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 Northwestern Wildcats guard Boo Buie David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 3: Boo Buie, Northwestern

One of the best stories in college basketball this season has been the Northwestern Wildcats, who are making just their second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. They’ve been fueled all season by their guard play, which once again helped carry them to a win, this time over Boise State.

Boo Buie and Chase Audige combined for 42 of Northwestern’s 75 points, with Buie leading the way with 22. He did so by getting inside and making tough contested shots, including this crossover and floater combination. Along with the scoring, Buie made his presence felt in multiple other ways, including five assists and five rebounds.

With the win, Northwestern moves on to play second-seeded UCLA in Sacramento. It marks just the second time the two programs have met since 1969. Their last meeting came in 2013, when the Bruins rolled to a 95-79 victory in the Las Vegas Invitational Championship Game.

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