This year’s NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, better known as March Madness, has been a wild ride full of upsets and storylines that have captivated basketball fans this past month and broken millions of brackets. This year has also featured dominant performances from numerous players, fueling their teams to deep runs in the tournament. As the Final Four kicks off this weekend, let’s take a look at the top performers in this year’s March Madness.
Donovan Clingan, UConn
The UConn Huskies have been on an absolute tear this year as they seek to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since Florida accomplished it in 2007. Through four tournament games, the Huskies are averaging a ludicrous 27.8 point margin of victory over their opponents. At the heart of their dominance is sophomore big man Donovan Clingan. The 7’2” big man from Bristol, Conn., has been the anchor of UConn’s lockdown defense, averaging 10 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game this postseason. While he struggled with consistency on offense during the regular season, he has stepped up his offensive game in March, averaging 15.8 points on 67.5% shooting from the field and delivering numerous highlight reel-worthy dunks. He’s been able to stay out of foul trouble, which was something that limited his impact earlier in the season. If Clingan can keep this up, the Huskies should easily win it all again.
Zach Edey, Purdue
There’s been a ton of narratives surrounding Purdue over the past few years about their disappointing postseason performances, especially when they lost in the first round last year to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson. But the Boilermakers have responded this year by making the Final Four for the first time since 1980, mainly driven by 7’4” Zach Edey. The likely two-time National Player of the Year has used his size to absolutely dominate Purdue’s postseason opponents in the paint, averaging an astounding 30 points on 65.6% shooting while also posting 16.3 rebounds. He’s also been effective at the free throw line, shooting 66.7% from the stripe on 13.5 attempts per game. While his game is methodical, predictable and boring to watch at times, it cannot be denied that he’s been incredibly effective and the driving force behind Purdue’s postseason success.
DJ Burns, NC State
NC State have been this year’s Cinderella team of the tournament, becoming only the seventh double digit-seeded team to make the Final Four. The Wolfpack has authored big victories against No. 2 Marquette and No. 4 Duke to win the South region of the tournament. One of the keys to their underdog run is senior big man DJ Burns, who has become a fan favorite for his dominant performances and extremely likable demeanor. He has averaged 18.3 points on a 67.8% clip from the field. His greatest performance came against No. 4 Duke in the Elite Eight, where he dominated the Blue Devils by putting up 29 points and playing imposing defense to drive his team to victory. Now, the Wolfpack face off against Purdue in the Final Four, setting up an elite matchup of centers between Burns and Edey. It’s a tough task for NC State, but Burns has shown that he can step up in the biggest moments and give any team a run for their money. Staying out of foul trouble will be key, as if Burns has to sit for extended periods after racking up fouls quickly, Edey and Purdue can capitalize on that. Nevertheless, what Burns has accomplished is incredibly impressive
Mark Sears, Alabama
We’ve talked about a lot of big men here, but that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been great performances from guards this tournament. One of the best guards has been Alabama’s Mark Sears, who has been a key factor in the Crimson Tide making the Final Four for the first time in program history. The 6’1” senior has been lighting it up with his scoring in Alabama’s tournament run, averaging 24.3 points on 50.8% shooting from the field and leading the team in scoring in three out of four games. Sears has also been raking from downtown, shooting 44.7% from beyond the arc on 9.5 three-point attempts per game. For Alabama to pull off the upset against UConn, Sears and his teammates will need to be lights out from the field and shoot at least 50% from downtown, which is the same way Creighton beat UConn in February. Sears will need to continue his great shooting stretch, but he hasn’t shown signs of slowing down any time soon.
Jack Gohlke, Oakland
No. 14 Oakland had arguably the biggest upset of the tournament when they took down No. 3 Kentucky in the first round, shattering tons of brackets and causing many to ask “Who the hell is Oakland?” The game saw one of the best and most surprising single-game performances of 2024 from senior Jack Gohlke. Gohlke cemented himself as a March Madness folk hero by taking all of his shots from the three-point line and dropping 30 points on 20 attempts, while adding two points from the free throw line. Not only were all of his shots from the field from the three-point line, but he did this all coming off the bench. Random performances like this is what makes March Madness special, and Gohlke delivered an all-time one this year.
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