"Naija Fans, Get Ready for March Madness 2026: Top 10 Freshmen to Watch The 2025-26 college basketball season has been a thrilling one, with a fresh crop of talented freshmen dominating the NCAA scene. This is arguably the best and most talented group of freshmen the sport has seen in a long time. To put this into perspective, 13 out of the 68 teams in this year's NCAA Tournament have a freshman as their leading scorer - a record that eclipses the previous high of 8 set in 2008. Nigerian basketball fans are likely familiar with the 'Big Three' in this talented class, but for those who may not know, they are BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Kansas' Darryn Peterson, and Duke's Cameron Boozer. Boozer, in particular, is the frontrunner for National Player of the Year honors and is leading his team, which is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, in scoring. He has a chance to join an elite group of first-year players who have won a national title and led their team in scoring - a feat achieved by only a handful of players, including Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Davis, and Jahlil Okafor. While Boozer is a strong contender for the top spot, other freshmen like Arizona's Brayden Burries and BYU's AJ Dybantsa are also vying for the top spot. However, one freshman who won't be participating in the NCAA Tournament is North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, a projected top-five pick in the NBA Draft. Wilson suffered a season-ending thumb injury earlier this month, dealing a blow to his team's chances. Here are the top 10 freshmen to watch in this year's NCAA Tournament: 1. Cameron Boozer (Duke) - National Player of the Year frontrunner 2. AJ Dybantsa (BYU) - A dominant force in the NCAA Tournament 3. Darryn Peterson (Kansas) - A key player for the top-seeded Jayhawks 4. Brayden Burries (Arizona) - Leading scorer for the No. 1 seed in the West Region 5. KJ Lewis (Michigan State) - A rising star in the NCAA Tournament 6. Tyler Brooks (Gonzaga) - A key contributor to the Bulldogs' dominant season 7. Ethan Hall (Baylor) - A versatile player for the No. 2 seed Bears 8. Marcus Brown (Villanova) - A talented scorer for the No. 3 seed Wildcats 9. Jordan Davis (Texas) - A dominant force in the paint for the Longhorns 10. Caleb Harris (Kentucky) - A rising star for the No. 4 seed Wildcats Get ready for an exciting NCAA Tournament, Naija fans! These top 10 freshmen are sure to make waves and potentially become future NBA stars."