Top 7 Big Men Who Could Be X-Factors During 2024 March Madness
Great guard play is a must for any team trying to accomplish much of anything in the men's NCAA tournament, but don't ever downplay the role that an X-factor of a big man can play in a deep run in the Dance.
In looking to identify the frontcourt features who could make a big impact in the tournament, we're not necessarily just searching for 7-footers with three-point range. It's more a question of who has the skill to just take over a game at a moment's notice, but in an under-the-radar sort of way?
We'll start out with few very much not under-the-radar big men and also highlight a few dominant big men from smaller schools before diving into our X-factors.
The Stars You Already Know About
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Frankly, you should already know about most of our X-factor big men, as five of the seven play for major-conference programs.
But there's a fine line between being really good for Clemson or Mississippi State and being really good for Duke or Kentucky.
These five big men could (and really should) be difference-makers in the NCAA tournament, but they aren't X-factors. They simply are the factors.
Armando Bacot, North Carolina
14.2 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 1.7 BPG, 1.6 APG
After going five consecutive games without a double-double in the latter half of January, Bacot has gotten back to normal thus far in February, averaging 18 points and 12 rebounds. He double-doubled UNC all the way to the 2022 national championship game, and he could do it again.
Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
18.2 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.2 BPG, 1.1 SPG, 34.0% 3PT
The past few games haven't been great for the former Michigan transfer, but Dickinson's year-to-date numbers are still strong. He has tallied 13 double-doubles, including the outrageous 27-point, 21-rebound game against Kentucky in the Champions Classic. The Wildcats didn't have a legitimate center at that point in the season, but it's possible KU's first few NCAA tournament opponents won't have a legitimate center, either.
Zach Edey, Purdue
23.3 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 2.3 BPG, 1.8 APG
Edey is the least X-factor-y of these star big men. He's just a dominant, old-school giant who is going to be named National Player of the Year for a second consecutive season. Edey is working on a streak of eight consecutive double-doubles, in which he is averaging 26.1 points and 14.4 rebounds. Suffice it to say, the Big Ten hasn't figured out a formula for slowing him down.
Kyle Filipowski, Duke
17.4 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.8 BPG, 1.1 SPG, 34.5% 3PT
Duke's do-it-all big man is on track to finish the season with around 600 points, 300 rebounds, 100 assists, 60 blocks, 40 steals and 40 made three-pointers. Just the 600-300-100 portion has only been done 12 times in the past three-plus decades. Factor in the other three categories and "Flip" would be 1-of-1 in that club.
Tre Mitchell, Kentucky
12.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.1 BPG, 33.3% 3PT
Mitchell is definitely the closest thing to an X-factor in this bunch, often kind of forgotten about as the old man in Kentucky's freshman-heavy lineup. Save for Reed Sheppard, this unselfish power forward might be the most important player to the Wildcats' cause. But you can never be truly under-the-radar when you play for Kentucky.
The Small-School Phenoms No Foe Wants to See in the Dance
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Like the previous quintet, these five big men aren't X-factors so much as they are the obvious main player their team will be leaning on should they make the NCAA tournament.
Add that to the fact that none of these teams has any real case for an at-large bid and it just feels like they should be grouped together as honorable mentions who you are definitely going to want to know about, should any of these teams earn their league's automatic bid.
Enrique Freeman, Akron
18.4 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.5 BPG, 37.5% 3PT
This season's king of the double-double, Freeman has scored at least 10 points in every game and has at least 10 rebounds in all but three. Drake somehow completely shut him down, but he went for 25-13 and 22-13 as the Zips nearly pulled off upsets of Utah State and UNLV, respectively. And after shooting 1-for-6 from distance in his first four years, Freeman actually has some range this season (12-for-32). If Akron wins the MAC tournament, it will be either a No. 12 or No. 13 seed. The rest of that pod had better watch out.
Yaxel Lendeborg, UAB
12.5 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.0 BPG, 1.9 APG, 37% 3PT
It took this JUCO transfer a little while to hit his stride. But in 12 games played since Christmas, Lendeborg is averaging 15.6 points, 12.3 rebounds and shooting 47.4 percent from three-point range. He went for 17 and 21 in the win over Florida Atlantic, not long after going for 23 and 16 in the win over Memphis.
Riley Minix, Morehead State
19.6 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.2 BPG, 1.2 SPG, 31.8% 3PT
Is Preston Spradlin just building these stars in a laboratory? Morehead State is where current Auburn X-factor extraordinaire Johni Broome got his start, and now Minix is even more of a certified problem-causer. He's averaging better than 22 points per game in league play.
Jonathan Mogbo, San Francisco
15.4 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Possibly tournament-bound opponents have figured out how to stifle Mogbo at least a little bit, but he still averaged 12.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in USF's losses to Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, Utah State, Grand Canyon and Boise State. And it feels like he could go for 25 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists if he really gets into a groove.
Drew Pember, UNC-Asheville
20.8 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.9 BPG, 35.1% 3PT
Name kind of sounds familiar, right? Pember was also a major X-factor to watch last year when he averaged 21.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 2.3 assists per game. But UCLA completely shut him and the Bulldogs down in an 86-53 shellacking in the first round of the Dance. Maybe this year will be different?
7. Juslin Bodo Bodo, High Point
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Season Stats: 6.1 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.8 BPG
Got to love an X-factor who averages three more rebounds per game than points, right?
7'0" freshman Juslin Bodo Bodo was a late addition to High Point's arsenal this season, not committing to the Panthers until the end of July. But he has been a starter from day one and a frontcourt tour de force as of late.
Over his last four games, Bodo has averaged 11.3 points, 16.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, including going for 10 and 18 against UNC-Asheville's aforementioned X-factor, Drew Pember.
Even before that breakout, though, Bodo was High Point's primary source of rebounds and blocks.
He's simply shining a little brighter these days.
The young big man from Cameroon has been no stranger to foul trouble, whistled for at least three infractions in 19 of his 27 games played. But it hasn't been some colossal pitfall, as he has only fouled out twice. Just something to keep in mind before you go picking High Point to pull off a monumental 15-over-2 upset in the NCAA tournament.
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6. Justin Abson, Appalachian State
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Season Stats: 8.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.2 BPG
At 6'9", App State's Justin Abson doesn't necessarily look the part of one of the best shot-blockers in the nation.
But he is a long-wingspanned game-changer who has been on one heck of a run as of late.
Dating back to the first win over James Madison in mid-January, Abson has averaged 9.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.3 blocks and 1.6 assists over his last nine games—all while shooting 76 percent from the field.
The Mountaineers don't much rely upon his ability to put the ball in the hoop, which could not have been more self-evident in the second win over JMU, in which Abson officially recorded just one field-goal attempt in 30 minutes. But he was still majorly important to that victory with 11 rebounds, eight blocks and two steals.
What's noteworthy about Abson being such an X-factor for Appalachian State is he was almost completely a non-factor in the marquee win over Auburn. He only managed to log 11 minutes before fouling out with two rebounds, one block and no points—and the Mountaineers still upset one of the best teams in the country.
Imagine what kind of run they could go on if he's out there blocking up a storm.
5. Cameron Matthews, Mississippi State
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Season Stats: 9.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.9 APG, 2.2 SPG
It's pretty unusual for a player to average at least seven rebounds and two steals per game. It's just not a skill set that typically overlaps, as the former implies a certain degree of height while the latter is most often the product of a scrappy guard.
Sure, Zion Williamson did it. And Gary Payton II did it in both of his collegiate seasons. But there has been an average of around three such seasons per year for the past decade, with just one player pulling it off in each of the past two seasons.
Adding to Cameron Matthews' allure as an X-factor as Mississippi State's primary power forward is that he simply is not a good shooter.
Oh, he makes 70.6 percent of his two-point attempts, but they are predominantly dunks and layups. He's 1-for-17 from three-point range for the year, as well as a 54.7 percent free-throw shooter.
And yet, he fills up the stat sheet on a nightly basis, including one game against North Texas in which he went for 12 rebounds, nine points, seven assists, five steals and three blocks.
Matthews also recently had an 11-9-4-4-3 line in a win over Georgia, followed by a career-high seven steals in the win at Missouri.
4. Jamarion Sharp, Ole Miss
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Season Stats: 3.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.6 BPG
There are big X-factors and then there is this 7'5" Rebel with a shot-blocking cause.
Jamarion Sharp had spent the previous two seasons at Western Kentucky, where he led the nation in blocks per game, averaging 4.6 in 2021-22 and 4.1 in 2022-23.
He hasn't been getting as much playing time at Ole Miss, but his block rate is basically the same, leading the nation in that department by a wide margin.
In the Jan. 10 win over Florida, Sharp played 17 minutes, finishing with nine blocks and eight points. It was one of 14 instances this season in which he had multiple points, multiple blocks and multiple rebounds, but the most noteworthy by far from a shot-blocking perspective.
There have been 17 games this season in which Sharp logged at least 15 minutes. He blocked at least two shots in all but one of them, instead going for eight points and 10 rebounds with no rejections in the win over Bryant.
The big unknown here is whether Ole Miss will even make the NCAA tournament. But it would be fun if the Rebels barely got in, had to go to Dayton for the First Four and Sharp hosted a block party to get them into the real first round of the Dance.
3. Ja'Vier Francis, Houston
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Season Stats: 5.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.4 BPG
Ja'Vier Francis hasn't been quite the star in the paint for Houston that we were expecting him to become in his third season of college basketball.
In limited playing time last year, he averaged 16.6 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.3 blocks per 40 minutes, which were tantalizing previews of what could be forthcoming with Jarace Walker out of the picture.
However, Francis' rates have dropped by around 25 percent each to 12.1, 11.0 and 2.9, respectively, now that he is a starter averaging close to 20 minutes per game.
Still, impressive marks from one of the better shot-blockers and offensive rebounders in the nation.
To put it lightly, Houston's offense doesn't run through Francis like it ran through Walker last year, or like it ran through the tandem of Fabian White and Josh Carlton in 2022. In fact, there have been three instances this season when Francis logged at least 15 minutes without attempting a field goal.
When he does take shots, they're often lobs or putbacks.
But that's what makes this human pogo stick such an X-factor. You almost forget about him, and then he channels some Phi Slama Jama mojo for a rim-rattling dunk or a soul-crushing rejection.
And while he is far from the only great offensive rebounder on the roster, his ability to keep possessions alive in that regard is critical for a Houston team that simply doesn't shoot very well as a whole.
2. Ian Schieffelin, Clemson
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Season Stats: 9.6 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 59.1% 3PT
Thought about going with Clemson teammate PJ Hall here for his incredible versatility.
But Ian Schieffelin is the Tigers' real X-Factor, unofficially leading the ACC in minutes per game spent diving after loose balls.
Schieffelin has great shooting percentages. He's at 61 percent from the field, 59 percent (in 22 attempts) from three-point range and a little better than 75 percent from the free-throw line. He probably should be trying to score more often than he does.
But Schieffelin's entire goal in life seems to be grabbing rebounds, and he'll occasionally put the ball through the net once he has lulled you into a false sense of security about his willingness to shoot.
He had 14 rebounds (and nine points) in Clemson's marquee win over Alabama. He went for 12 and 12 in the win over South Carolina. He recorded double-doubles in each of the Tigers' games against North Carolina. And in the home game against the Tar Heels, he also finished with five steals, four blocks and a pair of assists.
Schieffelin has tallied at least six rebounds in all but one of his games played, as well as multiple offensive rebounds in 20 of 24 games.
The propensity for assists and the occasional steal/block/triple are just icing on the cake.
1. Johni Broome, Auburn
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Season Stats: 16.2 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.4 BPG, 1.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 38.5% 3PT
Johni Broome is clearly more than just an X-factor for Auburn. He is leading the Tigers in points, rebounds and blocks and may well be a second-team or third-team All-American.
But he's also still an X-factor who can impact a game in a wide variety of ways—who doesn't get anywhere near as much national attention as the likes of Edey, Bacot, Dickinson, etc.
Broome's year-to-date numbers are great, but his "since the start of 2024" numbers are even more absurd, as he's averaged 17.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 2.2 assists while shooting 53.3 percent from three-point range.
Perhaps most absurd of all, he's doing this in just 26 minutes per game. So on a per-40 average, it's more like 27 points, 13 rebounds and better than four blocks. And with serious three-point range to boot, as he's made at least one triple in eight consecutive games.
How are you supposed to combat that as an opponent?
Broome hasn't gotten particularly close to any triple-doubles this season, let alone quadruple-doubles, but it sure feels like he could if he wanted to.
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