Ranking Top 10 best players in East 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 East 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 Terrence Shannon (Illinois)

2023-24 stats: 23.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists

Terrence Shannon was the star of the Big Ten Tournament, taking home MVP honors after lifting the trophy on Sunday. His value to the team goes far beyond a postseason run though, with a 26.7 Player Efficiency Rating for the season.

Head coach Brad Underwood has inserted him back into the rotation after a restraining order against Illinois lifted a suspension, and now the Fighting Illini look like a real threat to make a deep March Madness run.

2 Johni Broome (Auburn)

2023-24 stats: 16.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.3 blocks

Johni Broome is a former mid-major player who burst onto the scene at Auburn last season. He has continued his development this season and helped lead the Tigers to an SEC Tournament title last week as MVP.

Broome’s impact goes beyond the offensive statistics, as an All-SEC defender he made a strong case for Defensive Player of the Year consideration.

3 Tristen Newton (UConn)

2023-24 stats: 15.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists

Tristen Newton is looking to lead UConn to back-to-back national championships this season, as well as make his second All-Tourney team honor in the process. The Big East Tournament MVP has made massive strides forward this season to lead the way for the Huskies.

Seeing his scoring output leap by more than five points per game gave UConn exactly what they needed to reload and reproduce the success of last season.

4 Tucker DeVries (Drake)

2023-24 stats: 21.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists

Two-time MVC Player of the Year Tucker DeVries is more than the star player on his father’s team, he is a college basketball star. Averaging more than 20 points per game, he has peaked the interest of NBA scouts and high-major schools alike.

Time will tell if DeVries can follow in the footsteps of Doug McDermott, another mid-major legend who saw NCAA Tournament success playing for his father.

5 Jaedon Ledee (SDSU)

2023-24 stats: 21.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals

Jaedon Ledee has taken one of the biggest steps forward of any player in college basketball this season, looking to make SDSU a contender once more. From 7.9 points to 21.1, he also went from a career 0% 3-point shooter to 41% this season.

Ledee has been on a deep March Madness run before, this time he will look to do it as the leader.

6 Johnell Davis (FAU)

2023-24 stats: 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists

FAU looks to repeat the NCAA Tournament success of 2023, when Johnell Davis came into the national spotlight for the first time. So far, he has put together his best season yet and become the leader for the Owls.

Now a full-time starter, Davis has taken on a leadership role in the offense. He looks to translate that into more March Madness success.

7 Boo Buie (Northwestern)

2023-24 stats: 19.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists

Boo Buie continues to assert himself as one of the best players in Northwestern history, and could cap that experience with a March Madness moment to remember. The lead guard is having his best season in nearly every statistical category.

Northwestern gets a tough draw early, but Buie has proven he can lead the way to big wins.

8 Donovan Clingan (UConn)

2023-24 stats: 12.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.3 blocks

The promised star of the 2023-24 season has been just that down the stretch for UConn. After coming off the bench to make a big impact last season, Donovan Clingan is in the spotlight for the Huskies.

His interior presence is one of the best defensive tools in college basketball, paired with a blossoming impact in other areas which has the NBA interested.

9 Marcus Domansk (Illinois)

2023-24 stats: 16.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists

Marcus Domansk was not the biggest star coming out of the transfer portal this season, but he has elevated Illinois in a big way. His fit next to Terrence Shannon has been ideal for the Fighting Illini, who have caught fire at the right time.

The ability to translate mid-major production to the next level should not be overlooked when considering how impressive Domansk has been this season.

10 Vlad Goldin (FAU)

2023-24 stats: 15.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks

Vlad Goldin is sometimes the unsung hero at FAU. He might not draw all the same highlight plays as the guards surrounding him, but his combination of size and strength allows the team to play how they want.

Goldin has a case to be the best player on his team in overall value, even if Davis makes the more exciting plays.

Honorable Mentions: Stephon Castle (UConn), Keshon Gilbert (Iowa State), Jaxson Robinson (BYU), Jaylin Williams (Auburn), Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB)