While you work up your bracket and study every last statistic on team performance, don't lose sight of the individual players behind all those numbers.
When the season began in the fall, the talk was of returning players like Purdue's Zach Edey and Duke's Kyle Filipowski. Those two have lived up to the expectations. They've also been joined by several emerging stars in 2023-24.
With players staying longer and transferring more freely, there's a definite veteran feel to the sport's biggest names. Still, you'll run across a first-year star or two on our list of the bracket's most promising performers.
One striking aspect of this year's tournament field is that it includes virtually every player on the AP All-America's first, second and third teams. You have to look at the honorable mentions and a star like Devin Carter of Providence to run across a name that's not in the field of 68. There's plenty of star power in this tournament.
Meet the 68 impact players of the 2024 men's field. Players are organized by region and matchup. And, yes, some teams get more than one entry.
East Region
Tristen Newton, No. 1 UConn Huskies
Newton is a scoring point guard who gets to the rim on offense and hits the glass on D. His triple-double against Villanova in February was vintage Newton: 10 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists.
Donovan Clingan, UConn
Opponents struggle mightily to make 2s against UConn when the 7-foot-2 Clingan is on the floor, and the sophomore hasn't picked up a fourth foul in over a month. At the other end, he dominates the offensive glass and records 79% of his 2-point attempts at the rim.
Jalen Blackmon, No. 16 Stetson Hatters
A 6-3 shooting guard, Blackmon is coming off a 43-point performance in the ASUN title game. Along with Clemson's Joseph Girard III and Duquesne's Dae Dae Grant, Blackmon is one of just three players in the bracket shooting 90% or better at the line on at least 100 makes.
Johnell Davis, No. 8 seed Florida Atlantic Owls
Davis made a splash a year ago as the leading scorer on a Final Four team. Then he improved markedly this season, carrying a heavier load on offense while hitting more 3s and delivering more assists to teammates.
Boo Buie, No. 9 seed Northwestern Wildcats
The only unanimous All-Big Ten selection besides a certain reigning Wooden Award winner, Buie is outstanding from the perimeter. He memorably made 9 3-pointers to go along with 7 assists and 3 steals in the Wildcats' overtime win against Illinois in January.
Jaedon LeDee, No. 5 San Diego State Aztecs
LeDee quite simply wears out opponents inside the arc, including and especially at the line. The senior put up 81 points and 30 rebounds in SDSU's three Mountain West tournament games.
Yaxel Lendeborg, No. 12 UAB Blazers
The 6-9 Lendeborg is coming off a 14-16 double-double with 4 assists in the Blazers' victory over Temple in the American title game. The junior arrived at UAB by way of Arizona Western College.
Johni Broome, No. 4 Auburn Tigers
Auburn improved markedly on both sides of the ball this season, and Broome was a significant factor behind both developments. He's a 6-10 rim defender and tireless rebounder who made over 180 2s while stepping out and hitting occasional 3s.
John Poulakidas, No. 13 Yale Bulldogs
In a rotation with both interior and perimeter specialists, Poulakidas excels by scoring from both sides of the arc. He scored 18 in Yale's dramatic come-from-behind 62-61 win over Brown in the Ivy title game.
Jaxson Robinson, No. 6 BYU Cougars
Robinson leads the Cougars with 75 made 3s this season, which is saying something. No team in the bracket, not even Alabama, has converted more 3s than BYU, which has connected 370 times in 2023-24.
Dae Dae Grant, No. 11 Duquesne Dukes
Grant stands out for making 94% of his free throws on a high volume of attempts as Duquesne's leading scorer. This extreme accuracy didn't come naturally. As a first-year starter at Miami (Ohio) in 2019-20, Grant shot just 66% at the line.
Terrence Shannon Jr., No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini
Shannon totaled 102 points in victories over Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin and earned Big Ten tournament MOP honors. In those three outings, the fifth-year senior connected on 43% of his 3s and averaged 13 points from the line alone.
Riley Minix, No. 14 Morehead State Eagles
Minix is a senior in his first season with the Eagles after earning NAIA All-American honors at Southeastern Florida. He averaged 24 points in MSU's Ohio Valley tournament run, culminating in 9-of-10 shooting on his 2s in the title game against Little Rock.
Isaac Jones, No. 7 Washington State Cougars
No one in the Cougars' interior-oriented rotation makes more 2s than Jones, who converts at a 60% rate inside the arc. His good number for fouls drawn per 40 minutes (5.2) has real impact: Jones plays an unusually high number of minutes for a player listed at 6-9 and 245.
Tucker DeVries, No. 10 Drake Bulldogs
If the NBA definition of a star is a player allowed to take plenty of midrange shots off the bounce, then DeVries is a star. The Bulldogs like to run pindown screens for their featured scorer, enabling the two-time Missouri Valley POY to curl, shoot and convert.
Tamin Lipsey, No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones
The leading ball hawk on the country's No. 1-ranked defense also owns Iowa State's highest assist rate and connects on 38% of his 3-point tries.
Zeke Mayo, No. 15 South Dakota State Jackrabbits
Two years ago Mayo connected three times from beyond the arc and recorded a like number of steals in the Jackrabbits' nine-point loss to Providence in the round of 64. Now he's the reigning Summit POY, one who averages 19 points while leading South Dakota State in assists.
West Region
RJ Davis, No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels
The 2024 ACC POY came by that storied honor honestly. Davis donned the mantle as UNC's clear featured scorer for the first time, rained down 3s on opponents and functioned as the co-distributor in the Tar Heels' offense alongside Elliot Cadeau.
Melvin Council Jr., No. 16 Wagner Seahawks
Coaches love to say there is no "I" in "Team." Well, in a very team-affirming and productive way, there certainly is one in "Council." The 6-4 junior leads the Seahawks in points, rebounds, steals and blocks.
Josh Hubbard, No. 8 Mississippi State Bulldogs
After just one season of college ball, the 5-10 Hubbard is already following in some elite footsteps. When a first-year star can personally account for 34% of the shots taken during his minutes by an SEC at-large team and do so efficiently, he's a talent to watch.
Malik Hall, No. 9 Michigan State Spartans
In addition to teammate Tyson Walker's well-deserved nod as second-team All-Big Ten, we'll note additionally that the 6-8 Hall can take over a game in his own right. His 15-17 double-double with 2 blocks made the difference in a must-win situation at home against Northwestern.
Mitchell Saxen, No. 5 Saint Mary's Gaels
Saxen might be the most dominant offensive rebounder in this bracket who's not 7-4. At a mere 6-10, the senior posted a 19-15 double-double with 6 offensive boards against Gonzaga in the WCC title game.
Tyon Grant-Foster, No. 12 Grand Canyon Lopes
Grant-Foster arrived at GCU by way of stops at Kansas and DePaul. The 6-7 senior comes into the bracket on a hot streak at both ends of the floor, having rung up 50 points to go with five steals in the Lopes' two wins at the WAC tournament.
Mark Sears, No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide
On an Alabama team that famously emphasizes 3-pointers, Sears and his teammate Latrell Wrightsell Jr. stand out as the most reliable perimeter scorers. Sears also converts 55% of his 2s and gives the Crimson Tide a measurable boost with frequent and very accurate shooting at the line.
Reyne Smith, No. 13 Charleston Cougars
Head coach Pat Kelsey plays a deep rotation, but the impact made by Smith is unmistakable. The 6-2 junior leads the Cougars in scoring, made 3s and that most precious of Charleston commodities, minutes.
PJ Hall, No. 6 Clemson Tigers
Hall's 3s didn't fall this season, particularly in ACC play, but his overall efficiency actually increased thanks to a reduction in turnovers. Clemson's 6-10 featured scorer is a tenacious competitor in the paint who converts 58% of his 2s and takes care of business on the defensive glass.
Donovan Dent, No. 11 New Mexico Lobos
In a crowded backcourt filled with impact players like Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn Jr., Dent makes his presence felt by hitting shots and delivering the ball. In the Lobos' critical Mountain West quarterfinal win over Boise State, Dent contributed 22 points, 4 assists and 5 steals.
Ja'Kobe Walter, No. 3 Baylor Bears
Baylor's projected 2024 lottery pick has given his team a lift by drawing five fouls per 40 minutes and shooting 81% at the line. Like many first-year pro prospects before him, Walter's 3-point accuracy is yet to come around. But the NBA plainly expects that it will.
Braeden Smith, No. 14 Colgate Raiders
Smith carries one of the most impressive height-to-rebounds ratios in the entire 2024 bracket. Listed at 6-0, the sophomore personally gathers in 19% of the opponents' misses during his minutes. Then Smith brings the ball up the floor and posts one of the nation's highest assist rates.
DaRon Holmes II, No. 7 Dayton Flyers
In his third season with the Flyers, Holmes is posting career highs for accuracy from both the line and beyond the arc. That's bad news for opponents, as the 6-10 junior was already and still is one of the best paint scorers in the nation.
Jarod Lucas, No. 10 Nevada Wolf Pack
On a team that thrives by hitting its relatively infrequent 3s and getting to the line quite frequently, Lucas encapsulates the Nevada style quite well. The 6-4 senior is averaging 22 points thus far in the month of March.
Caleb Love, No. 2 Arizona Wildcats
No single outing sums up Love's Pac-12 POY-winning season better than his 36-point outburst at Oregon. In a game where the host team was looking for its signature win, Love carried Arizona to victory with a mix of slashing drives to the rim and makes from beyond the arc. The senior's effectiveness inside the arc has never been higher.
Marcus Tsohonis, No. 15 Long Beach State Beach
The well-traveled Tsohonis played at Washington and VCU before finding a home at Long Beach. A 6-3 scoring point guard who harasses opposing ball handlers, Tsohonis is coming off a 25-point effort in the Beach's Big West title game win over UC Davis.
South Region
Jamal Shead, No. 1 Houston Cougars
Meet the best two-way point guard in the nation. Shead distributes and values the ball for an offense with one of the best turnover percentages in D-I. At the other end of the floor, he happens to be the Big 12 Defensive POY.
L.J. Cryer, Houston
With 66 teams remaining in the bracket as of this morning, Houston gets two impact players as the No. 2 team on the NCAA's official 1 to 68 seed list. Kelvin Sampson must have known exactly what he was getting when Cryer transferred from Baylor. The senior is a prolific and accurate 3-point shooter who also takes outstanding care of the ball.
Walyn Napper, No. 16 Longwood Lancers
Napper leads the Lancers in points, assists and steals. The 6-1 senior does whatever's required for the win, as seen in his 10-11 points-assists double-double with 7 rebounds and 2 steals in Longwood's Big South title game victory over UNC Asheville.
Keisei Tominaga, No. 8 Nebraska Cornhuskers
It's all come together in Fred Hoiberg's fifth season in Lincoln, and Tominaga is a big reason. A 6-2 senior who's a reliable 3-point threat, Tominaga's also automatic at the line and uncommonly proficient in that lost art known as the 2-point jumper.
Wade Taylor IV, No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies
Few players are coming into the tournament on more of a roll than Taylor, who averaged 31 points in his two most recent SEC tournament outings. The junior hit six 3s against both Kentucky and, in a losing cause, Florida, as the Aggies made still another March push for their at-large bid.
AJ Storr, No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers
Storr has exceeded all expectations in his first season with the Badgers. At St. John's a year ago, he played his way into the starting lineup and supported featured scorer David Jones. Now Storr is the featured scorer, and he's excellent in that role, averaging just shy of 25 a game at the Big Ten tournament.
T.J. Bickerstaff, No. 12 James Madison Dukes
Bickerstaff began his career at Drexel and made 43 starts over two seasons at Boston College before joining the Dukes this season. He's a 6-9 force to be reckoned with on the boards who scores in the paint and can distribute the ball.
Kyle Filipowski, No. 4 Duke Blue Devils
The law of averages said Filipowski's 3-point accuracy would likely improve this season, and it has. What was less predictable, however, was how much Duke's star would improve across the board. At 7-0, Filipowski is converting 57% of his 2s and making his presence felt defending the rim.
Shamir Bogues, No. 13 Vermont Catamounts
Bogues notched four steals in the Catamounts' America East title game victory over UMass Lowell. The 6-4 junior is regularly recording takeaways, contributing scoring inside the arc and sharing ball-distribution duties with Aaron Deloney and Nick Fiorillo.
Joe Toussaint, No. 6 Texas Tech Red Raiders
He's not Texas Tech's leading scorer, but Toussaint notches takeaways, distributes the ball and shoots 86% at the line. The senior does it all for Texas Tech.
DJ Burns Jr., No. 11 NC State Wolfpack
At 6-9 and 275, Burns is a deft passer who can thread the ball to a cutter like the pluckiest undersized point guard. The senior made seven assists in 28 minutes in the Wolfpack's ACC title game win over North Carolina.
Rob Dillingham, No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats
With Dillingham and Reed Sheppard, UK has two of the best "bench" players since, well, Kentucky in 2015. Dillingham can turn the ball over on occasion, but otherwise the 19-year-old has been outstanding literally across the board. One of the bracket's finest scoring point guards is listed as a reserve.
Jack Gohlke, No. 14 Oakland Golden Grizzlies
To this point in the season, Gohlke has attempted a rather remarkable 327 3-point shots in 34 games, making the 6-3 senior the second-most likely player in Division I to let it fly from beyond the arc. Combining volume with accuracy, Gohlke has connected 37% of the time.
Walter Clayton Jr., No. 7 Florida Gators
With 23 points, 4 assists and perfect 11-of-11 shooting at the line, Clayton keyed the Gators' 102-88 win over Alabama in the SEC quarterfinals. The junior has stepped seamlessly into the role of featured scorer at Florida after performing a similar function for Rick Pitino last season at Iona.
Tyson Degenhart, No. 10 Boise State Broncos
Now that we know BSU needed every last victory to earn a bid, Degenhart's excellence during the Broncos' late five-game win streak looks particularly important. Over that stretch, the 6-8 junior averaged 21 points and shot 61% inside the arc as Boise State in effect played its way into the field.
KJ Simpson, No. 10 Colorado Buffaloes
The green light Tad Boyle gave Simpson for two years paid off beyond anyone's expectations in Year 3. After entering the season as a career 26% 3-point shooter, the junior has drained 45% of his attempts in 2023-24. Simpson also delivers the ball and contributes on the defensive glass.
Tyler Kolek, No. 2 Marquette Golden Eagles
Kolek has been out for six games with an oblique injury. When healthy, he's the ignition key in an up-tempo Marquette offense that gets open looks on both sides of the arc while taking care of the ball.
Don McHenry, No. 15 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
The fast-paced Hilltoppers are in the tournament for the first time in 11 years due in part to a stellar performance by McHenry in the Conference USA title game. The 6-2 junior tallied 25 points and four steals in WKU's seven-point win over UTEP.
Midwest Region
Zach Edey, No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers
Edey is about to become the first player to win back-to-back Wooden Awards since Ralph Sampson did so four decades ago. At 7-4, Edey regularly puts opposing frontcourts into chronic foul trouble. This season he has made 265 free throws, far more than any other player in the tournament. Edey's dominance on the offensive glass fuels what is one of the top four or five offenses in the country.
Brandon Walker, No. 16 Montana State Bobcats
Now here's an impact player. Low on minutes but blessed with impressive per-40-minute stats, Walker is a starter who's on the floor about half the time. Foul trouble isn't driving this. Instead, it's the preferred routine for the Bobcats, who get 2-point makes and rebounds in abundance when the 6-7 Walker is in the game.
Kintavious Dozier, No. 16 Grambling Tigers
Dozier stands out at 6-1 as an effective 2-point scorer who converts on more than half his attempts. His 7-of-12 night inside the arc at Texas Southern in February netted 20 points and ignited what became a six-game win streak for the Tigers.
Great Osobor, No. 8 Utah State Aggies
Osobor opened the Mountain West tournament with a 29-17 double-double against Fresno State that also included 4 assists and 2 steals. Though he shoots just 63% on his free throws, Osobor draws fouls at such a high rate that opposing defenders are moved to play more cautiously.
Emanuel Miller, No. 9 TCU Horned Frogs
Miller's shooting stats from the field have been excellent for two seasons running. What's new this year is more assists, fewer turnovers and much better shooting at the line. His 26-point effort in TCU's win over Oklahoma In the Big 12 tournament ushered the Horned Frogs safely into the field of 68.
Graham Ike, No. 5 Gonzaga Bulldogs
Ike hit his stride in February, and it's likely no coincidence that as a team Gonzaga did as well. One turning point was the 6-9 junior's 26-point night on just 12 shots at the Chase Center against San Francisco. Ike's heroics that evening propelled the Bulldogs to an 18-point win at a time when mock brackets still had the Zags very much on the bubble.
Shahada Wells, No. 12 McNeese Cowboys
Wells made nine starts for Jamie Dixon at TCU last season before finding a home with Will Wade at McNeese. In his two most recent outings, the senior totaled 54 points to go with 11 assists and 7 steals as the Cowboys powered their way to the Southland's automatic bid.
Hunter Dickinson, No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks
Here's wishing Dickinson a speedy return to full health after suffering a shoulder dislocation. When healthy, Dickinson represents exactly what Kansas does best as a team: 2-point scoring and defensive rebounding.
Achor Achor, No. 13 Samford Bulldogs
Possibly it was the plan all along, but in the span of one year Achor has gone from a reserve averaging 14 minutes to a first-team All-Southern Conference performer. In SoCon tournament wins over Furman and East Tennessee State, the 6-9 sophomore poured in 53 points on 19-of-24 shooting from the field.
B.J. Mack, No. 6 South Carolina Gamecocks
Mack is a 6-8 scorer who needed just 11 shots and 31 minutes to drop 25 points in the Gamecocks' overtime win at Mississippi State in the regular-season finale. While the senior keeps looking to recapture the 43% 3-point shooting he recorded at Wofford in 2021-22, he has made SEC defenses pay with his drives to the rim and trips to the line.
N'Faly Dante, No. 11 Oregon Ducks
If the season had started on March 1, Dante would be a good candidate for All-America honors. In his most recent five games, the 6-11 senior is averaging 20 points on 88% 2-point shooting. Yes, 88%. Don't try to work up a list of the best players in the country "right now" without mentioning Dante.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, No. 3 Creighton Bluejays
No team in Big East play, not even mighty UConn, came within a mile of Creighton's 2-point advantage. The Bluejays shot 15 percentage points better than opponents inside the arc, a statistic with Kalkbrenner's scoring and rim defense written all over it.
Enrique Freeman, No. 14 Akron Zips
If you liked the old days where players signed out of high school and stayed put at one program, the 6-7 Freeman is your man. In his fifth season with the Zips, the MAC POY is the nation's No. 1-rated defensive rebounder as well as an excellent scorer in the paint.
Dylan Disu, No. 7 Texas Longhorns
As a fifth-year senior, the 6-9 Disu has started consistently hitting 3s at a high volume for the first time in his career. He's a tough defensive assignment for opponents, and he also defends the rim. Disu came up with 33 points when the Longhorns needed it most, in a one-point win at Cincinnati in January.
Isaiah Stevens, No. 10 Colorado State Rams
Stevens has averaged double digits for points at CSU for five seasons now and has served as Niko Medved's leading scorer in each of the past two. In 2023-24, he's shooting a career-high 43% on his 3s while leading the Rams in assists for a fifth consecutive time.
Dalton Knecht, No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers
The SEC POY has been gaining momentum as the season has progressed, a thought which could give pause to future opponents of the Volunteers. Knecht's stats against SEC opponents are for the most part superior to what he posted against nonconference competition. In conference play, Knecht knocked down 42% of his 3s while averaging three makes per game.
Corey Washington, No. 15 Saint Peter's Peacocks
Saint Peter's wasn't supposed to make it this far, particularly not after losing at home on senior day by 15 to regular-season champion Quinnipiac. But in the MAAC title game, Washington scored 24 points and blocked four shots as the Peacocks defeated Fairfield by five. As a result, SPU is back in the field for the second time in three years.