8 Men's College Basketball Stars Who Can Take Over the 2024 NCAA Tournament
Becoming a March Madness legend does not necessarily require a national championship. Several recent editions of the men's NCAA tournament have showed that clearly, too.
Case in point: Steph Curry.
In addition to the former Davidson star, we have Kemba Walker carrying UConn to the 2011 national title.
Simply the mention of those two names conjures up memories of individual excellence during the Big Dance. We remember the clutch shots, high-scoring performances and all the victories (and upsets) that a near-unstoppable player produced in a special March.
That level of greatness is not attained every year, of course. Should it happen in 2024, though, the following eight players are among the most likely to be commanding that spotlight.
RJ Davis, North Carolina
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It's pretty basic, really. North Carolina's high-scoring attack revolves around veteran guard RJ Davis.
As the calendar nears March, the senior has hoisted 208 three-point attempts among his 440 total shots this season. Harrison Ingram, for comparison's sake, is second on the team in overall shots at 271.
Davis is the spark for the Tar Heels.
Beyond his ACC-leading 21.0 points per game—partially a product of eight showings with 25-plus points, including a high of 36—he also averages 3.5 assists. As of this writing, he's even dished five-plus assists in four of UNC's six most recent games.
Thanks to Davis, the Heels will likely be a No. 1 or 2 seed in March.
Rob Dillingham, Kentucky
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A sixth man? You bet.
Rob Dillingham is an absolute lightning rod for Kentucky, which doesn't play a whole lot of defense but can light up a scoreboard.
Sure, the freshman guard has dealt with inconsistency. Dillingham has finished with six points or fewer in four contests, even as he logged 17-plus minutes in each of those outings. Under the bright lights of March Madness, it's reasonable to think he may have a dud somewhere.
Nevertheless, at his best, Dillingham is a hyper-efficient perimeter option (45.2 percent so far) who can create off the dribble. He's posted 13 games of four-plus assists, as well.
Dillingham is a wild card, as most freshmen are, but his ceiling is equal parts electric and tantalizing.
Zach Edey, Purdue
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You're not going to believe this, but the reigning National Player of the Year—and the award's front-runner this season—is included.
Zach Edey, once again, has obliterated the box score. The towering center has racked up 23.3 points, 11.7 rebounds (4.5 offensive) and 2.3 blocks per game, placing Purdue on a path toward another No. 1 seed.
You, dear reader, may remember what happened to the Boilers last season and in 2022. They suffered an iconic loss to Fairleigh Dickinson one year after falling to Cinderalla team Saint Peter's. Knowing that, it's fair to wonder how Purdue will fare in the 2024 tourney.
Simultaneously, there's no question that the 7'4" Edey is an absolute force who could drop a 30-15 line and surprise zero of us.
DaRon Holmes II, Dayton
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Leading one of the nation's best mid-major team is DaRon Holmes II, a two-way standout at Dayton.
Holmes, a two-time All-Atlantic 10 pick, is cruising toward his third all-league honor. He's collected 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.2 blocks per game.
Also of note is that Holmes has expanded his shooting range to the perimeter. After attempting only 26 threes in two previous years, he's now making a respectable 37.7 percent of his 2.7 triples per night. Holmes has developed into a well-rounded, quality playmaker.
Throw in a deep group of three-point weapons around him, and Holmes can make Dayton a thorn for a high-seeded team in the Sweet 16.
Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
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If you're desperate to see another Kemba Walker-like run, you should probably keep a close eye on Dalton Knecht.
He's a pretty fun story, too.
Knecht spent two seasons with Northeastern Junior College before transferring to Northern Colorado. The explosive guard parlayed his breakout 2022-23 season into a featured spot at Tennessee, which is soundly in the conversation for a No. 1 seed in March Madness.
Since snapping a slump in early January, Knecht has poured in 25.6 points per game and shot 43.2 percent from beyond the arc. He scored 37 against UNC earlier this season and hit 39 against Florida in January.
Knecht, when at his best, is easily one of the most exciting players to watch in college basketball.
Tristen Newton, Connecticut
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Tristen Newton does it all.
Last season, he held a valuable but complementary role on UConn's championship-winning roster. This year, though, the Huskies are leaning more heavily on Newton in just about every capacity. He's notched 15.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game, rising from 10.1, 4.5 and 4.7, respectively, in 2022-23
Yes, one negative is that Newton lacks efficiency as a shooter. His career mark—in five seasons—is a tick below 40 percent, and he's at 40.9 percent this year. There's no denying it's not a great clip.
Still, the totality of his contributions far outweighs the sting of a couple extra missed shots more than our analytical liking.
After all, Kemba shot 40.2 percent during his iconic tournament to lead the Huskies to the 2011 championship. UConn fans certainly wouldn't mind a similar run from Newton.
Mark Sears, Alabama
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While he's been outstanding for much of the 2023-24 campaign, Mark Sears has become a model of consistency lately.
The veteran guard has scored 20-25 points in nine of the Crimson Tide's past 10 games. Within that stretch, he's tallied four-plus assists in eight games and multiple steals in seven of them. At this point, Alabama knows what to expect from Sears on a nightly basis.
And the important part is the level of consistency.
That output isn't simply a 12-point, five-rebound showing from a complementary wing. Sears is every bit an All-American, and Alabama is trending for a top-three NCAA seed largely because of him.
Tyson Walker, Michigan State
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Among other candidates, Duke's Kyle Filipowski and Indiana State's Robbie Avila both landed consideration here. But the final slot belongs to Michigan State standout Tyson Walker.
The guard played two seasons at Northeastern before transferring to MSU in 2021-22. He's steadily taken on a larger role, averaging 8.2 points in 22.6 minutes during his debut season in East Lansing and climbing to 18.3 points per night in 32.4 minutes two years later.
If Walker goes off in March, it'll be a familiar story.
This season, the Spartans are solid. Not incredible or overwhelming, but better than average. The latest Bracket Matrix update has MSU slotted as a No. 8 seed for the Big Dance. The program has reached the Elite Eight despite holding a No. 5 seed or worse four times in Tom Izzo's tenure.
Walker, who constantly attacks the rim yet is also a 38 percent three-point shooter, can be the catalyst of another surge for Mr. March and the Spartans.
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