The NCAA tournament field is set and the snubs and seeding will be discussed to the moon and back in in the coming days. What’s done is done, however, so Rivals chooses to focus on the players that could help shape the first weekend of the tournament when play gets under way.
Below, national analyst Rob Cassidy explores four former five-stars to watch during the sport’s most exciting four days.
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FORMER FIVE-STARS
First game: Thursday against the winner of Howard-Wagner
Bacot just made the blue chip cut back in 2019, being ranked as the one of the last five-stars in the Rivals150. He now stands as one of the most important players on one of the most important teams in this year’s tournament and will provide some serious veteran leadership for the No. 1-seeded Tar Heels, who are expected to make a deep run in the tournament. Bacot began his high school career at Virginia's Trinity Episcopal before transferring to Florida's famed IMG Academy and has played his entire, five-season college career for North Carolina, which makes him a bit of an anomaly in the modern game. It has also endeared him to Tar Heel fans, however, and it feels as though he stands on the verge of Chapel Hill folk-hero status should the Tar Heels find themselves in the Final Four.
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First game: Friday against Stetson
Castle likely only has a few weeks left as a Husky, but the best NBA prospect on one of the country’s truly elite teams will have a massive impact in the coming tournament. A former five-star prospect out of the Atlanta area, Castle was briefly the center of internal Rivals discussions for the No. 1 spot back in high school. He ultimately landed at No. 10 and has lived up to his billing as a freshman for one of the favorites to capture the national title. Currently projected as a top-10 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, Castile may shape this year’s NCAA tournament more than any other five-star, as he and the top-seeded Huskies look like a good bet to make a deep run, if not to repeat as national champs. A title run would likely help transform the versatile guard into a UConn legend before he packs his bags for the NBA.
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First game: Thursday against Oakland
The point guard of one of the most watched and dissected teams in the country, Dillingham will be expected to, at the very least, lead Kentucky out of the tournament’s first weekend for the first time since 2019. If that doesn’t happen, groans about John Calipari will likely reappear inside the Wildcats’ fan base. How Dillingham and his teammates play will shape the offseason conversation in Lexington, but regardless of the result the former lightning quick guard and his elite handle are must-see. A potential second-round matchup with Texas Tech looms large, as the freshman guard will be expected to dictate pace in a contest some see as an especially difficult draw.
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First game: Friday against Vermont
One of the most talked about players in the country, ACC fans either love or hate the Duke sophomore, who has stood at the center of both a court-storming and tripping controversy this season. All eyes will be on Filipowski as the most notable prospect representing one of the sport’s biggest brands on the game's biggest stage. There will be no shortage of people rooting against Filipowski when fourth-seeded Duke takes the court against a dangerous Vermont team on Friday. Should he fail to lead Duke out of the first weekend, grumbles about head coach Jon Scheyer’s future will likely begin. It feels like there is significant pressure on the Blue Devils to rattle off a few wins after a stunning ACC tournament loss to NC State raised some eyebrows. Filipowski is likely off to the NBA following the season, so what takes place in the next two weeks will help define his legacy in Durham.
