March Madness Players to Watch Today: Best Odds & Prop Bets for Thursday's NCAA Tournament Stars

The NCAA Tournament is as much about taking unknown star players from small programs and turning them into March Madness legends as it is about finding Cinderella stories.

That's especially true on the first weekend of the tournament, with the focus of our March Madness players to watch today on the stars you're unfamiliar with rather than a Wooden Award odds contender like Johni Broome or an SEC stalwart like Zakai Zeigler.

Who will be the next Jai Lewis, Doug Edert, Max Abmas, or Jack Gohlke?

🏀 Best March Madness players today: NCAA Tournament odds & prop bets

If you want to watch the best players taking the court today, feast your eyes on Broome, Zeigler, Braden Smith, Ryan Nembhard, JT Toppin, John Tonje, and Danny Wolf. Those are likely some of the most popular players to back with March Madness prop bets today.

But the best NBA draft prospects in March Madness isn't what the first round of the NCAA Tournament is about. It's all about discovering the best players on teams you've never seen before and being mesmerized. So, let this bunch of players light up your eyes while they light up the scoreboard during the first round.

⭐ March Madness stars to watch today

• Javohn Garcia, G, McNeese (vs. Clemson) - 3:15 p.m. ET
• Max Shulga, G, VCU (vs. BYU) - 4:05 p.m. ET
• Bennett Stirtz, G, Drake (vs. Missouri) - 7:35 p.m. ET
• Ian Martinez, G, Utah State (vs. UCLA) - 9:25 p.m. ET
• Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, G/F, UC San Diego (vs. Michigan) - 10 p.m. ET

👉 Looking for more March Madness action? Check out the rest of our March Madness first-round expert picks as part of our March Madness predictions.

⛹️ Javohn Garcia, G, McNeese (vs. Clemson)

📈 Stats: 12.9 PPG, 1.6 SPG
📅 Tipoff: 3:15 p.m. ET

Although the news that head coach Will Wade is set to take the NC State job when McNeese's season ends complicates things, the Cowboys are one of the top March Madness giant killers.

While he may not be an explosive scorer, Garcia is the key to the whole thing, with his two-way ability making McNeese one of the most well-rounded one-bid league teams in the tournament. The Southland Player of the Year is a tenacious defender with an elite ability to get downhill to the rim and draw fouls.

A JUCO transfer who spent time at UMass to start his career, Garcia's the heart and soul of this McNeese team and will be a crucial factor in the Cowboys pulling off an upset over Clemson. 

📊 Best Javohn Garcia odds & player prop bets today

⛹️ Max Shulga, G, VCU (vs. BYU)

📈 Stats: 15.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG
📅 Tipoff: 4:05 p.m. ET

The catalyst for the highest-rated team from a one-bid league on KenPom, Shulga isn't just a mid-major star; with his shooting prowess and court vision, he's straight-up one of the best players in the entire country. 

Shulga is right there with All-Americans like Toppin, Smith, and Walter Clayton Jr. in EvanMiya's player ratings, and the A-10 Player of the Year could seriously carry VCU not just past BYU but to the Sweet 16.

After beginning his career at Utah State alongside head coach Ryan Odom, Shulga followed Odom to VCU, and the pair make the Rams one of the most dangerous lower March Madness seeds.

📊 Best Max Shugla odds & player prop bets today

⛹️ Bennett Stirtz, G, Drake (vs. Missouri)

📈 Stats: 19.1 PPG, 5.7 APG
📅 Tipoff: 7:35 p.m. ET

If Drake can live up to its buzz as one of this year's potential Cinderella teams, Stirtz will end up among the tournament's biggest stars. You'd be hard-pressed to find a player more important to his team than the Missouri Valley Player of the Year.

Stirtz began his career at Division-II power Northwest Missouri State, playing for Ben McCollum. When McCollum took the Drake job this past offseason, he brought Stirtz and several other plays with him, and the D-II transplant move paid off with the Bulldogs setting a program record in wins (30).

With his versatile skill set making him a dominant scorer, Stirtz can win from behind the arc or by attacking the basket while boasting one of the best passing abilities in the NCAA Tournament. If Missouri can't slow Stirtz, the Tigers will be on upset alert. 

📊 Best Bennett Stirtz odds & player prop bets today

⛹️ Ian Martinez, G, Utah State (vs. UCLA)

📈 Stats: 16.8 PPG, 2.4 3PG
📅 Tipoff: 9:25 p.m. ET

It's been a long trek to the NCAA Tournament for Ian Martinez, who's playing for his third program in five seasons. The explosive scorer spent a season at Utah and two more at Maryland before settling in with the Aggies as an All-Mountain West player.

Between his long-range shooting and ability to get to the free-throw line, Martinez could be a problem for a stingy UCLA defense. The native of Costa Rica has already gone for 30-plus twice this season and logged three different games with at least five 3-pointers.

This is Utah State bench boss Jerrod Calhoun's first NCAA Tournament as a head coach, so look for him to rely heavily on Martinez to score as the Aggies try to pull off an upset.

📊 Best Ian Martinez odds & player prop bets today

⛹️ Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, G/F, UC San Diego (vs. Michigan)

📈 Stats: 19.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG
📅 Tipoff: 10 p.m. ET

Even with a first-round matchup with Big Ten tournament champion Michigan, UC San Diego already appears to be the people's favorite underdog of the NCAA Tournament. It's the Tritons' first year of March Madness eligibility after transitioning up from Division-II, and they could make some serious noise thanks to Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones.

The New Zealander is rated top 25 in OBPR by EvanMiya with his work inside the arc making him one of the most efficient scorers in the country. Tait-Jones has dominated everywhere he's played, from the Wellington Saints of the NZNBL to Division-II Hawaii-Hilo to being named Big West Player of the Year with UC San Diego.

Tait-Jones' physicality and scoring touch around the rim will provide one heck of a difficult matchup for Michigan, especially with the Kiwi's penchant for drawing fouls. 

📊 Best Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones odds & player prop bets today

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🔮 March Madness predictions for every game today

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• Clemson vs. McNeese prediction
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