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 Texas Longhorns guard Sir’Jabari Rice Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 2: Sir’Jabari Rice, Texas

Senior Sir’Jabari Rice has been the unsung hero for Texas throughout 2022-2023, earning Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year. His importance was on full display on the first night of March Madness, helping the Longhorns cruise past Patriot League Champion Colgate.

Rice came off the bench as usual, but finished as the game’s leading scorer. He sunk seven three-pointers on ten attempts, which helped Texas tie their postseason record with 13 treys. It marked the sixth time this season that Rice has eclipsed 20 points.

The senior stuffed the stat sheet full beyond the scoring. He snatched up six rebounds, recorded three assists, and managed two steals in 29 minutes of game action. His stifling perimeter defense helped hold Colgate to just 20 percent from three-point territory.

That defense is going to be crucial for the Longhorns in the second round, as they will face a Penn State team fresh off a throttling of Texas A&M. The Nittany Lions are playing inspired basketball at the right time, and they have one of college basketball’s premier offensive weapons in Jalen Pickett. Expect Rice to match up early and often with Pickett, but the ‘Horns will also need his shooting touch to show up in order to move on to the Sweet 16.

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