2018 NCAA tournament Cinderellas: Nine under-the-radar stars who can propel bracket-busting wins
Who is 2018's C. J. McCollum (Lehigh) or Steph Curry (Davidson)? Paste BN Sports examines key players from Cinderella-ready mid-major teams who could spark unexpected runs in the NCAA tournament.
Jon Elmore, Marshall: The 6-3 guard benefits from coach Dan D'Antoni's three-point focused system and averages 22.8 points, 6.9 assists and 6.0 rebounds a game. The 13th-seeded Thundering Herd will have a tall task in trying to knock off No. 4 Wichita State, but Elmore is the X-Factor for an upset.
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Peyton Aldridge, Davidson: The 6-8 senior forward averages 21.5 points and 7.8 boards a game. He can fill it up and hit the long ball with ease. Aldridge had 35 points in a March 9 win over St. Louis and 45 points in a Feb. 27 game against St. Bonaventure. He'll be the driving force for the Wildcats if they can dump Kentucky in the first-round.
Mike Daum, South Dakota State: The junior big man scored 51 points in a game last season, and averages 23.8 points and 10.4 rebounds a game. So needless to say, he's no stranger to stuffing the stat sheet. But what's most impressive is how Daum fuels this Cindrella favorite Jackrabbits team. Their offense is a well-oiled machine thanks to the 6-9 forward's prowess in the paint.
Zach Lofton, New Mexico State: The Aggies have a nice chance of pulling of the classic No. 12-over-No.5 seed first round upset by drawing a shaky Clemson team. But Lofton (19.8 ppg) will have to carry this team offensively if that's going to happen.
Garrison Mathews, Lipscomb: If the Bisons stand any chance of upsetting defending national champion North Carolina, Mathews will have to steer that effort. The 6-5 guard averages 22.1 points a game and had 33 points in the Atlantic Sun title game vs. FGCU. He also had 43 points and 13 rebounds in a Jan. 6 victory over Kennesaw State.
Jaylen Adams, St. Bonaventure: The Bonnies were drastically underseeded at a No. 11, but can make a statement in the play-in game against UCLA on Tuesday night. Adams averages 19.8 points and 5.4 assists a game, facilitating for his teammates or taking it over himself — as he did with a 34-point outing in a Feb. 27 win over Davidson.
Zach Thomas, Bucknell: The veteran big man nearly averaged a double-double — 20.3 points and 9.2 boards a game. The versatile 6-7 forward can shoot well, put the ball on the floor and pass. He'll need a big game for the 14th-seeded Bison to knock off No. 3 Michigan State.
Kyle Allman, Cal-State Fullerton: The junior guard averages 19.4 points a game and will be the difference-maker if the 15th-seeded Titans can knock off heavily-favored Purdue.
D'Marcus Simonds: The do-everything guard averages 21.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game. A sophomore, Simonds had 27 points to pilot the Panthers to a Sun Belt tournament title victory over UT-Arlington. GSU will face a stout defense in Cincinnati, so will need Simonds production from the get-go.
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