Duke’s Jared McCain is making a solid case for himself as one of the most promising guards in this class.

He was nothing short of sublime in the second round, connecting on six 3-pointers in the first half during a whopping defeat over James Madison. McCain became the first freshman in the modern era of the tournament to finish with at least 30 points and zero turnovers, per ESPN.

Among all freshmen who played the most minutes in the the opening rounds of the tournament, McCain was far and away the most positively impactful. He mostly scored on catch-and-shoot jump shots, thriving when he has used off-ball screens, and he will have a big test against a defensive-minded Houston squad in the Sweet 16.

UConn big man Donovan Clingan already has a national championship under his belt from his freshman year but after deciding to return to school to defend the title, the decision already looks as if it is paying off.

Although he was injured to begin his sophomore campaign, everything it clicking into place at the right time. Clingan ranks the highest in the catch-all metric box plus-minus among all players still dancing, per Bart Torvik.

He looked dominant on the defensive end of the floor with a tournament-high in blocks (8) and he has become a nightmare for opponents trying to score. Clingan is also excelling as a scorer in the pick and roll, joining elite company in the process.

Even though Colorado wasn’t able to advance to the Sweet 16, it was hard to ignore how well Tristan da Silva looked when he was on the court.

Colorado was able to win multiple games during March Madness (and played a competitive game against Marquette) due to strong performances from the senior forward.

Perhaps most impressive is that da Silva was 5-of-7 (71.4 percent) on long 3-pointers attempted from at least 25 feet, per CBB Analytics. He showed genuine NBA range on his jumper, which is very encouraging for someone listed at 6-foot-9.

As a senior, Gonzaga’s Anton Watson has recently hit a stride that has made him one of the most important players in the nation.

Gonzaga has outscored opponents by 53 points during the minutes Watson has played, per CBB Analytics, which ranks third-best among all players in the tournament thus far.

He was a human highlight reel, throwing down impressive dunk after impressive dunk in wins over McNeese State and Kansas.

Maquette senior guard Tyler Kolek has returned from injury and already looks like perhaps the best guard in college basketball, especially when he is operating out of ball screens.

Kolek has distributed the ball especially well, averaging a tournament-high 11.0 assists per game. He has assisted on more non-corner 3-pointers (10) than any other player in the tournament thus far, per CBB Analytics.

Meanwhile, as a scorer, he leads all players in unassisted field goals made at the rim (8) as well. His layup package is incredibly effective and he just always plays with an incredibly high feel for the game.

Harrison Ingram was a consensus five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school. Now, after transferring from Stanford to North Carolina, he seems have a perfect role.

After just shooting just 31.6 percent on 3-pointers during his first two seasons of college basketball, the junior has taken a massive leap forward this season. He is hitting some clutch shots and during March Madness, via CBB Analytics, he is shooting a perfect 3-for-3 on 3-pointers in transition.

Ingram was always an impressive passer and playmaker for someone his size and now it’s translating to winning.

After requiring two heart surgeries and missing multiple years on the court, Grand Canyon’s Tyon-Grant Foster had one of the best stories of anyone in March Madness.

He was also one of toughest players to guard during one-on-one possessions and despite eventually falling to Alabama in the second round, his athleticism was on full display.

During the first two rounds of the tournament, per CBB Analytics, he tied Purdue’s 7-foot-4 big man Zach Edey for the most shooting fouls (10) drawn. He trailed only Illinois senior Terrence Shannon Jr. for the most points scored on the fast break.