The 2024 March Madness bracket is set and the Midwest Region will feature some of the most talented big men in the nation.
With top teams like Purdue, Tennessee, and Kansas taking the courts, this region should be more than fun to watch.
On a court, the big men are comprised of centers and power forwards. In college basketball, it’s common for a team to play without a true center and instead use their larger forwards in the paint.
This group of eight is a mix of true centers and power forwards but they are all some of the best bigs in the country.
2023-24 stats:
- 13.6 points per game
- 4.7 rebounds per game
- 1.3 assists per game
B.J. Mack is a huge part of the Gamecocks success this season. As a 6-foot-8, 270-pound forward, Mack is a beast in the paint and a problem for the opponents he faces.
His stamina isn’t the best in the country and he only plays about 23.5 minutes per game but those minutes are highly productive. One area that Mack could improve on is his shooting percentage, averaging 41.6 percent throughout this season.
Mack’s size alone makes him a physically difficult player to go up against but his growth throughout his college career makes him an even bigger threat as South Carolina progresses.
2023-24 stats:
- 11.9 points per game
- 7.7 rebounds per game
- 0.9 assists per game
Compared to some of his all-star teammates, Jonas Aidoo doesn’t have the greatest stat lines in the book. However, it’s hard to be the highest scorer or leader in assists when you’re on one of the best teams in the country.
Aidoo’s growth over this season has been one of the most intriguing storylines this season. He has shot 52.9 percent from the field and nearly 63 percent from the free-throw line.
Even though Aidoo plays only 25.3 minutes per game, he has been putting up 11.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per appearance.
2023-24 stats:
- 15.8 points per game
- 5.0 rebounds per game
- 1.6 assists per game
When Dylan Disu is healthy and playing at his full capacity, he is one of the greatest players for the Texas Longhorns.
Disu has only played in 23 games this season but averages over 25 minutes a game for the Horns. He is shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and his seniority on the team adds a level of leadership to his game play.
If Disu can improve upon his box-out abilities to give his rebound numbers a boost, he will truly big one of the best big men in college basketball.
2023-24 stats:
- 16.5 points per game
- 7.2 rebounds per game
- 1.0 assists per game
The Zags have had one of the more mediocre seasons compared to some of the other top-ranked teams in the tournament.
However, center Graham Ike has been a highlight of the Bulldogs’ season. Close to averaging a double-double, he is putting up 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
Ike shoots over 60 percent from the field and nearly 75 percent from the line. He plays for nearly 24.1 minutes a game and has become a vital part of Gonzaga’s lineup.
Since transferring to the program from Wyoming, Ike has only seen his production levels go up and I expect that to be true for March Madness as well.
2023-24 stats:
- 17.1 points per game
- 7.4 rebounds per game
- 1.3 assists per game
Ryan Kalkbrenner is one of the most consistent players on Creighton’s roster this season. In the team’s loss to Providence in the Big East Tournament quarterfinal, he played the entire 40 minutes and earned a double-double.
This season, Kalkbrenner has shot 65 percent from the line for 17.1 points per game. He has also contributed 7.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game for the Bluejays.
At 7-foot-1, very few big men in the country can keep up with Kalkbrenner’s size and strength. He is shockingly agile for someone of his stature and navigates the court well.
2023-24 stats:
- 16.2 points per game
- 8.8 rebounds per game
- 1.5 assists per game
The one fault of N’Faly Dante’s game is his inability to stay healthy. In his fifth year with the Ducks, Dante has yet to play a complete season without injury yet is still the key to Oregon’s success.
Not only is he an indomitable 6-foot-11, Dante is shooting 70.2 percent from the field and bringing down nearly 9 rebounds per game. His precision in the field makes him one of the most productive players in the league.
Dante’s 16.2 points and 1.5 assists per game are a critical part of the Duck offense. As a senior, he is a leader on and off the court, and head coach Dana Altman cannot speak more highly of his star center.
If Oregon is going to make its Cinderella story run, Dante is going to have to stay healthy and at the top of his game.
2023-24 stats:
- 18.0 points per game
- 10.8 rebounds per game
- 2.2 assists per game
Averaging a double-double, Hunter Dickinson led the Kansas Jayhawks to a second-place finish in the highly competitive Big 12 conference. Not only can he shoot incredibly well from the field, he is a beast in the paint.
Towering over his opponents, Dickinson brings down 10.8 rebounds per game and has scored 558 points over 31 games for the Jayhawks.
Dickinson suffered a dislocated shoulder in the final regular season game against the Houston Cougars. However, head coach Bill Self shared with the media that Dickinson is expected to play during the NCAA Tournament.
With Dickinson up to full speed on the court, the Jayhawks will be nearly unstoppable in the tournament.
2023-24 stats:
- 24.4 points per game
- 11.7 rebounds per game
- 2.1 assists per game
Not only is Zach Edey the biggest man on this list, but he also has the best stat line of any big in the nation.
At 7-foot-4 and 300 pounds, nobody can stop Edey in the paint. Despite almost always being the biggest person in the arena, he has great footwork and has shot 61.9 percent from the field this season.
Even in Purdue's loss to Wisconsin in the semifinal game of the Big Ten Tournament, Edey earned a team-high 28 points and brought down 11 rebounds.
Edey leads Purdue in points, rebounds, and blocks per game. He also has the most made field goals for the Boilermakers this season with
The First Round of March Madness will be on March 23 and 24.