March Madness bracket: Top players to watch in each region of the NCAA men’s tournament

March Madness is finally here and the stage is set for this season’s superstars to etch their names into NCAA tournament lore.

Does this year’s tourney have an Ali Farokhmanesh or a Harold Arceneaux in its midst? How about a Bryce Drew or even, dare we say … a Stephen Curry? All it takes is one freak performance or a buzzer-beater to become a legend in March Madness.

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Our region-by-region breakdowns highlight Cinderellas to watch and all of our predictions for the tournament can be found right here. Who are the players to watch in the bracket over the coming weeks? We’ve got you covered there too.

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NCAA tournament players to watch

East region

Duke forward Cameron Boozer

If Duke does advance to the Final Four and beyond, it will be on the back of Boozer, the leading candidate for National Player of the Year honors from a stacked field. Boozer has done nothing but exceed the expectations that he arrived with at Duke as the team’s leader on the court and in the box score.

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The do-it-all 6-foot-9 forward is averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 56.5% from the field and 40.9% from 3. He’s an inside-out threat who projects conservatively as a top-five NBA Draft pick.

With Foster and potentially Ngongba set to miss more time, the load will be that much heavier on Boozer in the NCAA tournament.

Will Kansas guard Darryn Peterson show out or be a no-show in the NCAA tournament? (Tammy Ljungblad/Getty Images)

(Kansas City Star via Getty Images)

Kansas guard Darryn Peterson

Peterson is arguably the most important player to his team in the tournament. How he goes dictates how Kansas goes, which could mean a first-round upset or a trip to the Final Four and beyond.

Peterson is an elite talent who started the season as the consensus No. 1 pick in June’s NBA Draft. An up-and-down campaign has tempered that excitement, but Peterson is a lock to go…

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Publish date : 2026-03-18 16:45:00

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