Many players have made their name in March Madness. Stephen Curry, after all, first burst onto the national scene with Davidson’s Cinderella run in 2008. He is just one of many who have briefly entranced the nation as a little-known player on a little-known team to slay a few giants on the way to a surprisingly deep tournament run.
There will probably be someone like that in this year’s tournament Here are ten small school players who could end up shocking the college basketball world.
1) Mike Daum, South Dakota State
One of the nation’s elite scorers, Daum has a chance to really trouble a major team. The redshirt junior averaged 23.8 points per game, good for sixth in the nation, and has done enough to even put himself on the NBA’s radar.
Daum is a problem not just because of his scoring, but also his size. He stands 6-foot-9, yet still shoots 42 percent from three-point range and 46 percent from the field. He has NCAA Tournament experience, having scored 17 points as a 16-seed against Gonzaga a year ago. He could have an explosive performance, and a big team — perhaps first-round opponent Ohio State — could take the fall.
2) Jaylen Adams, St. Bonaventure
Adams has driven the Bonnies on their late-season hot streak, including back-to-back 40 point games at the start of February. He slowed down slightly in the conference tournament, but that’s been the exception to the rule for him recently. Adams averages 19.8 points per game and can shoulder the load for St. Bonaventure.
Adams can also spread the ball around. He averages 5.4 assists, and though he hasn’t managed a double-double this season, he’s more than capable of putting up lines like 20 points and eight or nine assists. He pulls the strings for a St. Bonaventure team that could be very dangerous.
3) Jonathan Stark, Murray State
Murray State has produced plenty of great guards in their day — remember Isaiah Canaan? Adding to that tradition is Tulane transfer Jonathan Stark, who will have a big hand in any upset the Ohio Valley Conference champions manage to pull.
Stark averages 21.8 points per game, and he shoots 41 percent from beyond the arc. He’s an elite free throw shooter too; at 88 percent, he can reliably be trusted at the line if the Racers are in a tight one down the stretch and trying to put things away. If he gets hot from the field, the Racers can definitely give West Virginia trouble.
4) Zach Thomas, Bucknell
The Bucknell swing man simply fills the stat sheet. Don’t be fooled by his 6-foor-7 stature — Thomas can rebound with the best of them, and he can complement it with good scoring as well.
Thomas came very close to averaging a double-double this season, with 20.3 points per game to go with 9.2 rebounds. While not an elite three-point shooter, he’s a threat from downtown, shooting 37 percent. He does his real damage from inside the arc, and he gets to the line a lot as well, getting about nine three throw attempts a game and shooting 77 percent when he gets them. He can do damage, and the Bison will try to ride him.
5) C.J. Burks, Marshall
Burks wasn’t a big producer for Marshall in his first two seasons at the school, but things have changed quickly in his junior season. After averaging fewer than 10 points per game in his first two seasons, he’s really come on strong, averaging 20.5 points per game.
Burks isn’t particularly great from three — he simply shoots a lot and scores a lot. He’s scored 30 points in three separate games this season, so he can really pile up the points quickly if his shot is falling for him. That’s a big danger for his first-round opponent, Wichita State.
6) Jon Elmore, Marshall
If Burks doesn’t get it done, there’s a good chance that Elmore will. He actually outpaced his teammate Burks in terms of scoring, averaging 22.8 points per game to lead the entire team.
There’s even more to Elmore’s game than scoring. He racks up 6.9 assists per game and six rebounds. He’s a legitimate triple-double threat — he has two of them on the season, and he’s come close a couple more times. Elmore is the team leader and most talented player, and he could certainly make some noise in the tournament.
7) Peyton Aldridge, Davidson
Davidson surprised many by snatching the automatic bid out of the Atlantic 10, and Aldridge was a big reason why. He had 13 points and seven rebounds in the final win over Rhode Island. As his season-long statistics bear out, he’s capable of much more than that.
Aldridge averaged 21.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game overall, and the 6-foot-7 big man has a 45-point game — against St. Bonaventure, no less — to his name. He shoots nearly 40 percent from three, too, which stretches defenses and makes him a real threat from inside and outside. Look out for him when Davidson matches up against Kentucky.
8) Clayton Custer, Loyola-Chicago
The Missouri Valley Player of the Year, Custer makes the Ramblers tick. He missed part of the season with an ankle injury, but their record with him in the lineup is an eye-popping 26-2. That’s no coincidence — Custer is a fine floor general who is credited with being the sparkplug offensively, even if his statlines aren’t necessarily on the gaudy side.
Custer averages 13.4 points and 4.3 assists per game, and much of the offense goes through him. The former Iowa State player’s impact on this team is bigger than the stat sheet reflects. Loyola will look to him to guide them to a first round upset over Miami.
9) Jemerrio Jones, New Mexico State
Jones isn’t the guy who will shoot New Mexico State to victory if they win — that would be guard Zach Lofton, who leads the team in points per game. Where Jones excels is on the glass. It’s what made him WAC Player of the Year, and it’s what separates the Aggies from many of their mid-major peers.
Jones averages 13.2 rebounds per game despite standing a modest 6-foot-5, and his 9.4 defensive boards per contest lead Division I. Showing his versatility, his 3.1 assists per game lead the team too. He’s a great player, and he could be a big problem for Clemson once things tip off.
10) Grant Riller, Charleston
The Cougars have three players who average at least 17 points per game, but Riller is the best of the bunch. That’s down to how good of a shooter he is. He shoots 55 percent from the field and 40 percent from three, meaning he’s outstanding from inside the arc and very capable from deep as well. He’s come on particularly strong lately, with a trio of 30-point games in February that helped propel Charleston forward.
Riller is an excellent player who, aided by his free-scoring teammates, can take over a game. That could be bad news for Auburn, but Riller has a real chance to make a name for himself with a strong performance or two.
