March Madness: 10 key freshmen in 2019 NCAA Tournament

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 16: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after defeating the Florida State Seminoles 73-63 in the championship game of the 2019 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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3. Ignas Brazdeikis, Michigan Wolverines

Forward Ignas Brazdeikis has emerged as one of the top freshmen in the country for the Michigan Wolverines. Although the Wolverines didn’t get the result they wanted in the Big Ten Tournament, they still managed to earn a No. 2 seed in the West region.

Brazdeikis produced 15.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game on 42 percent shooting from behind the arc for the Wolverines this season. He put up 10 20-plus point performances during the regular season, a span where Michigan went 9-1. He won the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award as well.

As one of the best 3-point shooters as a freshman and one of the best interior players, teams will need to key in on him or it could be a long day for them. He put up a career-high 24 points early in the season against the North Carolina Tar Heels back on Nov. 28. He made a career-high five 3-pointers in a 23-point outing against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights back on Feb. 5.

The Wolverines made it all the way to the national title game in 2018. This season, as they look to return, one key will be the success of Brazdeikis. He’s shown he can show up in big moments. In the biggest of them all, he’ll look to produce.

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