Stars of The 2024 NCAA Tournament
Every year, college athletes make a name for themselves in March. Some of them are players who were previous stars like, Kemba Walker or Christian Lattner, while others go from unknowns to stars, like Steph Curry. The volatility of fame from these march stars is what makes March so great. This year was no different. We had players that are now March Madness house holds names, players that raised their draft stock, and players that poured their hearts into the game.
I could have gone 20-25 deep on this list but wanted to focus on the ten that really made a name for themselves this March - Early April. I focused on individuals that at least played two games in this years tournament. Players can make a name for themselves after one game, but being consistent throughout multiple rounds/ weekends is when stars are truly made. Enjoy the list and let me know who I missed!
DJ Burns
There were many stars in this years tournaments but only one won over the hearts of the country. That man of course is DJ Burns. Our March king showed off his tremendous skills and loveable personality as NC State went on an incredible underdog run. He did all this while simultaneously proving that it’s okay for men like me to have a little bit of a belly. His build and personality would mean nothing if he didn’t take over during the month of March like he did.
His highlights were 24 points and 11 rebounds in an overtime win versus Oakland, and his 29 point domination against Duke in the Elite Eight. Few players possess the size and skill that Burns has. He had defenses in a tizzy this tournament because they were unable to stop him. You can double team him where he’ll find the open cutter or you can leave him one on one where he’ll bully ball his way to the basket. The touch and footwork around the rim for the big man were truly jaw dropping. Mr. Burns, you are a king and it was an honor and a privilege to watch you ball out this March.
Jack Gohlke
A lot of players need to make a deep tournament run to appear on a list like this, but not Jack Gohlke. The sharpshooter made himself a March Madness legend in just two games. Gohlke entered the tournament averaging a solid 13.1 point per game while shooting 37% from three on an aggressive 10.1 attempts per game. My favorite stat is that Gohlke shot 372 shots this season and 364 of them were threes. Only 8 non-three-point shots for the entire season?!? Gohlke is a three point marksman in its purest form. Haters may detrimentally refer to him as a shot chucker, I respectfully and admirably refer to Mr. Gohlke as a hero.
While the Oakland sniper’s regular season numbers were impressive, he went off for 32 and 22 points in his two tournament games this year. The former Division II prospect will always be remembered for his 32 point performance against three seed Kentucky where he made ten threes. This was one of the most impressive shooting performances I’ve ever seen as Jack was un-guardable. In their second game, Gohlke still hit six threes and had 22 points in their overtime loss to NC State. Jokes were flying around on social media saying every year a future car salesman or accountant dominates future NBA players in the tournament. I’m not sure what the future holds for Gohlke, but he is now forever a March Madness legend. Also, let the record show, Jack Gohlke can sell me a car or file my taxes anytime.
Zach Edey
Edey was the most polarizing player of the entire tournament. The 7’4, two time player of the year dominated his way to the National Championship game against UConn. I don’t think anyone is denying the fact that Edey doesn’t play the most exhilarating style of basketball. That being said, most seven footers don’t possess the skill or conditioning that Edey does. This is even more true when it comes to collegiate seven footers. He was on fire to start off the National Championship game, but then the size and athleticism of the Huskie bigs wore him down.
Despite the Boilermaker’s loss in the title game, Edey did all he could to put his team in a position to win. The big man put up 37 points and 10 boards as Purdue fell just short of their season long goal. Edey went on a run throughout this tournament that will not soon be forgotten. In all six tournament games, he scored 23+ points and notched a double double. Edey’s best performance came in the Elite Eight against Tennessee where he had 40 points and 16 rebounds. Regardless of your feeling towards Zach Edey, or his status as a NBA prospect, it is undeniable that he is an all time great on the college level.
Mark Sears
It feels funny to go from Edey to Sears due to their polarizing height difference. What is no joke is Mark Sears’ game. He is the poster child for heart over height and was a problem for opposing defenses all season. It was exciting for Alabama, a school that is obviously known primarily for football, went on a Final Four run led by their point guard. Sears was the catalyst for Alabama and their #1 ranked offense this season. He averaged 21 points per game on 51% shooting for the year, which made him a second team All American.
Sears scored 18+ in all five of his tournament games, with his highest output being his 30 points in the Tide’s first round performance against Charleston. He came up with huge plays down the stretch during Alabama’s upset win against North Carolina. Despite the loss to UCONN in the Final Four, Sears put up 24 points and kept the Tide in the game for 35ish minutes. Sears still has his Covid year of eligibility and will immediately make Alabama a must watch team should he return.
Tyon Grant-Foster
Here we have another team that upset a favorite in the first round due to an elite performance from their star. Tyon Grant Foster (TGF), who had an amazing season from the start and also has the best story in the tournament. Tyon-Grant Foster was once a highly sought after JUCO transfer, before committing to Kansas for the 2020-2021 season. After that year didn’t live up to his expectations, Tyon transferred to Depaul where he only played half a season of basketball. He collapsed in the locker room and had two heart surgeries before returning to the game this season. After his nearly two year absence, TGF exploded onto the scene this year at GCU.
He scored 22 wins in the Lopes upset win against St. Mary’s and then 29 points in their second round loss to Alabama. TGF displayed his electric offensive game, smooth jump shot, and dynamic athleticism in both of these games. Of all the skills Grant Foster possesses, his athleticism and shot creating are the most noteworthy. We saw TGF with his head above the rim on both ends of the floor with his blocks and high flying dunks. In terms of shot creating, he showed the ability to use both his size and athleticism to create space. His performance this year and in the tournament is certainly putting him on NBA radars. No matter who you were rooting for in the tournament, we should all be rooting for Tyon Grant-Foster and his amazing story in the future.
Jared McCain
A standout from the tournament that does not come to the minds of many is Jared McCain. While widely known for his dancing and singing on TikTok, the fun loving Dukie balled out when it mattered most. A charismatic young man that averaged 14.3 points per game and shot 41% from three. He is the only Freshman on this list and it is well deserved. He has already declared for the draft and will make himself a lot of money as he would most likely fit into a combo guard spot in the pros.
His tournament performances may not have been as consistent as some on this list, but he was absolutely dynamic when needed. He scored 30 points in Duke’s round two demolition of James Madison. The Blue Devils loss to NC State was at no fault to McCain as he scored 50% of the teams points. His 32 points kept them in the game, but the lack of help from other parties was ultimately too much for Duke to overcome. He is yet another young man who is easy to root for and has a very bright future ahead of him. Keep dancing and balling out, Mr. McCain.
N’Faly Dante & Jermaine Couisnard
I was tempted to give each player their own respective spot, but found it hard to give 20% of my list to a team that was knocked out in round 32. So to consolidate, I combined both Oregon stars into this spot here. The duo of Dante and Couisnard combined for 63 and 60 points in their two tournament games. In the double overtime loss to Creighton, they scored 60 of their team’s 73 total points. The game ended with Creighton beating the Ducks by 13, but the game was much closer than the final score indicated. This duo could have gone on an iconic run if they received the necessary assistance from their supporting cast. Despite the letdown by other parties, this performance from Dante and Couisnard was legendary and will not be soon forgotten.
N’Faly Dante is a 6’11 center whose name is familiar to those that follow college basketball closely. The Five Star recruit was a huge get for Oregon heading into the 2019-20 season. However, his career was sadly injury-riddled and we never saw the Sunrise Christian Academy prospect blossom until this season. The athletic center was finally healthy and averaged 17 points and 9 rebounds while blocking nearly 2 shots per game. A big man completely opposite of DJ Burns, as N’Faly relied on his length, size, and athleticism to dominate the paint. He was a big name heading into the tournament and certainly lived up to his reputation. Dante scored 23 and 28 respectively in his two tournament games and added 20 rebounds in the Ducks loss to Creighton in the Round of 32. The two dominant performances were sights to behold to anyone who had followed his career since high school. N’Faly Dante is another example of the beauty of March. A young man with extraordinary talent who also remained loyal to Oregon for five years, finally got his chance to shine on college basketball’s biggest stage, and he did not disappoint.
Jermaine Couisnard had a career year in 2024 averaging 16.6 points with 4.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He led the Ducks to a PAC 12 Championship Title and an NCAA tournament birth. His season took off in the next two games. Couisnard scored 40 points in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament leading the Ducks to an upset victory against the 6-seeded Gamecocks. He followed that performance up by scoring 32 in the previously mentioned 2 OT loss to South Carolina. Couisnard cemented himself as a March Madness and Oregon legend while putting his heart and soul into his final performances as an Oregon Duck.
Terrence Shannon Jr.
The former Texas Tech player saw his production jump in 2022-2023 when transferring to Illinois and saw those numbers explode yet again this year. Averaging 23 points this season, Shannon immediately put his name onto NBA radars. To address the elephant in the room, there are some horrible allegations tied to Shannon Jr. I am a firm believer in innocent until proven guilty, however if said allegations are proven true, I will not give Shannon the time of day. Back to his basketball prowess, the Illinois star was awarded a spot on an All American Third Team due to his performance this season. Terrence’s start to the season was incredible, but he certainly amped up his performance to end his collegiate career.
After winning the Big 10 Tournament, where he scored 28, 40, and 34, Shannon Jr. and his teammates turned their focus to the NCAA Tournament. Shannon efficiently dominated the offensive side of the ball, 26 and 30 points, as Illinois cruised to victories in the first two rounds against Morehead St. and Duquesne. In the Sweet 16, Illinois faced off against the 2-Seed Iowa State. Shannon was great on offense per usual scoring 29 points, but his 3 steals were huge in securing a victory against the Cyclones. The biggest steal came in the final minutes and ended in a dunk that secured the Illini a trip to the Elite Eight. While Terrence Shannon Jr. and the entire Illinois team struggled against the eventual champions, Shannon established himself as a force to be reckoned with for the entire season. It will be interesting to say the least to see where his basketball journey takes him.
Jamal Shead
A First Team All-American and Big 12 Player of The Year is bound to make this list. Jamal Shead was the heart and soul of a Houston team that dominated their way to a 1 Seed in the tournament. Shead didn’t have the flashiest numbers, but his impact on the game went far beyond the numerical. He averaged 12.9 point per game to go along with 3.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.2 steals. Shead’s feel for the game was impeccable as he was always finding the open teammate. He is a player that epitomizes the state of the Houston basketball program over the past few years.
The impact of Jamal Shead can truly be seen in the final two games of the season for the Houston Cougars. In the second round against Texas A&M, the Cougars found themselves in an absolute dogfight. A sneaky 9 Seed, the Aggies, made this game one of the best of the entire tournament. This game went into OT with Houston ultimately winning 100-95. They could not have won without the performance of their star point guard, Shead, who scored 21 points and had 10 assists. The value of Shead was also evident in the Cougars Elite Eight loss to Duke. The cougars were up 16 to 10 against Duke when Shead gets injured with around 7 minutes left in the first half.
Cam Spencer
You all knew there would have to be a representative from the National Champions on this list. There were numerous players that deserve to be acknowledged, and simply putting Danny Hurley here would have been sufficient. Other players that deserve recognition are Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle, and Tristen Newton. However, I had to go with Cam Spencer as he was the most consistent and timely player on the entire squad. The Rutgers transfer and fifth year player laid it all on the line every game. He also appears to be the steal of the transfer portal from this past offseason.
Spencer scored at least 11 points in all six of the Huskies tournament games. While his numbers will not jump off the page, Cam Spencer did it all for UConn. He piled up points, rebounds, assists, and steals throughout the tournament. Cam also is the epitome of what March and this tournament are all about. He was not a huge name going into the season, is not the most talented person on the roster, and we are unsure of where his basketball career will take him next. With all that being said, he has cemented himself as a March Madness legend. The smart, tough nosed, veteran guard will be a hero to all of those that root for the UConn Huskies and we will never forget him,
Sadly, my friends, the greatest month of the year has passed us by. This may not have been the most elite March on record, but it was full of madness nonetheless. We had some close games, buzzer beaters, unlikely heroes, and upsets - which is all we can really ask for. Don’t get too sad, because transfer portal season is in full swing and we will be prepping for the 2024-2025 season before we know it. We can finally catch up on sleep and have just under eleven months to catch up before March Madness is upon us once again.