Men's CBB's Biggest Star Sidekicks Who Will Make or Break 2023 March Madness Runs
When the 2023 men's NCAA tournament begins, the spotlight will shine brightest on the best players of the sport.
Alongside every superstar like Zach Edey or Drew Timme, however, there's a key contributor who could elevate a top contender to its national championship upside.
Conversely, a quiet day in the Big Dance from these players may be a factor in one team heading to an early exit.
The choices are subjective but focus on complementary options to 2023's All-American-level stars.
Mark Sears, Alabama
1 of 7
Freshman forward Noah Clowney is also worth mentioning, given his nightly value as a rebounder and potential to score 15-plus points if his threes are falling.
But the Crimson Tide need Mark Sears to excel in March.
Brandon Miller has propelled Alabama to its likely No. 1 seed, racking up 19.7 points per game. Sears, a transfer from Ohio, has been a well-rounded contributor with 13.4 points, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
More notably, he's the Tide's second-best perimeter option. Sears is the only member of the rotation past Miller to connect on better than 35 percent of his threes, burying 38.3 percent of his 5.3 attempts per game.
Alabama's torrid pace and feisty defense can atone for a shaky offensive night, but Sears is a key to minimizing the team's long-range inefficiency.
Julian Strawther, Gonzaga
2 of 7
Not many Option B players can explode for 40 points.
Nevertheless, as Drew Timme commands most of the attention for Gonzaga, Julian Strawther has explosive scoring upside. He reached the 40-point mark in a victory at Portland in late January and strung together three straight games with 26-plus points in mid-February.
Sixth man Malachi Smith has a team-high 49.3 three-point clip, but Strawther hits 43.0 percent of his 5.3 attempts per game. Nobody else hoists as high a volume as him from the perimeter.
If both Timme and Strawther are playing well in March, Gonzaga will be incredibly tough to eliminate.
Jamal Shead, Houston
3 of 7
Jarace Walker has a compelling argument here, especially since the freshman's contributions had risen noticeably in the last two months before tapering off recently.
Because the Marcus Sasser-led Cougars play so slowly, though, ball movement and tenacious defense are pillars of their success.
And that brings us to Jamal Shead.
"I think he's the head of the snake for that team," Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett said following UH's win in December, per Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle. "He's just tough."
Along with his 9.2 points per game, the third-year guard has averaged 5.5 assists and 1.7 steals. Factor in his clear leadership ability, and Houston's best-case scenario in March hinges on Shead's performance.
.png?w=256 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
Jalen Hood-Schifino, Indiana
4 of 7
Case in point: Indiana's second win against Purdue.
When the Hoosiers knocked off their in-state rival, Jalen Hood-Schifino torched the Boilers for 35 points. Their defense simply had no answers for the freshman, who pick-and-rolled past Purdue all night.
Consistency is a key storyline, given his occasional disappearing acts from three-point range. Still, he's a capable long-range shooter who also averages 3.9 assists—the highest mark among healthy players—and 4.1 rebounds per outing.
Even if Xavier Johnson might return from a broken foot, Hood-Schifino is locked in as IU's main complement to Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Dajuan Harris Jr., Kansas
5 of 7
As always, it's important to remember the balance of correlation vs. causation. But there's no denying this trend is bizarre.
Kansas is a perfect 23-0 when Dajuan Harris Jr. manages four points. Four! During the six contests he's finished below the mark, however, the Jayhawks have dropped five.
It's not actually that simple, right?
Well, advanced metrics reinforce the basic numbers; Kansas is 3-5 when Harris posts an offensive rating of 80 or below, per KenPom.com, yet has otherwise emerged as the winner in all 21 other games.
Gradey Dick, KJ Adams Jr. and Kevin McCullar Jr. score at higher rates, but Harris is the most important player next to Jalen Wilson.
Fletcher Loyer, Purdue
6 of 7
Right around mid-January, the tenure of Purdue's season changed.
Not coincidentally, that's about the moment Fletcher Loyer slammed into the freshman wall. Six weeks later, both he and the Boilers are still waiting for that breakthrough stretch.
In his first 18 games, Loyer provided 13.4 points per night with a decent 37.4 three-point clip. Since then, he's managed 9.2 points with a 23.3 long-range percentage over an 11-game period—and Purdue has continually faltered against higher-tier Big Ten competition in that span.
Zach Edey is a dominant, hugely productive All-American center. But if Loyer doesn't at least regain his previous level, the Boilermakers probably won't be in March Madness for long.
Tyger Campbell, UCLA
7 of 7
If your favorite team is playing UCLA, be aware that Tyger Campbell may crush your basketball-loving heart.
Through 30-35 minutes, he might be exasperating Bruins fans. The fourth-year guard is an inefficient shooter who, per Hoop-Math.com, connects on just 37.1 percent of looks at the rim and 41.9 percent of his two-point jumpers—both his preferred shot and UCLA's as a whole.
Despite all of that, Campbell can be amazingly clutch.
Campbell showed that in the 2022 tournament against Akron. He's done it several times this season, most recently with a ridiculous scoop shot and a running jumper at Colorado. And it certainly wouldn't be surprising if Campbell finds yet another moment in March.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. leads UCLA, and Jaylen Clark is an elite defender with solid offensive upside. In uncomfortable moments, though, the Bruins will be looking to Campbell.
.png?w=480 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
