.

Before getting to my list of 68 faces to watch in this year’s NCAA Tournament, a short rant: College basketball has strengthened its brand in recent years, and NIL has actually helped the sport grow, as recognizable superstars are now staying in school with the ability to benefit finacially as elite college players, as opposed to riding the bench in the NBA or spending the majority of their time in the G League.

There is a generational big man in the sport, a guard who left a blue blood for another premier program, and now could meet his former team in a regional final, an impressive rise from a bucket-getter in Knoxville and the reigning national champions with several faces that led them to the promised land last year, trying to do it again. 

College hoops is rich with star talent and some intriguing NBA prospects as well. Mike Krzyzewski, Jay Wright, Roy Williams, Jim Boeheim and other legends have moved on, and I’ll respect an argument that the coaching hierarchy is a bit blurry right now, but college basketball is about the players, and that’s why my first 15 entries on this list of 68 faces to watch in the NCAA Tournament are guys out on the hardwood. 

[MORE: 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament bracket here]

Here goes nothing! 

1. Zach Edey, Purdue

Nobody in the men’s game has a brighter spotlight on him heading into the NCAA Tournament than the 7-foot-4, 300-pound senior, who is averaging 24.4 points and 11.7 rebounds per game and is set to repeat as college basketball’s national player of the year, the first in the sport since Ralph Sampson. Can he cement his legacy with a Final Four run? That’s the only question that remains for Edey. Purdue’s draw in the Midwest Region sets up quite nice for the Boilermakers to get to the Elite Eight, with banged up Kansas and a beatable Gonzaga team as the 4 and 5 seeds. 

2. Caleb Love, Arizona 

When Love left North Carolina for Michigan, then ended up with the Wildcats, it created an offseason saga and narratives that the Tar Heels and the star senior guard needed to break up for their best interests. Well, they could be together again with Arizona and North Carolina as the top-two seeds in the West Region. If we get a Caleb Love Bowl in Los Angeles with a Final Four spot in the balance, that would be pretty incredible.

3. Tristen Newton, UConn

Last week, Newton averaged 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds per game as the Huskies captured their first Big East Tournament title since 2011. He might be quiet in personality, but Newton is an assassin on the court who makes his teammates better. As he goes, the Huskies go, and his consistency all year is why they’re the best team in the country. 

4. Dalton Knecht, Tennessee

The Northern Colorado transfer has gone from the Big Sky Conference to the big time. If Edey wasn’t the national player of the year, I would give it to the Tennessee star, who has averaged over 21 points per game while shooting 47% from the floor and 40% from 3-point range. The Volunteers have the experienced backcourt with Santiago Vescovi and Zakai Zeigler, and defense has never been a question. Knecht gives Barnes’ team national championship upside. 

5. RJ Davis, North Carolina

The fourth and final No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament belongs to the Tar Heels because the 6-foot senior guard has been one of the best players in the country. Sitting at 11th in the nation at 21.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, Davis has been in command of this 27-7 UNC team, which is 8-2 on the road. With him at the steering wheel of this top-25 KenPom offense and Armando Bacot on the interior, Hubert Davis has a team that can reach the national championship game for the second time in three years. Oh, and if Davis does meet his former backcourt mate, Love, watch out! That would be pure theater. 

6. Tyler Kolek, Marquette

It’s the $1,000,000 question entering this NCAA Tournament. How healthy is the Golden Eagles’ All-American point guard? The nation’s assists leader has missed the last six contests with an oblique injury. Averaging 15 points and 4.7 rebounds per game as well, he makes so many winning plays for the second-seeded Golden Eagles. Kentucky, the 3-seed in the South Region, could have a nice path if Kolek isn’t fully right. If he is cooking, I think Marquette will get to the regional final. Marquette has not made the Sweet 16 since 2013. If this team doesn’t end that drought, it would be a major disappointment. 

7. Reed Sheppard, Kentucky

Between his Kentucky roots, his swagger and his incredible efficiency, Sheppard is the perfect player for Big Blue Nation to get behind on this March run. Averaging 12.8 points, 4.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, the 6-foot-3 freshman guard was as fast of a riser this season as anyone, and if Kentucky goes on a run, you have to think he’s going to be at the forefront of it. I find him to be one of the most compelling watches in the country. 

8. Jamal Shead, Houston

He’s the toughest guard in the country and the reason why the Cougars are the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Shead has taken the torch from the graduated Marcus Sasser and been lights out, ranking in the top 20 in the country in assists per game at 6.2 and in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.15. He enters the Big Dance having scored in double-figures in 12 consecutive games, and the leadership he gives the Cougars makes them the national title contender that they are. 

9. Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois 

Expect the Illini star, who led his team to the Big Ten Tournament championship with 34 points in a 93-87 win over Wisconsin on Sunday, to be one of the most discussed players in the tournament. The reason for that is due in significant part to the investigation surrounding him and his rape trial coming in May. Shannon pursued and got a temporary restraining order granted by a judge in January, which allowed him to come off his suspension and play. On the court, nobody is playing better than him at this moment. Shannon is averaging 31.8 points in the last four contests. 

10. Baylor Scheierman, Creighton 

The Bluejays came within a possession of the Final Four last year, and now, the 6-7 wing is joined by big-time shotmaker Trey Alexander and three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner on a mission to accomplish unfinished business. Scheierman, a third-team All-American selection in my book, has averaged over 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists per game, with his big frame and multifaceted skill set making him one of the most difficult 1-on-1 matchups you will find. If Creighton emerges out of the Midwest Region, it’s because Scheierman, a 37% shooter from downtown, has caught fire. He and Alexander are a handful for opposing defenses, and 23-year-old point guard Steven Ashworth has really come on. 

11. Kevin McCullar Jr., Kansas

This is the other big injury question, along with Kolek of Marquette. Just how healthy is McCullar, the 6-7 fifth-year senior who has missed six games in the last seven weeks as he battles a knee bruise? It would appear that the choice to rest him against Cincinnati in the Big 12 Tournament was the right decision, but will it pay off? McCullar, when he’s been on, has been as good and as versatile as any player in the country this year. To go from 10.7 points per game last year to 18.7 this season is a reflection of his tremendous player development, not to mention his 45% shooting clip from the floor and a slightly improved 3-point shot. 

12. Kyle Filipowski, Duke 

This NCAA Tournament is why the sophomore 7-footer came back to Durham for a second season, to write his own Duke legacy and go on a deep NCAA Tournament run. Filipowski enters the tournament on a roll, having scored at least 21 points in three of the last four games and delivering 28-and-14 in the ACC quarterfinal loss to eventual tournament champion NC State. I think Duke has enough guard options to ride, but can the Blue Devils’ second-year big man hang in on the interior? That’s up to Filipowski to help decide. 

13. Johni Broome, Auburn 

The SEC Tournament champion Tigers, who are top-five in KenPom and Torvik, got hosed, being placed on the 4-line in the East Region with UConn. That being said, Broome has had an All-American-caliber year, averaging 16 points, close to nine rebounds and over two assists per game. With 2.3 blocks per game as well, the 6-10 junior makes a large impact on both ends and is the only player currently ranked in the Top 10 in scoring (16.3 ppg) and rebounding (8.5 rpg) in the SEC.

14. DaRon Holmes II, Dayton 

Holmes has evolved over the past year, as he’s now top-30 in the country in scoring at 20 points, while also putting up eight rebounds per game. His shot-blocking ability also makes him one of the best players in this tournament, and when his improved jumper is falling, there’s nothing you can do to stop him. The Flyers didn’t get a draw that I love with 10-seed Nevada in the first round, before a potential meeting with Arizona. But, if Dayton goes on a run, Holmes will be the main reason why. He changes games with his size and athleticism. 

15. Jaedon LeDee, San Diego State

He’s another All-American in my book with his 21.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game for Brian Dutcher’s team. “We’ve been in this March Madness thing before,” LeDee said after San Diego State’s Mountain West Tournament semifinal win over Utah State. “You know, we’re easy in the storm.” 

The 6-foot-9 big man makes it look easy sometimes, but his level of physicality and intensity that he plays with is really impressive. 

The other names to monitor: 

Cinderella players…

16. Shahada Wells, McNeese State

17. Tyon Grant-Foster, Grand Canyon

18. Achor Achor, Samford

19. Jaelen House, New Mexico

20. Isaiah Stevens, Colorado State

Coaches with the spotlight on them:

21. Matt Painter, Purdue 

22. John Calipari, Kentucky 

23. Jon Scheyer, Duke 

24. Rick Barnes, Tennessee

25. Hubert Davis, North Carolina 

26. Shaka Smart, Marquette

27. T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State

28. Greg Gard, Wisconsin

29. Tommy Lloyd, Arizona 

30. Kelvin Sampson, Houston 

31. Brian Dutcher, San Diego State

32. Brad Underwood, Illinois 

33. James Jones, Yale 

34. Mark Pope, BYU

35. Mark Few, Gonzaga

36. Randy Bennett, Saint Mary’s

37. Greg McDermott, Creighton

38. Todd Golden, Florida 

39. Dusty May, Florida Atlantic 

40. Bucky McMillan, Samford

41. Will Wade, McNeese

42. Lamont Paris, South Carolina

43. Dana Altman, Oregon

44. Rodney Terry, Texas

45. Danny Sprinkle, Utah State 

The final 21 players on the list…

46. Mark Sears, Alabama

47. Tyson Walker, Michigan State

48. Tolu Smith, Mississippi State 

49. Pop Isaacs, Texas Tech 

50. Riley Minix, Morehead State 

51. Aidan Mahaney, Saint Mary’s 

52. Terrence Edwards Jr., James Madison 

53. AJ Storr, Wisconsin 

54. DJ Burns Jr., NC State 

55. Trey Townsend, Oakland

56. N’Faly Dante, Oregon

57. Enrique Freeman, Akron 

58. Max Abmas, Texas

59. Emanuel Miller, TCU

60. Tucker DeVries, Drake 

61. Jaxson Robinson, BYU

62. Ante Brzovic, Charleston

63. Reece Beekman, Virginia 

64 Dae Dae Grant, Duquesne

65. Marcus Tsohonis, Long Beach State 

66. Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State 

67. Jarod Lucas, Nevada 

68. Keisei Tominaga, Nebraska

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.

---

---