North Carolina will open NCAA Tournament play on Thursday, taking on VCU at 6:50 p.m. in the first round.
Before and after the Tar Heels tip off, there will be wall-to-wall basketball, including several matchups from the South Region — the same region North Carolina occupies as a top seed. As the bracket unfolds, there is a strong chance UNC will cross paths with some of the top individual talents in this part of the field.
Here are 10 non-UNC players to watch throughout the South Region, any of whom Carolina could realistically see as it looks to advance on its road to the Final Four.
C Reuben Chinyelu, Florida
The SEC Defensive Player of the Year is averaging 11.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. While his defensive numbers do not show it, the 6-foot-11 big man is a high-motor enforcer in the paint with a blue-collar work ethic.
F Thomas Haugh, Florida
The first-team All-SEC selection is averaging 17.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for the Florida Gators. The 6-9 wing has a chance to make even more noise in the tournament, as he is projected to be a mid-first-round selection, just outside the lottery.
G Kingston Flemings, Houston
Flemings is another member of a loaded freshman class and is projected as a lottery pick. He is a terrific two-way guard for the Cougars and an elite shooter.
Flemings is averaging 16.4 points, 5.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 47.5% from the field and 39.2% from 3-point range. The first-team All-Big 12 selection is averaging 1.6 steals and has six games with at least three steals, including an eight-steal performance against Florida State on Dec. 6.
G Emanuel Sharp, Houston
The All-Big 12 selection is the school’s career leader in 3-pointers and is now at 277 3-point field goals. Sharp averages 15.3 points per game while shooting 37% from 3-point range.
G Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
Similar to Flemings, Tanner is one of the best two-way guards in the tournament. A first-team All-SEC selection, he leads the Commodores in points (19.2) and assists (5.3) per game. Tanner has quick hands, averaging 2.4 steals, which is 10th nationally, and has a 4.0 steal percentage, which is 34th nationally, according to KenPom.
G Keaton Wagler, Illinois
This is a player UNC could be seeing soon if both the Tar Heels and Illini advance to the second round. Wagler was selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year after averaging 18.0 points and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 44.6% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. Wagler is a projected top-10 pick for the 2026 NBA Draft.
G Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska
Pryce Sandfort is one of the best sharpshooters in the tournament, shooting at a 40% clip from downtown. The former Iowa transfer is averaging 17.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game for Nebraska this season.
G Larry Johnson, McNeese State
The Southland Conference Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Southland selection is averaging 17.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Johnson has been one of the hottest players in the country, averaging 21.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in his last six outings, which includes two double-doubles — pretty impressive for a guard.
F Paulius Muraskas, St. Mary’s
The 6-9 forward is the classic stretch-four archetype. Muraskas is averaging 18.8 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 48.7% from the field and 33.6% from 3-point range for the Gaels. He also played at Arizona, where he was a teammate of Henri Veesaar for a season.
F TJ Power, Penn
If No. 14 seed Penn were to pull off the upset over No. 3 seed Illinois, remember this name. Power was an uninamous All-Ivy League slection after averaging 16 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Power was originally at Duke and Virginia before finding success with the Quakers.
Honorable Mentions
G Bennet Stirtz, Iowa: 20.0 points, 4.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game
G Terrance Hill, Jr., VCU: 1.4 points, 2.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game
G Duke Miles, Vanderbilt: 16.5 points, 4.5 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game
F Thomas Dowd, Troy: 14.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game
F/C Alex Condon, Florida: 15.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game
F/C Lazar Djokovic, VCU: 13.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: NCAA Tournament: 10 Key players in South Region