25 players to watch at the 2023 NCAA men's tournament

Let's go back two years ago, when Abmas averaged 26.7 points in helping then-No. 15 seed Oral Roberts stun Ohio State in the first round, and make a Cinderella run to the Sweet 16. Well, Abmas is back at Big Dance in 2023. As a senior this season, he's averaging 22.2 points and coming off a second Summit League Player of Year distinction. ORU, 30-4 and a perfect 18-0 in league play, is a No. 12 seed this time around and gets surging Duke in the first round. So, there should be plenty of eyes on Abmas and Co., to see if he can lead his school on another magical NCAA tournament run. 

In a playing age where it's easy for mid-major studs to test the waters of the transfer portal for better days, Bothwell is considered a lifer. And, it's paid off both for him and Furman, which won a school-record 27 games, the Southern Conference title and will make its first NCAA tournament in 43 years. In his fifth season at the school, Bothwell is averaging a career-high 18.0 points while shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 33.8 from beyond the 3-point arc. Now, Bothwell could have his hands full against a Virginia defense that's like nothing the Paladins have seen this season, but we'll be watching.

The Tennessee-Louisiana 4-13 matchup is a sexy out-of-gate upset special. The Volunteers have been struggling and are down guard Zakai Zeigler. Louisiana, meanwhile, enters on a five-game winning streak, won the Sun Belt tournament title and possesses a bona fide star in the 6-foot-11 Brown. A former McDonald's All-American, it's been quite the journey for Brown, who started his college career at Nevada, then landed at Arizona before two years with the Ragin' Cajuns. This season, he's averaging career highs of 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 blocks.

Much of the attention surrounding the No. 2 seed Bruins enter the 2023 NCAA tournament is the loss of injured versatile guard Jaylen Clark and uncertain injury status of 6-foot-10 Adem Bona. And rightfully so. However, Campbell remains the guy that makes UCLA's motor run. The veteran point guard has started all 130 games he's played for the Bruins, and is averaging 13.6 points and 4.7 assists this season. When it comes to the NCAA tournament, Campbell has been even better, averaging 14.7 points on 55.2 percent shooting in his last six such games.

Memphis took advantage of a short-handed Houston group to win the American Athletic Conference tournament on Selection Sunday. Davis (22.1 points per game) went off for 31 points in that title-game victory, and has averaged 25.8, while shooting 18-of-40 from 3-point range, in his last six contests. Now, the Tigers face a seriously stiff test in their 8-9 game against Florida Atlantic, but Davis should still be fun to watch in what will be his NCAA tournament debut after failing to get there with TCU and SMU. 

The Missouri Valley Player of the Year, DeVries has blossomed into one of the nation's top mid-major performers as a sophomore. The 6-7 DeVries, whose father Darian is also the team's head coach, is averaging 19.0 points and shooting 45.7 percent. He's also pulling down 5.6 rebounds for Drake, which just captured the Missouri Valley tournament title and enters the Big Dance a winner in 16 of last 18. With DeVries leading the way, the 12th-seeded Bulldogs might have what it takes to take down Miami, Fla., in the first round. 

The best player in the country, Edey's breakout junior season helped Purdue to the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles, and a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament. The 7-4 standout averages 22.3 points, while shooting 70.6 percent from the field, and 12.8 rebounds. Plus, he already seems tournament ready after totaling 62 points and 27 rebounds during the Boilermakers' conference tournament semifinal and final victories over Ohio State and Penn State, respectively. If Purdue's trend of season success continues, expect Edey to be front and center come early April.

Hawkins went from a serviceable reserve to blossoming star in the span of the season. Averaging 16.1 points, while shooting 36.8 percent from 3-point range, and pulling down 3.9 rebounds, Hawkins is obviously a big reason the Huskies are 25-8 and seemingly poised to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. Now, he must regroup from his five-point, 2-for-11 shooting effort in UConn's loss to Marquette in the Big East tournament semifinals. If he can get back to form, and remain the ideal complement to the inside dominance of Adama Sanogo, the Huskies will be dangerous.

The Hoosiers are not a one-man show (check out freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino before he's in the NBA), but their undisputed star is Jackson-Davis. Averaging 20.8 points and 10.9 rebounds (both career highs), Jackson-Davis can take over a game like few in the country can do. At 6-9, he can play anywhere on the court, but in the paint, even at 245 pounds, he plays like a beast. Jackson-Davis enters the NCAA tournament averaging 25.3 points, 6.3 assists and totaling 11 steals with eight blocks in the last four games for an Indiana squad that earned a No. 4 seed.

One of the most welcomed success stories of the 2022-23 season is the re-emergence of Johnson. In December 2020, while playing for Florida, Johnson collapsed on the court during a game then spent time in the hospital, at one point in a medically induced coma. After eventually being cleared to play and leaving the Gators' program, Johnson landed at Kansas State, where he's written one of the great comeback stories in college sports. In helping the Wildcats to a 23-9 record, Johnson has averaged team highs of 17.7 points and 7.0 rebounds, while earning first-team All-Big 12 honors and being named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.

After winning both the Big East regular-season and tournament titles, Marquette (28-6) has blossomed into a popular Final Four pick. Big East Player of the Year Kolek (13.3 ppg, 7.7 apg, 4.2 rpg) is obviously a big reason for the Golden Eagles' success under Shaka Smart. After scoring in double figures seven times through the first 21 games of the season, Kolek scored no fewer than 13 while averaging 18.3 points on 50.0-percent shooting from the field and 46.9 from beyond the 3-point arc in the final 13 games entering the NCAA tournament.

One of the country's top freshman, Mahaney began the season coming off the bench for the Gaels. Then, in the 10th game of the season against Missouri State, Mahaney stepped into the starting point guard role and has never given it up. With a knack for coming through in the clutch, a trait always handy in March, Mahaney averaged 14.5 points with 2.0 assists to earn first-team All-West Coast Conference honors. He's one of four Saint Mary's players averaging at least 11.6 points, but if there's one person we want to have the ball when it matters most, Mahaney is the guy.

It's certainly fair to further question Miller's involvement in a fatal shooting involving former teammate Darius Miles, even if he was cleared of any wrongdoing. But Miller (19.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.1 apg) is still on the court, and playing like one of the best players in country. It will be interesting to see how the backlash, notably from fans at games and the increased media presence at the NCAA tournament, weighs on Miller at the most important time of the season. Alabama is the national-title favorite, and it probably won't accomplish that goal if Miller isn't 100 percent focused.

The Belgian sophomore might be the best player in the 2023 NCAA tournament field that nobody knows about. Well, that could possibly change as surging No. 14-seed UCSB, a winner of seven straight, is getting love as a potential upset pick over Baylor in the first round. Mitchell might be the reason for such optimism. The Big West Player of Year is averaging 16.4 points while shooting an impressive 50.9 percent, and also dishing out 5.1 assists per contest. If Mitchell can get keep up his hot shooting against an inconsistent Baylor defense, the Gauchos could be hanging around for the weekend.

As seen during the regular season, and especially amid the Nittany Lions' run to the Big Ten tournament championship game, the 6-4 Pickett can be a matchup nightmare. Among the Big Ten's top scorers at 17.9 points per game while shooting 51.6 percent, Pickett also averages 7.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists. He's among the most complete players in this year's NCAA tournament field, and it will be interesting to see how Texas A&M is able to handle him in what should be an entertaining first-round matchup. Between his three seasons at Siena and two with Penn State, Pickett has totaled more than 2,100 points.

Rice might be the best sixth man in the country, but while starting three games at the Big 12 tournament, he helped the Longhorns win the whole thing. While Texas certainly needs Marcus Carr to be a more consistent and focused offensive performer during the Big Dance, Rice (12.6 ppg, 45.5-percent shooting, 3.6 rpg, 2.1 apg) is the X factor. The energy he brings to the Longhorns' cause on a game-by-game basis is invaluable during the NCAA tournament. No. 2 seed Texas has plenty of momentum entering the event, and Rice must make sure it keeps rolling.

A winner of nine in a row and perhaps underseeded at No. 5, Duke might have the look of a Final Four team in Jon Scheyer's first season as coach. And, on a team full of young talent, the junior Roach (13.3 ppg, 3.1 apg) is essentially the old man. He's also the team's most valuable asset when it comes to experience and leadership, both traits needed at this point in the season. With freshman Tyrese Proctor running the point, Roach has been freed up to do his thing. And he's doing it well by averaging 15.6 points and shooting 49.5 percent over the last eight games.

One of the biggest pre-tournament storylines is the health and availability of the Houston star. Sasser (17.1 ppg, 3.2 apg). The American Athletic Conference Player of the Year suffered a groin injury in the semifinals of the league tournament, then missed the Cougars' 10-point loss to Memphis in the championship game. As of Selection Sunday, Sasser's status for playing at some point in the NCAA tournament was up in the air for Houston, which earned the second overall No. 1 seed despite his injury. The Cougars are likely good enough to reach the Sweet 16, but Sasser's availability — and ability — have now become an X factor.

Unless the Razorbacks make a surprising run to a national title, Arkansas fans will likely be wondering what could have been if Smith was healthy all season. Instead, the prized freshman has been limited to 14 games, but he's certainly shown moments of greatness during that brief time. Smith (14.0 ppg) has averaged 19.5 points and shot 41.7 percent from 3-point range in his last six games, so perhaps that will carry over to the NCAA tournament, where Arkansas is a No. 8 seed and faces an obviously stiff test against Illinois in the first round.

Before we get into why Taylor might be the key to Texas A&M's potential NCAA tournament success, it's important to praise his running mate "Boots" Radford (13.2 ppg). But, really it's the 6-foot Taylor who might be the key to the Aggies making a deep run through the rest of March, and possibly into April. He went from a part-time starter as a freshman to perhaps the SEC's best point guard while averaging team highs of 16.5 points, 4.0 assists and nearly 2.0 steals during his 2022-23 sophomore campaign. Even more so, Taylor has grown into a confident leader for Buzz Williams' group, which got shafted with a No. 7 seed.

Timme surprised many by coming back for his senior season, and, it was a good move for both player and program. Timme averaged a career-high 20.9 points, plus 7.3 rebounds and a personal-best 3.2 assists, to earn West Coast Conference Player of the Year for a second consecutive season. Meanwhile, the Zags won 28 games and begin the NCAA tournament as a sneaky No. 3 seed with little pressure to win it all. Plus, Timme usually saves his best for the Big Dance, where he's averaged 22.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists in nine NCAA tournament contests.

With 11 losses and a No. 6 seed, it's uncertain what to expect from the Wildcats amid the madness of March. What we do know is that Tshiebwe is still among the best players in the country. It seems hard to say, but due to Kentucky's inconsistency this season, the performance of the 6-9 senior might not have received much attention. Though, he did earn first-team All-SEC honors while averaging 16.5 points, 13.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per contest. Tshiebwe also shot 56.3 percent and set a career high with 1.6 assists.

UCLA's Jaime Jaquez Jr., was the player of the year in Pac-12, but Tubelis might be the league's most dominant performer. The 6-11 Tubelis set career bests with 19.8 points and 9.3 rebounds. He's also shooting a career-high 57.3 percent from the field, and averages two assists per contest. Perhaps even more daunting for Arizona's upcoming opponents in the NCAA tournament is that Tubelis has averaged 21.0 points and 10.2 rebounds during five games in March. The Wildcats are coming off a Pac-12 tournament title and own a No. 2 seed, so fans should be seeing a lot of Tubelis at the Big Dance.

Last season, Wilson was more of a sidekick to Ochai Agbaji during Kansas' run to the national championship. This season, the Jayhawks are Wilson's team, and that experience gained from 2021-22 and leadership developed from this season` makes Wilson seemingly made for the moment. The runaway choice for Big 12 Player of the Year in 2022-23, Wilson is amid a career campaign while averaging 20.1 points and 8.4 rebounds. He's been even more potent of late, scoring 23.0 points per contest on 46.4-percent shooting in the last five games.

If Miami is to make another deep run in the NCAA tournament after reaching the regional final last season, reigning ACC Player of the Year Wong might need to be even a bigger factor than anticipated. The status of injured forward Norchad Omier (13.6 ppg) is uncertain for the Hurricanes' tournament opener against No. 12 seed Drake, so Wong (averaging 16.2 points and shooting 45.3 percent) could be asked to do even more at both ends of the court. Now, he's not incapable of stepping up his game, but this is a time where great players can't afford too many off moments.