MEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT: WOMEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT:

5 Players to Watch 5 Players to watch

Men’s college basketball is filled with proficient players, many with NBA talent.

Who will step up and take over during the NCAA Tournament? With a wide open field competing to a national title, there could be any number of players ready to lead their team to a championship.

Let’s look at five players to watch during March Madness:

ZACH EDEY, PURDUE

The top man in the Big Ten, Edey blazed through the conference and is one of the most dominant players in the country.

With a 7-foot-4, 295 pound frame, he can terrorize the lane. Edey uses his length to catch lobs, dunk and even score a few floaters. The Big 10 Player of the Year averages 21.9 points and demoralizes opposing players on both ends of the floor. Defensively, his timing is flawless, logging 2.1 blocks per game. When he’s not swatting at shots, he’s securing 12.8 rebound per game, ranking third in the NCAA.

JALEN WILSON, KANSAS

Wilson declared for the NBA Draft last year but maintained his eligibility so he could receive feedback on how to improve his game by top staff in the NBA. Returning to Lawrence after that experience made Wilson an entirely a different player.

He has become one of the best scorers in college basketball and always leaves the defense guessing with his ability to score in every area on the court. Wilson can knock down 3s and uses a variety of moves to beat defenders off the dribble. If guarded too closely, the Big 12 Player of the Year simply blows by defenders to pull-up from the midrange or takes it all the way for a layup. The 6-8 Wilson is the whole package and leads the Big 12 in scoring (19.7) and rebounds (8.4).

BRANDON MILLER, ALABAMA

Easily the most dynamic player in the SEC, Miller is a scoring machine for Alabama. When you watch the 6-9 Miller compete, you would never guess he’s a true freshman because he has the basketball IQ of a senior. Miller understands timing. Instead of jumping for rebounds, coming down, then elevating once again for a put-back, Miller will time his bounce to catch the ball at it’s highest point and slam it down for a dunk all in one action.

He’s also useful beyond the arc where he shoots an incredible 40 percent clip from deep. It’s no wonder he led the SEC in scoring with 19.6 points per game. The SEC Player of the Year will be under a microscope after his name was connected to a capital murder case involving former teammate Darius Miles.

JAIME JAQUEZ JR., UCLA

Jaquez Jr. holds a powerful presence in college basketball. He’s an undeniable force when driving to the rim and the way he leaps to aggressively slam down dunks resembles Lebron James in his level of assertiveness.

At 6-7, Jaquez Jr. has been the spark for UCLA this season and has carried the Bruins through a few close calls. Jaquez Jr. put an exclamation point on the end of his regular season by scoring 20 points or more in six of UCLA’s last seven games. The outlier? A measly 17-point game. Yeah, he’s pretty consistent, averaging 17.5 points per game.

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS, INDIANA

Edey might have led the Big Ten, but Trayce Jackson-Davis was right on Edey’s heels.

The senior forward emerged with authority and became a consistent contributor for the Hoosiers down the stretch. Jackson-Davis displayed his influence when he swatted an astounding five blocks during Indiana’s first victory over Purdue.

He ranks second in the conference in both points per game (20.5) and rebounds per game (11). He also leads the Big Ten in blocks — yes, he’s ahead of Edey — with 2.8 blocks per game.

The roster of the top women’s college basketball programs are filled with talented players.

But a few will distinguish themselves this month. Remember UConn’s Final Four run a year ago? It took a unforgettable performance by Paige Bueckers in the double-overtime Elite Eight win over NC State to secure a Final Four berth.

The best players step up in March.

Who will it be this year? Here are five players to watch during March Madness:

ALISSA PILI, UTAH

Utah has shocked the women’s landscape and the 6-foot-2 Pili has been leading the charge for the Utes. The Pac-12 Player of the Year competes with so much power that when she drives to the rim it’s pretty much a done deal. She destroys defenders in the post but she’s equally as dangerous from behind the arc where she shoots a whopping 42.9 percent from deep.

An undeniable force on offense, Pili averages 20.3 points on 58.5 percent shooting from the floor.

ALIYAH BOSTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina is chasing back-to-back national championships with Boston at the forefront.

Boston, a UConn recruiting target out of Worcester, Mass., casually averages almost a double-double per game (13.8 points and 9.7 rebounds). Her 74 career double-double is South Carolina’s record and her averages could be higher if she played more minutes — she averages 25.8 minutes as Dawn Staley looks to keep her healthy and rested.

Boston is also a stopper on the defensive end, where her 6-5 frame disrupts many shots and she averages two blocks a game.

CAITLIN CLARKE, IOWA

In case you were wondering the C’s in Caitlin Clarke really stand for, they stand for clutch. Her range is when she steps foot in the arena. Clarke can seriously make a shot from anywhere on the floor: off-balance, from the logo, behind the logo. Did you see her buzzer beater against No.2 Indiana in the season finale?

Her extended range means defenders are dragged to the deep perimeter in order to contest Clarke’s shots. The defensive pests don’t stop her from scoring 27.2 points, though, which ranks No. 2 in the country.

Clarke is not just your token outside shooter, because if guarded too close she will blow by you and finish a layup.

ANGEL REESE, LSU

Reese has the perfect post package. She can effortlessly catch lobs with one hand and effortlessly drop a smooth layup. And when it comes to snatching rebounds, Reese always puts herself in prime position to secure boards and easily make the putback.

This skill set translated to 23.4 points per game on 54.4 percent shooting, and 15.5 rebounds per game.

A 6-3 transfer from Maryland, she emerged as one of the best players in the country for a team that was ranked in the top 5. LSU will go as far as Reese takes it.

HALEY JONES, STANFORD

The senior guard came to Stanford as the No. 1 recruit in the country in 2019, two spots ahead of Boston. She led the Cardinal to a national title in 2021 and was a big part of last year’s Final Four team.

This season, she’s averaging 13.1 points and 9.1 rebounds for a team that spent much of the season at No. 2 in the national rankings.

Jones is a triple threat offensively, she has court vision and is a skilled passer but is comfortable putting the ball on the floor to drive in for a basket or kick it out to her teammates.

As much of a passing threat as a scoring one, Jones will be ready to score as well as facilitate many passes for her teammate and friend Cameron Brink in the paint.