The NCAA Tournament is nearing, and with it, a chance for many unknown players to get the spotlight. What players do fans need to know heading into the 2026 NCAA Tournament? Here is the one player to know on each 2026 NCAA Tournament team.
East Region
1. Duke Blue Devils- Cameron Boozer, F
Boozer is going to be the National Player of the Year after averaging 22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. He led Duke to the no. 1 overall seed and is a top draft prospect for the NBA.
16. Siena Saints- Gavin Doty, G
Doty does a bit of everything for the Saints, as he averages 17.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
8. Ohio State Buckeyes- Bruce Thornton, G
Thornton is Ohio State’s all-time leading scorer and averages 20.2 points per game this season. If he gets hot, the Buckeyes can go on a run.
9. TCU Horned Frogs- David Punch, F
Punch is the team’s leading scorer, but also paces the team with 2.0 blocks per game.
5. St. John’s Red Storm- Zuby Ejiofor, F
Ejiofor is a great inside scorer, averaging 16.3 points per game, but he also protects the rim well at 2.1 blocks per contest.
12. Northern Iowa Panthers- Trey Campbell, G
Campbell sets the table for the Panthers, putting up 13.7 points and 3.9 assists per game. He also gets 1.6 steals per game.
4. Kansas Jayhawks- Darryn Peterson, G
Peterson has dealt with injuries this season, but when he plays, he is a microwave. He is scoring 19.8 points per game and is one of the top NBA Draft prospects in this class.
13. Cal Baptist Lancers- Dominique Daniels Jr., G
Daniels is the fifth-leading scorer in college basketball at 23.2 points per game. He also sets up his teammates at 3.2 assists per game.
6. Louisville Cardinals- Ryan Conwell, G
Freshman point guard Mikel Brown Jr. has dealt with injuries, but Conwell has been a constant. The shooter has put up 18.7 points per game and can get hot in an instant.
11. USF Bulls- Izaiyah Nelson, F
Nelson is the team’s second-leading scorer and averages almost a double-double. The inside threat can help USF match up with bigger teams.
3. Michigan State Spartans- Jeremy Fears, G
Fears has been among the best playmakers in college basketball with 9.2 assists per game. The guard play around him hasn’t been great, so he’ll need to carry the team at times.
14. North Dakota State Bisons- Damari Wheeler-Thomas, G
Wheeler-Thomas paces the team with 14.4 points per game and can stretch the floor with his shooting.
7. UCLA Bruins- Donovan Dent, G
With Tyler Bilodeau having an injury, Dent is the easy pick here. He was a coveted transfer who has averaged 13.5 points and 7.5 assists per game. He’ll look to shoot better from deep in the tournament than he did in the regular season.
10. UCF Knights- Themus Fulks, G
Fulks is one of the more underrated players in the country. He scores 14.1 points and has 6.7 assists per game, which is impressive given the tough Big 12 schedule for the Knights.
2. UConn Huskies- Silas Demary Jr., G
While he is fifth on the team in points per game, he averages 6.2 assists per game. When Demary Jr. plays well, UConn can compete with anyone.
15. Furman Paladins- Alex Wilkins, G
Wilkins has a high usage rate and will need to play well if Furman has any chance of an upset (17.7 points and 4.7 assists per game).
South Region
1. Florida Gators- Thomas Haugh, F
After playing more inside last season, Haugh has played on the wing this season and has impressed. He is putting up 17.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a versatile player.
16. Prairie View A&M Panthers- Dontae Horne, G
There are 34 players in college basketball who score more than 20 points per game and Horne is one of them at 20.2 points per game.
16. Lehigh Mountain Hawks- Nasir Whitlock, G
Whitlock scored 21 points per game and can light it up from deep, as he shot 44.5 percent behind the arc this season.
8. Clemson Tigers- RJ Godfrey, F
Clemson doesn’t have a player averaging 12 points per game, but Godfrey is the closest at 11.9. He also hauls in 5.4 rebounds per game.
9. Iowa Hawkeyes- Bennett Stirtz, G
Stirtz had a good tournament experience with Drake last season and now runs the show for Iowa at 20.0 points and 4.5 assists per game.
5. Vanderbilt Commodores- Tyler Tanner, G
Tyler Tanner has NBA potential after putting up 19.1 points and 5.1 assists per game this season.
12. McNeese Cowboys- Larry Johnson, G
Johnson thrives on getting to the basket, as he averages 17.5 points, but also brings down 5.5 rebounds per game.
4. Nebraska Cornhuskers- Rienk Mast, F
While he isn’t the leading scorer, Nebraska runs its offense through Mast. He averages 13.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
13. Troy Trojans- Thomas Dowd, F
Dowd averages a double-double with 14.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He can also stretch the floor a bit at 34.4 percent from deep.
6. North Carolina Tar Heels- Seth Trimble, G
Caleb Wilson is out for the season and Trimble will have to pick up the slack. He averages 14 points per game and thrives off of getting to the basket.
11. VCU Rams- Terrence Hill Jr., G
Hill is the team’s leading scorer at 14.4 points and also paces the team with 2.8 assists per game.
3. Illinois Fighting Illini- Keaton Wagler, G
Wagler was an underrecruited player who really developed throughout the season. The freshman can run the show at 17.9 points and 4.4 assists per game.
14. Penn Quakers- TJ Power, F
Power is a former five-star recruit who has spent time at Duke and Virginia. Power averages 16.8 points per game and is coming off an Ivy League Tournament Final where he clinched an NCAA Tournament berth with 44 points and 14 rebounds.
7. St. Mary’s Gaels- Paulius Murauskas, F
Murauskas puts up 18.8 points per game and also brings in 9.9 rebounds per game. He’ll have to get near his averages to help the Gaels go on a run.
10. Texas A&M Aggies- Rylan Griffen, G
Griffen is a sharpshooter who has played on Alabama and Kansas before this year. He is shooting 41.7 percent from three-point range, and if he gets hot, they are dangerous.
2. Houston Cougars- Kingston Flemings, G
Flemings is a freshman, but he leads the Cougars in points (16.4), assists (5.3) and steals (1.6). He controls the pace of the game and can take this Houston team deep into the tournament.
15. Idaho Vandals- Kolton Mitchell, G
Mitchell scores 13.7 points per game, but he can also set up his teammates and lead the team in steals.
West Region
1. Arizona Wildcats- Brayden Burries, G
Burries is the team’s leading scorer and also notches 1.6 steals per game. For a team that doesn’t shoot a lot of three-pointers, Burries needs to knock them down when he shoots.
16. LIU Sharks- Jamal Fuller, G
Fuller paces the team with 16.4 points per game and shoots it well from deep at 43.8 percent.
8. Villanova Wildcats- Acaden Lewis, G
Lewis has been an impressive freshman for the Wildcats, as he scores 12.3 points per game. He averages 5.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game as well.
9. Utah State Aggies- MJ Collins, G
Between Collins and Mason Falslev, Utah State has a great duo. Collins leads the team in points per game at 17.6.
5. Wisconsin Badgers- John Blackwell, G
Blackwell and Nick Boyd are a scary backcourt to face. Blackwell averages 19 points per game and shoots it a little better from deep, so the veteran could get hot this tournament.
12. High Point Panthers- Terry Anderson, F
Anderson shoots 56.4 percent from the floor, averaging 16 points and six rebounds per game.
4. Arkansas Razorbacks- Darius Acuff Jr., G
Acuff is a lightning rod who can lead a deep tournament run as a freshman. He averages 22.9 points and 6.5 assists per game as one of the top draft prospects in college basketball.
13. Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors- Isaac Johnson, C
Hawai’i has a seven-footer in Johnson, who also happens to be their leading scorer, with 14.1 points per game. He can help the Rainbow Warriors match up with teams inside.
6. BYU Cougars- AJ Dybantsa, F
Dybantsa is the leading scorer in college basketball at 25.3 points per game. He has a polished game for a freshman and should be one of the top few picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.
11. Texas Longhorns- Dailyn Swain, G
The former Xavier Musketeer leads Texas in points (17.8), rebounds (7.6), assists (3.4) and steals (1.7) per game. His shooting has improved, and he’ll have to score to help the Longhorns.
11. NC State Wolfpack- Quadir Copeland, G
Copeland has flashy passing at 6.6 assists per game, but also can shoot a bit, as he knocks down 39.7 percent of his shots from deep.
3. Gonzaga Bulldogs- Graham Ike, F
Ike is experienced in March and averages 19.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. With Braden Huff injured, Ike will have to carry a load on the inside.
14. Kennesaw State Owls- RJ Johnson, G
With Simeon Cottle going through a gambling investigation, Johnson has stepped up, scoring 14.5 points per game this season. He shoots 43.3 percent from three-point range.
7. Miami Hurricanes- Malik Reneau, F
Reneau started his career at Indiana, but now is a star at Miami, as he averages 18.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. He can also shoot it a bit too.
10. Missouri Tigers- Mark Mitchell, F
Mitchell, the former Duke Blue Devil, scores so well at 18.3 points per game, making plenty of tough shots. He can score inside or out, giving Missouri options.
2. Purdue Boilermakers- Braden Smith, G
Smith leads the team in scoring, but he is also set to break the all-time NCAA assists record. He sets the table well at 9.1 points per game.
15. Queens Royals- Nasir Mann, G
Mann puts up 13.4 points per game, but also rebounds well for a guard at 5.8 per game.
Midwest Region
1. Michigan Wolverines- Yaxel Lendeborg, F
Lendeborg was a coveted transfer from UAB and his game has translated to the power conferences. He scores 14.6 points per game and can stretch the floor too.
16. UMBC Retrievers- Ace Valentine, G
Valentine nets 4.0 assists per game, but also can shoot the ball from deep. That ability to shoot and set up teammates is valuable in March.
16. Howard Bisons- Bryce Harris, G
Harris is a do-it-all guard who leads the team in points (17.1), rebounds (6.9) and blocks (1.1).
8. Georgia Bulldogs- Jeremiah Wilkinson, G
Wilkinson can light things up, as he averages 17 points per game. He also creates an impact defensively with 1.6 steals per game.
9. Saint Louis Bilikins- Robbie Avila, F
Avila gained fame at Indiana State a couple of years ago, but the Sycamores missed the NCAA Tournament. In his second-year at Saint Louis, Avila is averaging 12.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.
5. Texas Tech Red Raiders- Christian Anderson, G
JT Toppin is out for the season, which puts a lot of pressure on their other star, Christian Anderson. He can score at 18.9 points, but also sets up his team at 7.6 assists per game.
12. Akron Zips- Tavari Johnson, G
Johnson scores 20.1 points per game and can shoot from deep. He arguably should have won the MAC Player of the Year this season.
4. Alabama Crimson Tide- Labaron Philon, G
Philon has improved his shooting this year, which has helped him become a better overall player. He shoots 40.2 percent from three-point ranges and is averaging 21.7 points per game.
13. Hofstra Pride- Cruz Davis, G
Davis has the ball in his hands a lot, as he scores 20.2 points per game, but also averages 4.6 assists per game.
6. Tennessee Volunteers- Nate Ament, F
Ja’Kobi Gillespie is a constant for the Volunteers, but Ament raises the ceiling. The freshman scores 17.5 points per game and also brings down 6.6 rebounds per game.
11. Miami RedHawks- Peter Suder, G
The MAC Player of the Year scores 14.6 points per game and shoots 42.9 percent from deep. He’ll have to shoot well for Miami to advance.
11. SMU Mustangs- Boopie Miller, G
Boopie Miller is not just a name built for March, he has a game for it too. He averages 19.2 points and 6.4 assists per game, while shooting 41 percent from deep.
3. Virginia Cavaliers- Thijs De Ridder, F
De Ridder has made a huge impact in his first season, as he scores 15.5 points per game. He is a tough matchup who can score inside and out.
14. Wright State Raiders- Michael Cooper, G
Cooper is just a freshman, but he leads the Raiders in scoring at 13.4 points per game.
7. Kentucky Wildcats- Otega Oweh, G
Kentucky has dealt with injuries all season long, but Oweh has carried them through. He averages 18.2 points per game and gets downhill towards the basket well.
10. Santa Clara Broncos- Christian Hammond, G
Hammond leads Santa Clara in scoring (15.8 PPG) and shoots 40 percent from three-point range.
2. Iowa State Cyclones- Joshua Jefferson, F
The Cyclones play through Jefferson a lot, as he has averages of 16.9 points, 4.9 assists and 7.6 rebounds. He can shoot and make plays well for a big man.
15. Tennessee State Tigers- Aaron Nkrumah, G
Nkrumah can score at 17.6 points per game, but he also ranks second nationally in steals per game at 2.8.
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