7 Men's College Basketball Players Who Could Dominate in 2026 Conference Tournaments
No matter what has happened to this point in the 2025-26 college basketball season, one final opportunity awaits.
Some programs are March Madness locks, sure. For literally hundreds of other schools, however, their upcoming conference tournament is a chance to guarantee that coveted place in the field of 68.
And it might take an extraordinary individual effort for that to happen.
In other situations, one standout player on a Madness-bound team may be the catalyst for competing for a league championship.
Either way, we could see solo superstars dazzle in conference tourneys.
Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
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Arkansas is undoubtedly headed to March Madness, but a surge in the SEC tournament would provide a welcome jolt.
That potential sits largely in the hands of Darius Acuff Jr., one of the best freshmen in the country. He's averaging 22.0 points and 6.2 assists—both SEC-leading marks—which no high-major player has done since Trae Young in 2017-18.
Pretty solid territory, no?
Acuff is particularly dangerous because he's also an efficient long-range threat. He attempts 6.4 triples per night yet connects on 42.9 percent of them.
Arkansas will face a challenging road through the SEC tournament, but a hot-shooting Acuff is enough to carry the Hogs.
AJ Dybantsa, BYU
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Among the least surprising players on the list, AJ Dybantsa is the nation's leading scorer at 24.9 points per game.
But the freshman's inclusion is not that simple.
In mid-February, BYU lost veteran wing Richie Saunders to a season-ending knee injury. He'd been contributing a career-best 18.0 points per game and shot the highest volume of three-pointers on the team.
Since then, the Cougars have dropped four of their five contests. Lead guard Rob Wright III is a good player, but BYU's upside is entirely contingent on Dybantsa—who's popped off to score 33-plus points six times this season.
BYU is set to finish as a mid-range Big 12 team, so a deep run in the league tournament will require a couple of major, Dybantsa-led upsets.
Dominique Daniels Jr., Cal Baptist
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In the one-bid WAC, Cal Baptist may need to knock off both Utah Valley and Utah Tech for that automatic ticket to the Big Dance.
And it'll certainly help to have Dominique Daniels Jr. leading the way.
The senior guard is once again atop the conference in scoring, improving from his WAC-leading 19.6 points per game last season to 22.3 points this year. He's reached the 30-point mark in five outings so far.
Daniels is not tremendously efficient, given his 30.4 three-point clip and 42.1 percent overall. He's not immune to a 10-, 11-point evening, either.
But in a step-ladder WAC bracket, Daniels only needs to put together two or three electric games for Cal Baptist to win. He's absolutely capable of that.
Bennett Stirtz, Iowa
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Look at Bennett Stirtz's individual line, and this choice is defensible.
He's nearing the Big Ten tournament with 20.5 points and 4.5 assists per game. While knocking down 39.3 percent of his threes, he sports a 51.1 overall clip. Throw in his defensive awareness, and Stirtz is a terrific player.
The important piece, though, is how much of a disaster Iowa would be without him. Nobody else is a meaningful creator on a consistent basis, and it's truly a guessing game who else might put up 10 points on a given night.
Nevertheless, the Hawkeyes are 20-9 with a notable upset of Nebraska and a bunch of competitive losses to strong Big Ten teams.
In the postseason, you don't get credit for almost winning. But it's clear that Iowa can stick with anyone, and Stirtz would very likely be the clutch player if the Hawkeyes flip a few tight results in their favor.
Daeshun Ruffin, Jackson State
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If you're looking for a candidate to make the NCAA tournament with a losing record, well, let's chat about Jackson State.
One regular-season game remains, and the Tigers are 10-20. They started 1-12 due to a tough nonconference slate—Illinois, Louisville, Auburn, Arkansas, and Houston, to name a few—but hold a 9-8 mark in SWAC play.
Daeshun Ruffin could be the catalyst of a memorable surge.
Leading the conference at 23.9 points and 5.9 assists per game, Ruffin is the driving force of Jackson State's offense. Only two other players, Jayme Mitchell and Dorian McMillian, average more than seven points per game.
Ruffin would need to rattle off three or four straight top performances, but a player with eight 30-point showings is worth watching.
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
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If the bubble-dwelling Buckeyes ultimately shake up the Big Ten tournament, we're going to find out quickly.
Bruce Thornton presumably would be the main reason, too.
Ohio State looks headed for either a No. 8 or 9 seed, and that means an inevitable clash with top-seeded Michigan. Both regular-season meetings went to U-M, which held Thornton to a combined 26 points.
Thornton, though, has notched 20.0 points per night with a 38.5 long-range percentage. He's scored 28-plus in five contests and dished five-plus assists in eight games this season, as well.
Add in OSU desperately needing a marquee win to bolster its résumé, and the senior guard could soon command a bright spotlight.
Kenyon Giles, Wichita State
7 of 7In the last few weeks, Kenyon Giles has been among the best scorers in the country. That hot streak has come at a perfect time for Wichita State, as well.
The loss to American-leading South Florida on Feb. 11 dropped the Shockers to 15-10. Since then, however, Giles has averaged 26.4 points and propelled a run of five consecutive wins.
No, that hasn't vaulted Wichita State into at-large candidacy. But there's no question the rest of the conference has paid attention.
Giles is a high-volume perimeter shooter, hitting 38.1 percent of his 8.9 threes per game. The senior is averaging 19.5 points overall.
If the Shockers win the American tourney and crash the NCAA tournament party, it's likely because Giles continued his soaring play.
