March Madness: 3 players who came up big in the first two rounds

The Sweet Sixteen is set. Before action tips off, let’s take a look back at which players had big games in the first two rounds of March Madness.

Through two rounds of March Madness action, there have been plenty of stellar performances. Some of the game’s biggest stars have shone brightly as they’ve led their teams to the Sweet Sixteen. Some have left it all on the court as they’ve gone down swinging.

Players like Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Haley Jones (rightfully) receive a ton of coverage for their performances. Instead of highlighting the usual suspects, here are a few other, slightly less covered players who came up big in the first two rounds for their team.

Meet the unexpected stars of March Madness so far:

1. Hailey Van Lith, G, Louisville

Tournament averages: 23.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals

Van Lith has been in the spotlight for a while, but Louisville’s down year had her out of it for most of the season.

HVL has found her swagger again in the first two rounds of the tournament.

She helped Louisville deter Drake’s upset bid, pouring in a game-high 26 points. The close call was followed up by a 22-point drubbing of Texas. Van Lith scored 21 points on an efficient 8-of-15 shooting, but it’s what happened after the game that caught everyone’s attention.

That should be a scary sight for the teams left in the tournament. Louisville may be a No. 5 seed, but their star has been ready to play and ready to let her opponents know that they can’t stop her.

Van Lith is the only player in Louisville women’s basketball history to score at least 20 points in four straight NCAA tournament games, and she is halfway to matching that streak this year. Can she take Louisville all the way?

2. Charisma Osborne, G, UCLA

Tournament averages: 23.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.0 blocks

Perhaps no team’s star has elevated their game further in the postseason than Charisma Osborne.

Her averages through two games are exceptional, even by her already-high standards. For comparison, Osborne averaged 15.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists prior to the tournament. The increases across the board are impressive.

What’s even more impressive is how much more efficient Osborne has been in UCLA’s two tournament games. She is shooting at a .485/.429/1.00 clip, compared to .382/.289/.816 during the season.

Osborne also holds the title for the highest-scoring performance of the tournament so far after scoring 36 against Oklahoma.

Osborne is widely considered a late first-round WNBA prospect. Her stock will rise as UCLA continues its run.

3. Lauren Ebo, C, Notre Dame

Tournament averages: 12.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 3.5 blocks

When Olivia Miles went down, many thought Notre Dame would be back in South Bend by the Sweet Sixteen.

Niele Ivey’s squad had different ideas.

The trio of Sonia Citron, Maddy Westbeld, and Lauren Ebo have led the Fighting Irish so far. Ebo has seen the biggest role increase and has thrived.

Ebo has been the cornerstone of Notre Dame’s defense, using her length to deter opponents inside. She uses her size to keep her matchups off the glass. She set a school tournament record with 18 rebounds in their second game.

Ebo has also handled an increased offensive role well, upping her scoring average by three points while also shooting better from the field in the postseason. With Miles out, Notre Dame needed someone to step up behind Citron and Westbeld, and Lauren Ebo has done just that.

Honorable mentions

Cate Reese, F, Arizona

Tournament averages: 22.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 blocks

Elena Tsineke, G, USF

Tournament averages: 16.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 steals

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