NCAA Tournament 2023: 5 bigest early stars through 1st days of games

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 10: Boo Buie #0 of the Northwestern Wildcats reacts after scoring against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the second half in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament at United Center on March 10, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /

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NCAA Tournament D’Moi Hodge #5 of the Missouri Tigers (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /

The first day of the 2023 NCAA Tournament delivered plenty of memorable moments. 15-seed Princeton shocked Arizona, Furman completed a thrilling comeback against Virginia, and several top National Title contenders rolled. Beyond the big moments, individual performances provided a good deal of fireworks.

Stars are made in the bright lights of the NCAA Tournament, and the first day is the time to make an early impression. During the furious 12-plus hours of basketball throughout Thursday, several shone the brightest. But first, a couple of players that just missed the cut.

Honorable Mention: D’Moi Hodge, Missouri

D’Moi Hodge is one of the best perimeter defenders in college basketball, and it came through during Missouri’s victory in Sacramento over Utah State. Hodge was a pest the entire afternoon and recorded four steals, helping to push the Aggies to 15 turnovers.

But it wasn’t just his defense that helped the Tigers secure win. Hodge hit five three-pointers and finished with 23 points, leading all scorers. He did so efficiently, shooting 8-14 from the field and only turning the ball over once. His play, along with Arizona’s defeat at the hands of Princeton, means Missouri now have a clear path to the second weekend.

Honorable Mention: Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA

UCLA had no troubles in their first matchup of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, dominating UNC-Asheville from start to finish. Veteran Jaime Jaquez Jr. was at the heart of the dominant showing from the Bruins, leading the team with 17 points. But it wasn’t just his offense that should earn Jaquez recognition. He was in command on the glass, with eight boards, and created chaos defensively, leading to five steals.

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