The 68 faces of March Madness: Players, coaches who will define the NCAA Tournament….
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The 68 faces of March Madness: Players, coaches who will define the NCAA Tournament
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
The 68 faces of March Madness: Players, coaches who will define the NCAA Tournament
Updated Mar. 19, 2024 4:00 p.m. ET
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John Fanta
John Fanta
COLLEGE BASKETBALL BROADCASTER AND REPORTER
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.
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.
