Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
One of college basketball's brightest stars this season, Knecht shined bright during March Madness, averaging 26.0 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 40 percent from three-point range. He helped lead the Volunteers to an Elite Eight appearance and had more than half his team's points in Tennessee's 72-66 loss to Purdue, knocking down six threes and finishing with 37 points.
D.J. Burns Jr., NC State
Burns will go down as one of the most memorable players from this year's tournament. Quiet games against Marquette (4 points, 2-of-4 shooting) and Purdue (8 points, 4-of-10 shooting) kept him from earning first team honors, but he still averaged 16.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists to help spearhead the Wolfpack's unlikely Final Four run.
Jared McCain, Duke
McCain had three 30-point games this season, and two of them came during the NCAA tournament. The standout freshman was 10-of-15 from the floor in a 30-point effort against James Madison in the second round, and he poured in 32 points while playing all 40 minutes in the Blue Devils' loss to NC State in the Elite Eight. He averaged 21.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists over his four tournament games.
Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois
Shannon entered the NCAA tournament on an absolute tear after averaging 34 points per game in the Big Ten tournament, including a tournament record 40 against Nebraska. He kept it rolling with 28.3 points per game on 59.2 percent shooting in the Fighting Illini's three tournament wins before UConn limited him to eight points on 2-of-12 shooting in the Elite Eight, but he still earns second-team honors.
Stephon Castle, UConn
A 5-star recruit and top-10 player in the 2023 class, Castle accepted his supporting role with aplomb all season, averaging 10.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game entering the NCAA tournament. Those numbers ticked up to 12.5 points and 5.7 rebounds during March Madness, and he ended on a high note, matching a season-high with 21 points against Alabama in the Final Four before tallying 15 points in the title game.
Honorable Mentions: Marcus Domask (Illinois), Chase Hunter (Clemson), Fletcher Loyer (Purdue), Grant Nelson (Alabama), Braden Smith (Purdue), Cam Spencer (UConn)
