The biggest impact player for every men s Sweet 16 team

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Welcome to the heavyweight Sweet 16 of 2024. This group of regional semifinalists collectively carries one of the highest average seeds we've seen since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

Yes, NC State would appear to be a surprise member of the "second weekend" club as a No. 11 seed. (Still, anyone who saw the Wolfpack defeat No. 1 seed North Carolina in the ACC title game can't be too shocked.) Likewise, Clemson is a No. 6 seed and Gonzaga and San Diego State are No. 5s.

The other 12 teams, however, were all supposed to make it this far.

These mostly high-seeded teams have advanced to the regional semifinals courtesy of some incomparable individual performances. We already highlighted some of these players last week in our piece on the 68 impact players of the tournament.

Now we're down to 16. Some of these names are repeats. Others are new to this high honor. All have played their way onto this list based on winning performances over the past two games. They're very likely to make a difference once again.

Here are the 16 impact players of the 2024 Sweet 16.

West Region

Chase Hunter, No. 6 seed Clemson Tigers

Teammate PJ Hall was the choice when we conducted this exercise last week, but since that time Hunter's been the best player for the Tigers. The senior has 41 points and 12 assists to go with four steals in Clemson's wins over New Mexico and Baylor.

With the ball often found in Hunter's capable hands, Brad Brownell's team has committed just 20 total turnovers in 137 tournament possessions. No Sweet 16 team owns a win over an opponent seeded higher than No. 3 Baylor, which fell to the Tigers in the round of 32.

Caleb Love, No. 2 seed Arizona Wildcats

While Love is just 6 of 20 from beyond the arc in the tournament, he has 10 assists in two games and pulled down 11 boards against Long Beach State. Arizona's work on the defensive glass has been very good all season, and a guard who pulls down a miss can often start the fast break instantly.

The lessons Tommy Lloyd learned as an assistant at Gonzaga have helped fuel the Wildcats' fast-paced attack. Only Alabama has played at a faster rate than Arizona's 75 possessions per 40 minutes over the first two tournament outings.

Clemson plays Arizona on Thursday at 7:09 p.m. ET

Mark Sears, No. 4 seed Alabama Crimson Tide

If you were picking a most valuable player of the tournament so far, Sears would definitely be in the conversation. Averaging 28 points over two games is partly a function of Alabama's fast pace, but Sears has been valuable beyond scoring. When the Crimson Tide were in trouble against Grand Canyon, the senior responded with 12 rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Collectively, Alabama has attacked the paint often enough to post the healthiest tournament free throw rate of any Sweet 16 squad. The always formidable Crimson Tide offense is in full stride with Sears as the featured scorer.

Armando Bacot, No. 1 seed North Carolina Tar Heels

North Carolina has played near-flawless basketball in its first 80 tournament minutes. Yes, Wagner was a No. 16 seed, but Michigan State was ranked 15 spots above the Tar Heels in the preseason. Over those first two games, Bacot has been his customarily productive self when it has mattered most.

The senior is scoring, cleaning the glass (tournament defensive rebound rate: 23%) and defending the rim (three blocks). Bacot is getting to the line and shooting 82%. He and UNC have both been dominant despite their tournament opponents shooting a very good 38% on their 3s. Then again, the Heels have made six more 3s than those opponents at an even more accurate 43% rate. North Carolina has looked outstanding.

Alabama plays North Carolina on Thursday at 9:39 p.m. ET

East Region

Jaedon LeDee, No. 5 seed San Diego State Aztecs

The Aztecs are the only remaining team in the tournament that won by a single-digit margin in the round of 64, and LeDee was heroic in that game against UAB. The senior went off for 32 points, all but three of which came either on 2s or at the line. He wore out the Blazers in the paint and then followed that up with a 26-point effort against Yale.

With the exception of Zach Edey, there may be no single player in the Sweet 16 more essential to his team than LeDee. His tournament scoring has lifted a San Diego State squad that has committed and forced a relatively high number of turnovers in the tournament.

Donovan Clingan, No. 1 seed UConn Huskies

Clingan recorded eight blocks against Northwestern -- including, most memorably, two within two seconds in the first half. The sophomore has blocked more shots than any player in an NCAA tournament game since Auburn's Walker Kessler swatted nine attempts against Jacksonville State in 2022.

UConn's tournament opponents have shot 41% inside the arc, while the Huskies have made 69% of their 2s. Clingan's impact is felt on both sides of that disparity as, surprisingly, UConn has connected just 26% of the time from beyond the arc. That's right, when the Huskies regress to the mean from the perimeter, this No. 1 seed might look even stronger than it's been to this point.

San Diego State plays UConn on Thursday at 7:39 p.m. ET

Marcus Domask, No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini

Domask posted the first triple-double in an NCAA tournament since Ja Morant totaled 17 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds for Murray State against Marquette in the 2019 round of 64. The senior's 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists keyed the Illini's 16-point win over Morehead State in their round of 64 matchup.

In a starting five featuring what Brad Underwood calls five power forwards, Domask has dished 17 assists in his 106 tournament possessions. We know his assists and those of his teammates are creating high-value scoring opportunities because Illinois has the highest effective field goal percentage in the tournament. The Illini are connecting on 68% of their 2s and 40% of their 3s.

Tamin Lipsey, No. 2 seed Iowa State Cyclones

Who says Iowa State is just its No. 1-at-KenPom defense? The Cyclones have been on fire from the perimeter in the tournament, connecting on 49% of their 3s. This 3-point production has been a team effort, with key contributions from Curtis Jones and Milan Momcilovic.

Still, we're giving Lipsey the "impact player" nod. In addition to 5-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc, the sophomore has 11 assists and two steals in his 101 tournament possessions. The takeaways are very much a part of Iowa State's winning formula, as the Cyclones have forced tournament opponents to commit turnovers on 22.5% of their possessions.

Illinois plays Iowa State on Thursday at 10:09 p.m. ET

South Region

DJ Burns Jr., No. 11 seed NC State Wolfpack

As the lowest remaining seed, 11-seed NC State has had a different path than any other Sweet 16 team. The tournament stats for the Wolfpack reflect not one but two competitive games. In fact, Texas Tech and Oakland combined to outscore Kevin Keatts' team from beyond the arc.

In the paint, however, Burns has been a star in per-40 minute stats. Though foul trouble limited him to 16 minutes against Texas Tech, he still contributed 16 points before giving way to the very capable Ben Middlebrooks. Across two wins, Burns is converting 70% of his 2-point tries. His passing has been less of a factor as opponents have mostly tried to play him straight-up, but, when double-teamed, Burns can record assists in bunches.

Kam Jones, No. 2 seed Marquette Golden Eagles

Who do you pick for Marquette's impact player? Tyler Kolek with his rather remarkable 22 assists in the tournament so far? Or Jones, the star receiving many of those assists? Good question.

We'll go with Jones, since we already paid tribute to Kolek in last week's review. In terms of pure scoring, Jones is having himself an incredible tournament: 46 points, including nine 3s on 45% shooting from beyond the arc. Defenses preoccupied with Jones have given Marquette the space to connect on 67% of its 2-point tries in its two victories.

NC State plays Marquette on Friday at 7:09 p.m. ET

Jared McCain, No. 4 seed Duke Blue Devils

Let's reduce impact to the most important stat: McCain is Duke's leading scorer in the tournament. His eight 3s against James Madison stand alongside games from Oakland's Jack Gohlke (10 against Kentucky this year) and Penn State's Andrew Funk (eight against Texas A&M last year) as the tournament's best perimeter performances of the 2020s.

With McCain leading the offense, the Blue Devils have also been notably tough on D. Vermont and JMU managed just 102 points in 124 turnover-marred possessions. This defense is about to receive by far its stiffest tournament test, to be sure. Nevertheless, the venerable Krzyzewski-era tradition of a late-arriving but suddenly formidable Duke defense is one scenario to keep in mind with Jon Scheyer's Devils.

Jamal Shead, No. 1 seed Houston Cougars

Shead is not hitting his 3s in the tournament, he committed a season-high five turnovers against Texas A&M and in that same outing he fouled out for just the second time in a career spanning 136 games. Yet, the senior would be an easy choice for first-team All-Sweet 16 if there were such a thing. Shead's the quartz movement in a Houston offense that's been excellent over 85 tournament minutes.

The Cougars put 100 points on the board to get past the Aggies in overtime. Shead's 19 assists across two games have fueled an offense that's riding extreme 2-point accuracy (69%) in the tournament. Kelvin Sampson's game plan in OT against A&M consisted of Shead keeping the ball, dribbling the shot clock down into single digits and then creating. It worked.

Duke plays Houston on Friday at 9:39 p.m. ET

Midwest Region

Anton Watson, No. 5 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs

Across the 113 tournament possessions during which he's been on the floor, Watson has made an impact through sheer versatility. Against McNeese, the senior's rebounding and passing were front and center as he contributed 13 boards and 11 assists. Then came Kansas, and Watson put up a game-high 21 points on just 11 shots from the field.

For years, players have come and gone at Gonzaga while the accurate shooting seemingly stays constant. This is carrying through to the 2024 tournament. While Watson piles up rebounds, assists and 2-point makes, Nolan Hickman and the rest of the Bulldogs have collectively shot a Sweet 16 field-high 50% on 3s.

Zach Edey, No. 1 seed Purdue Boilermakers Purdue has won two blowouts, but Edey's number can still highlight just how difficult it will be for an opponent to defeat the Boilermakers. One challenge is that any such opponent will have to hit its first shot. There won't be a second one.

In the tournament, Edey is personally rebounding 41% of opponents' misses during his minutes. Sure, it's just two games, but individual defensive rebound percentages don't ordinarily start with a "4." The Boilers collectively have completely locked down their defensive glass. On offense, the reigning Wooden Award winner is either hitting his season numbers exactly or improving on them: 68% on 2s, sky-high free throw rate, the works. Edey is on another level.

Gonzaga plays Purdue on Friday at 7:39 p.m. ET

Baylor Scheierman, No. 3 seed Creighton Bluejays

Creighton arrives in the Sweet 16 having made more tournament 3s than any other team. It's a rotation-wide effort, but Scheierman is at the head of that pack and he's shooting 50% on his 3s.

Scheierman is also a classic 3-and-D guy for Greg McDermott, where D is understood to include rebounding. Holding opponents to one shot is critical to a Creighton defense that doesn't emphasize takeaways. (Tournament opponents are getting a shot attempt from the field or the line on exactly 90% of their possessions.) The 6-foot-7 Scheierman is pulling down 26% of opponents' missed shots during his tournament minutes.

Jonas Aidoo, No. 2 seed Tennessee Volunteers

The Tennessee offense was terrific against Saint Peter's, but 40 minutes of basketball later, you can search this roster in vain for a Volunteer with good numbers for tournament 3-point shooting. The Vols went 3-of-25 from beyond the arc yet still managed to defeat Texas by four. Tennessee also has the Sweet 16's highest tournament turnover rate at 20%.

We must therefore look to the Vols' defense for our impacts. Aidoo has blocked 12% of 2-point attempts during his tournament minutes, and he also contributed three critical assists to the win over the Longhorns. With its defense, Tennessee can be a very tough out in this bracket if it starts taking care of the ball and hitting some 3s.

Creighton plays Tennessee on Friday at 10:09 p.m. ET