March Madness 2011 Predictions: Which Stars Will Explode in Round 3?

Now that the second round of the NCAA tournament is nearly in the books, fans can start looking forward to all of the intriguing matchups in round three.

In addition to many exciting games, this year's second round also saw stellar performances from some of the tournament's biggest stars.

With that being said, which stars are primed to explode in round three? Here are five stars to keep an eye on during this weekend's tournament games.

5. Ben Hansbrough: Notre Dame

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CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 18: Ben Hansbrough #23 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish shoots against Brett McClanahan #5 of the Akron Zips in the second half during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the United Center on March 18, 2011

Hansbrough helped lead Notre Dame to a second round victory over Akron.

The deeper the Irish advance in the tournament, the more Hansbrough will be forced to have big games for Notre Dame.

Keep an eye on the Big East Player of the Year in Sunday's third round game.

4. Jacob Pullen: Kansas State

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TUCSON, AZ - MARCH 17: Jacob Pullen #0 of the Kansas State Wildcats drives against Pooh Williams #5 of the Utah State Aggies during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at McKale Center on March 17, 2011 in Tucson, Arizona. (Pho

In Kansas State's victory over Utah State, Pullen led all scorers with 22 points. It was exactly the kind of performance everyone has come to expect.

However, he is capable of much more. Who can forget his 38 point performance against Kansas back in February?

It will be interesting to see Pullen up against Wisconsin's stalwart defense.

3. Kyle Singler: Duke

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CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 18: Kyle Singler #12 of the Duke Blue Devils goes up against Christopher Tolson #22 of the Hampton Pirates in the second half during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 1

The Duke senior contributed 11 points in Duke's second round victory over Hampton. It's not a big secret that Singler has not had the senior season that many expected.

However, he is the reigning MOP of the Final Four, and Duke's chances at repeating are largely hinged on Singler being able to find his groove. It would be unwise to underestimate such an experienced player this time of year.

Duke will play Michigan in their third round matchup on Sunday.

2. Brandon Knight: Kentucky

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TAMPA, FL - MARCH 17: Brandon Knight #12 of the Kentucky Wildcats brings the ball up court against the Princeton Tigers during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at St. Pete Times Forum on March 17, 2011 in Tampa, Florida. (Ph

Kentucky's star point guard hit the game winner with two seconds remaining to give Kentucky a narrow victory over Princeton on Thursday.

On the other hand, it was surprisingly Knight's only basket of the game. Don't expect the freshman to have another quiet performance against West Virginia.

1. Jimmer Fredette: Brigham Young

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DENVER, CO - MARCH 17: Jimmer Fredette #32 of the Brigham Young Cougars looks on while playing against the Wofford Terriers during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Pepsi Center on March 17, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Phot

Fredette scored a game high 32 points in BYU's defeat of Wofford. At this point, it is really not a question of if Jimmer will have a big game, but rather how big of a game he will have.

If Thursday was any indication, the Cougars may struggle going forward in the tournament relying so much on one player.

However, Gonzaga had better watch out. You never know when one of Jimmer's 40 or 50 point specials is right around the corner.