March Madness 2013: Players Who Will Become Household Names After Tournament

Every year, the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship tournament presents a new opportunity for players to become legends of college basketball.

A handful of stars of the hardwood elevate themselves to legendary status, dominating the airwaves with clutch play to lead their teams to tournament glory.

And in a year where the best teams in the Associated Press poll were subject to a revolving door at the top, 2013 presents as many opportunities as ever for players to break out of the woodwork and make people remember their names.

Shane Larkin leads the Miami Hurricanes, the second seed in the East bracket and newly crowned ACC champions. Larkin led Miami with 28 points and seven assists in the Hurricanes' 87-77 victory over North Carolina in the conference championship game, setting the stage for a high seed in this year's tournament.

Larkin, Miami's starting point guard, averaged 14.6 points per game and 4.4 assists per game in 36.5 minutes this year. He's brought up his field-goal percentage to 48.6 percent from 36 percent last year. A smart player who can run the pick-and-roll, Miami's road to the Final Four hinges on his ability to lead. If he can lead the Hurricanes that far, he might establish himself as a top-pro prospect.

Indiana's Victor Oladipo has broken out in his junior year with the Hoosiers, who will be the first seed in the East and take on either LIU Brooklyn or James Madison on Friday. With 13.6 points per game, Oladipo has been shooting at a standout 59.9 percent clip, best among starters on the team—and over 10 percent better than his shooting percentage last year.

But where Oladipo really stands out is on defense. With 6.4 rebounds per game and 0.8 blocks per game, he ranks second on the team in both categories, while his team-leading 2.2 steals per game make him a threat to every opposing ballhandler. Cody Zeller may be the Hoosiers' statistical leader, but Oladipo is the team's heart; he's big in college hoops circles now, but expect even the most casual fan to root him on if Indiana makes it into the Final Four.

Don't be shocked if Oklahoma State's Markel Brown also makes a name for himself before this tournament is finished. No. 5 OSU enters the Midwest bracket with the daunting task of taking on No. 12 Oregon, fresh off of the Pac-12 championship. Brown has the skills to overcome the tough matchup and help the Cowboys make a surprise run deep into the tournament.

Brown (15.3 points per game) and Marcus Smart (15.4) form a one-two scoring punch for the 24-8 Cowboys, but Brown is the more accurate shooter with a 43.8 percent field-goal rate and 37.0 percent three-point percentage. He hit the game-winning layup against Baylor in a 69-67 overtime win on Feb. 6, the fourth game of a season-high eight game-winning streak for OSU. As much hype as the freshman Smart gets, Brown will flourish if teams pay Smart too much attention on the court.

For more from Christopher Leone, follow @christopherlion on Twitter.