2019 NCAA Tournament: Lesser known players who will turn into national stars

CJ Massinburg, Buffalo

Massinburg’s inclusion on this list might be cheating a bit because he’s already a star in college basketball circles but, by virtue of playing at Buffalo, an extremely small number of people watching the NCAA Tournament will have heard of him before.

Wondering why the Bulls have been ranked in the top 25 virtually all season long? Well, they have a great team, but Massinburg is their leader and most important player.

Want proof? I’ll point you to his 43-point, 14-rebound performance against West Virginia or his 25-point, seven-rebound, five-assist performance in a win at Syracuse. We can even go back to the NCAA Tournament last year when Massinburg scored 19 points as Buffalo upset Arizona in the first round.

Guard play makes a huge difference this time of year and Massinburg gives Buffalo one of the best in the country. He also gives them the kind of player who can create his own offense, something else that is key  in close games.

The Bulls enter the tournament as perhaps the favorite mid-major to make a long run and, if they do, you’ll be hearing his name a lot more.

New stars are made every year in the NCAA Tournament, and these six players are the most likely to go from unknown commodity to household name this March.