If you want to watch the next crop of potential NBA stars playing in March Madness this weekend, keep an eye on several notable players including Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland (VUC), Ayo Dosunmu (Illinois), Luka Garza (Iowa), Cameron Thomas (LSU), Evan Mobley (USC), and Cade Cunningham (Oklahoma State).
Dosunmu, the son of Nigerian immigrants, grew up in Chicago, where he was one of the best high school players in the city. Dosunmu would have been a lottery pick if he left school after a sophomore season. He instead decided to return to Illinois for one more season and he has a shot at a March Madness championship.
| OG’s Top 10 March Madness Players to Watch |
- Ayo Dosunmu (Illinois)
- Luka Garza (Iowa)
- Cameron Thomas (LSU)
- Cade Cunningham (Oklahoma State)
- Evan Mobley (USC)
- Nah’Shon ‘Bones’ Hyland (VCU)
- Isaiah Miller (UNC Greensboro)
- Jason Preston (Ohio)
- Quentin Grimes (Houston)
- Corey Kispert (Gonzaga)
Garza is another All-American who could’ve gone pro last year. He stuck around Iowa for his senior season and became the consensus player of the year.
Cunningham, Thomas, and Mobley are a trio of super-frosh who will declare for the NBA Draft after playing one-and-done seasons.
Isaiah Miller is one of those players from a small school you would never hear about unless he played in March Madness. Miller and #13 UNC Greensboro have a shot to play the role of Cinderella.
Seniors: Garza, Kispert, Miller, Krutwig, Duarte
Isaiah Miller (UNC Greensboro)… Miller, a 6-foot senior, averages 19.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Miller led UNC Greensboro to a Southern Conference title. He’s undersized, but packs a big scoring punch.
Corey Kispert (Gonzaga)… Kispert, a 6-foot-7 senior swingman, leads the undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs with 19.2 ppg. He’s one of the best sharpshooters in the country, averaging 44.4% from beyond the arc.
Cameron Krutwig (Loyola Chicago)… As a freshman, Krutwig started on the Loyola Chicago team that went to the 2018 Final Four. Now as a senior, he’s looking to replicate that feat. He leads the Ramblers with 15 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
Chris Duarte (Oregon)… Durate, originally from the Dominican Republic, gave up a promising baseball career to pursue basketball. He averaged 16.7 ppg with the Oregon Ducks this season, shooting 43% from 3-point range.
Luka Garza (Iowa)…Â Garza, a 6-foot-11 center, ranked #3 in the nation in scoring, averaging 23.7 ppg. He also averages 8.8 rebounds and shoots 40.7% from 3-point range.
Super-Frosh: Cunningham, Thomas, Mobley, Dickinson, Harris
Cameron Thomas (LSU)… Thomas, a 6-foot-4 freshman guard at LSU, is ranked #4 in the NCAA in scoring, averaging 22.6 ppg. He shot 43.4% from 3-point land during the SEC tournament. He scored 20-plus in 20 out of 27 games.
Cade Cunningham (Oklahoma State)… Cunningham is the most NBA-ready player in March Madness and a future lottery pick. He averages 20.2 ppg with Oklahoma State and knocks down 41.2% of his 3-pointers. Cunningham led Oklahoma State to an upset over #2 Baylor in the Big 12 semifinals.
Hunter Dickinson (Michigan)… Dickinson, a 7-foot-1 freshman, is an old-school center with numerous post-up moves. He averaged 14.2 ppg and 7.6 rebounds per game, shooting nearly 60% from the floor.
Evan Mobley (USC)… Mobley, a 7-foot freshman, averaged 16.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. He also shoots 31.4% from 3-point range. The former #1 high school recruit is another potential lottery pick. It’s a family affair at USC with Mobley’s father as the assistant coach. Evan and his older brother Isaiah, a 6-foot-10 sophomore power forward, are frontline starters for the Trojans.
Sophomores: JQ and Bones Hyland
Jahvon Quinerly (Alabama) … Quinerly is an important member of Bama’s roster as their reliable Sixth Man. JQ is also Bama’s second top scorer, averaging 12.7 ppg. He’s one of the SEC’s top sharpshooters, averaging 44.3% from downtown.
Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland (VCU)… Hyland, a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard, averages 19.5 ppg for VCU, but he’s a streaky shooter who can explode for 30-plus, which happened three times this season. He also has a cool nickname, “Bones,” which is one of the other reasons he’s among the players to watch in March Madness.
Juniors: Ayo, Jones, Preston, Butler, Grimes
Ayo Dosunmu (Illinois)… Dosunmu became the first Illinois player to earn All-American status since Dee Brown in 2006. He averages 20.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.
Jason Preston (Ohio)… Preston led the Ohio Bobcats (16-7) with 16.6 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.8 rebounds per game this season. He’s also shooting 40.8% from 3-point range. During the MAC tournament, he averaged 22.6 ppg and guided Ohio to an automatic bid to March Madness. With Preston’s ability to light it up, #13 Ohio comes into the tournament as a potential Cinderella.
Jared Butler (Baylor)… Butler is one of the best two-way players in the country and averaged 17.1 ppg. Baylor is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the NCAA thanks to Butler’s 42.9% accuracy on the perimeter.
Andrew Jones (Texas)… Jones is definitely the feel-good story of March Madness, which is one of the reasons he’s among the players to watch. He battled back from a leukemia diagnosis in 2018 and now has a shot to lead the Longhorns to a Final Four run. Jones averages 14.6 ppg, but had a quiet Big 12 tournament.
Quentin Grimes (Houston)… Grimes is a former transfer from Kansas, who found a much better home with the Houston Cougars. He’s their top scorer, averaging 18 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. If Grimes gets hot, then he’ll be one of the most fun players to watch in March Madness. He torched Western Kentucky for 33 points with eight 3-pointers.
