Five Players To Watch for During March Madness

With March Madness fast approaching, fans should look for the best players. Here are five players to watch for in the NCAA Tournament.

March Madness is fast approaching, and every team, from the top 5 ranked teams to little-known mid-majors, is scratching and clawing for position. As the tournament gets closer, fans need to know what players will impact the competition most. Let's look at five players to watch this NCAA Tournament.

Dalton Knecht | Guard, Tennessee

A 6'6" senior guard out of Thornton, Colorado, Dalton Knecht took the long way to big-time Division I basketball success. Originally a guard/forward hybrid, Knecht was undersized for that latter position at 6'4" after his senior year. As a result, he didn't receive an offer from a Division I school. So, Knecht spent a year at Northeastern Junior College, growing another two inches. He was a late bloomer, going from 5'8" his sophomore year of high school to 6'1" as a junior, 6'4" as a senior, and eventually 6'6" as a freshman at Northeastern Junior College.

The growth spurt and a big sophomore season that saw him average 23.9 points and 7.5 assists got him an offer to Northern Colorado, where he averaged 20.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a senior. He received an extra year of eligibility due to the shortened 2020 season, making him one of the hottest prospects in the transfer portal, eventually landing with Tennessee. The 5th year senior has combined experience and toughness to become one of the best scorers in the nation, averaging over 20 points per game and leading the Volunteers to a top 5 ranking in the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll. Tennessee is a favorite among the best online sportsbook platforms. Knecht will surely be a factor come March, with Tennessee keeping an eye on a #1 seed.

Cam Spencer | Guard, Connecticut

Another senior guard, Cam Spencer, took a similar route to Knecht. Not highly recruited, the 6'4" guard wound up at Loyola (Maryland) after failing to make ESPN's top rankings. The small Patriot League school was the only Division I offer on Spencer's table.

After a solid junior season, Spencer was named a first-team All-Patriot league player and transferred to Rutgers for his senior season. Like Knecht, he took advantage of the extra season of eligibility and transferred one last time to UConn to play his 5th season with the defending NCAA Tournament champions.

It took a while for Spencer to come alive, but he has been vital in the second half of the season, bringing versatility and toughness to a UConn team on track for a #1 seed. The Huskies are attempting to be the first repeat champions since the 2006–07 Florida Gators, and Spencer will need to be in peak form for them to have a shot.

Kyle Filipowski | Center, Duke

Duke landed Kyle Filipowski in the 2022 class, a consensus five-star recruit as a 7'0" center. Unlike Knecht and Spencer, Filipowski is the type of player you expect to see on a list like this, coming in at #7 on ESPN's 2022 recruiting rankings. However, we expected to see less of him. As a freshman, Filipowski was named the ACC Rookie of the Year, the second-team All-ACC and the ACC tournament MVP. He averaged 15 points and just under nine rebounds per game and was projected as a first-round pick in the NBA Draft.

Despite that, he returned to Duke for his sophomore season, a decision that has paid off for the Blue Devils. Filipowski is averaging 17 points and eight rebounds per game, leading the way for a #10 ranked Duke squad attempting to redefine itself after the retirement of the legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski. The Blue Devils will need Filipowski firing on all cylinders as the tournament approaches.

RJ Davis | Guard, North Carolina

RJ Davis is no stranger to the spotlight. The point guard is a former McDonalds All-American and nearly led the 2021–22 Tar Heels to another national championship. While he didn't have the draft resume Filipowski had, he still opted to return for his senior year to finish his college career off strong.

North Carolina is a top-10 team in the country and could be poised for a long tournament run. For that to happen, Davis will need to be their guiding light and leading scorer, something he did with a career-high 42-point performance in a 75-71 win over Miami on February 26.

Zach Edey | Center, Purdue

After a dominant junior season, Zach Edey was named the 2023 National College Player of the Year and won several more awards last season, including the Big Ten Player of the Year and being named a consensus first-team All-American.

The center is destined to be an NBA lottery pick, but following last year's Purdue squad being just the second No. 1 seed in NCAA history to lose to a 16-seed, Edey returned for one more season.

Edey and the Boilermakers are attempting to do what the Virginia Cavaliers did in 2018–2019: win the national championship the year after being upset as the #1 seed. If Purdue is going to do it, Edey will have to lead the way.

What To Expect From March Madness

The NCAA Tournament is inching closer, and fans can expect a thrilling slate of games. What can we expect? If we have learned one thing about March Madness, it can't be predicted. These players, though, will undoubtedly play a significant part in the action.