Ranking Top 10 best players in Midwest Region of NCAA Tournament

As the NCAA Tournament gets under way in full swing on Thursday and Friday, star players will emerge from every corner of the bracket and cement themselves in history as March Madness legends. Some will come by surprise, but most simply continue their dominance from the season.

Each region is loaded with talent, but not every player with great stats is necessarily a household name entering March. Much has been made all season about the need for college basketball players to rise into the spotlight and drive viewership, and this is the chance.

Listed below are the Top 10 players in the Midwest Region of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, plus five honorable mentions who were just too good to leave off completely. The list is not complete, with plenty of cuts made which could prove valuable in March Madness, but still offers a glimpse at who to watch for this week.

1 Zach Edey (Purdue)

2023-24 stats: 24.4 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.2 blocks

Zach Edey is the best player in college basketball, and a soon-to-be back-to-back National Player of the Year. As if joining Oscar Robertson in that category was not enough, he has also improved enough to enter NBA Draft conversations.

Edey and Purdue come into the NCAA Tournament looking to avenge last season’s 16-seed debacle, with all eyes squarely on the big man’s performance.

2 Dalton Knecht (Tennessee)

2023-24 stats: 21.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists

If not for Zach Edey, Dalton Knecht would be racking up National Player of the Year votes left and right. The mid-major transfer has done more than translate his scoring ability to the SEC, he has transformed Tennessee.

Rick Barnes has not had an offensive weapon like Knecht at Tennessee, making this March Madness run huge for the legacy of both.

3 Hunter Dickinson (Kansas)

2023-24 stats: 18.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks

Hunter Dickinson made waves when he transferred to Kansas this season, setting up huge expectations. The veteran big man has dealt with injuries, but still holds a spot among the best players in college basketball.

This NCAA Tournament run will be big for Dickinson’s legacy as well – like the two above him – as one of the most high-profile transfer in the sport’s history playing for a Hall of Fame coach.

4 Baylor Scheierman (Creighton)

2023-24 stats: 18.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists

Baylor Scheierman has a chance to become a breakout star in March Madness. His all-around game brings ball-handling, 3-point shooting, and rebounding into the mix from the wing spot.

Scheierman touches every aspect of the game, making him vital to Creighton’s NCAA Tournament chances despite multiple stars on the roster.

5 Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton)

2023-24 stats: 17.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.0 blocks

Another Creighton star who can do multiple things, Ryan Kalkbrenner can control the paint on both ends of the floor. His defense has made him a three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year and could prove the difference in a close game.

The Blue Jays have all the pieces to make an NCAA Tournament run, and Kalkbrenner would be a big piece of that puzzle.

6 Braden Smith (Purdue)

2023-24 stats: 12.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists

Playing beside Zach Edey, Braden Smith does not receive all the headlines for his strong play. However, he could be the difference to Purdue this season versus last year’s disappointment.

Going from a freshman point guard with very little experience on the big stage to one of college basketball’s best at the position should provide the Boilermakers with more stability.

7 Shahada Wells (McNeese State)

2023-24 stats: 17.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists

The leader of Will Wade’s McNeese State squad, Shahada Wells has performed as not only an elite mid-major guard, but a college basketball star. His scoring output helped lead the Cowboys to a historic turnaround which they look to cap with a March Madness run.

Everyone is looking for the 12-seed capable of an upset, making Wells one of the potential darlings of the NCAA Tournament.

8 Max Abmas (Texas)

2023-24 stats: 17.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists

Max Abmas has already created March Madness legacy for himself during his time at Oral Roberts. However, he now gets to chance to play the role of blue-blood. The transfer guard has continued his college basketball stardom at Texas.

Can Abmas do it again for the Longhorns? His NCAA Tournament accolades could grow even further with a deep run this season.

9 Anton Watson (Gonzaga)

2023-24 stats: 14.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals

Anton Watson has been part of many great Gonzaga teams before, but now he enters the NCAA Tournament as a focal point. The growth he has shown over the course of the season has taken the Bulldogs from a potential bubble team to a 5-seed.

Watson does a little bit of everything for Gonzaga, making him the most impactful player in a close game beside co-stars like Graham Ike and Ryan Nembhard.

10 N’Faly Dante (Oregon)

2023-24 stats: 16.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks

The key for Oregon appears pretty simple: keep N’Faly Dante healthy. That has not always been the case for the Ducks in recent seasons, but a Pac-12 Tournament MVP run proved just how valuable he is to success.

Oregon comes in under-seeded due to the rash of injuries they took on and a Pac-12 title run which saved the season, but they are a different team with Dante healthy.

Honorable Mentions: Collin Murray-Boyles (South Carolina), Dylan Disu (Texas), Isaiah Stevens (Colorado State), Great Osobor (Utah State), Emanuel Miller (TCU)