2026 NCAA Tournament: Where every team's leading scorer went to high school

March Madness is here. The 2026 NCAA Tournament will begin on Tuesday with two First Four games in Dayton. We’ll see the 68-team field dwindle down to one across the next three weeks, with the National Championship set for Monday, April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

These few weeks often produces legends that etch their names into the coveted history of the tournament. All 68 teams have a puncher’s chance, but who’s the biggest threat for each?

Rivals is taking each team’s leading scorer this season and looking back at where they played in high school. Some didn’t spend all four years in one spot, so the school they spent their senior season at is what will be included for this exercise.

Teams are listed in the NCAA’s official 1-68 seed order.

Duke
F Cameron Boozer (22.5 PPG), Columbus (Miami, Fla.)

Arizona
G Brayden Burries (15.9 PPG), Roosevelt (Riverside, Calif.)

Michigan
F Yaxel Lendeborg (14.6 PPG), Pennsauken (Pennsauken, N.J.)

Florida
F Thomas Haugh (17.1 PPG), Perkiomen School (Pennsburg, Pa.)

Houston
G Kingston Flemings (16.4 PPG), William J. Brennan (San Antonio, Texas)

UConn
C Tarris Reed Jr. (13.7 PPG), Link Academy (Branson, Mo.)

Iowa State
F Milan Momcilovic (17.1 PPG), Pewaukee (Pewaukee, Wisc.)

Purdue
G Braden Smith (14.0 PPG), Westfield (Westfield, Ind.)

Michigan State
G Jeremy Fears Jr. (15.7 PPG), Joliet West (Joliet, Ill.)

Illinois
G Keaton Wagler (17.9 PPG), Shawnee Mission Northwest (Shawnee, Kan.)

Gonzaga
F Graham Ike (19.7 PPG), Overland (Aurora, Colo.)

Virginia
F Thijs De Ridder (15.5 PPG), International

Nebraska
F Pryce Sandfort (17.8 PPG), Waukee Northwest (Waukee, Iowa)

Alabama
G Labaron Philon (21.7 PPG), Link Academy (Branson, Mo.)

Kansas
G Darryn Peterson (19.8 PPG), Prolific Prep (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Arkansas
G Darius Acuff Jr. (22.9 PPG), IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

Vanderbilt
G Tyler Tanner (19.1 PPG), Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.)

St. John’s
F Zuby Ejiofor (16.3 PPG), Garland (Garland, Texas)

Texas Tech
G Christian Anderson (18.9 PPG), Lovett (Atlanta, Ga.)
Note: JT Toppin (21.8 PPG) is OUT for the season

Wisconsin
G Nick Boyd (20.6 PPG), Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)

Tennessee
G Ja’Kobi Gillespie (18.0 PPG), Greeneville (Greeneville, Tenn.)

North Carolina
F Henri Veesarr (16.7 PPG), International
Note: Caleb Wilson (19.8 PPG) is OUT for the season

Louisville
G Ryan Conwell (18.7 PPG), Pike (Indianapolis, Ind.)

BYU
F AJ Dybantsa (25.3 PPG), Utah Prep (Hurricane, Utah)

Kentucky
G Otega Oweh (18.2 PPG), Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.)

Saint Mary’s
F Paulius Murauskas (18.8 PPG), International

Miami (FL)
F Malik Reneau (18.8 PPG), Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)

UCLA
F Tyler Bilodeau (17.6 PPG), Kennewick (Kennewick, Wash.)

Clemson
F RJ Godfrey (11.9 PPG), North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.)

Villanova
G Tyler Perkins (13.7 PPG), Landon School (Bethesda, Md.)

Ohio State
G Bruce Thornton (20.2 PPG), Milton (Milton, Ga.)

Georgia
G Jeremiah Wilkinson (17.0 PPG), The Skill Factory (Atlanta, Ga.)

Utah State
G MJ Collins Jr. (17.6 PPG), Westminster Catawba Christian (Rock Hill, S.C)

TCU
F David Punch (14.3 PPG), Harker Heights (Harker Heights, Texas)

Saint Louis
C Robbie Avila (12.9 PPG), Oak Forest (Oak Forest, Ill.)

Iowa
G Bennett Stirtz (20.0 PPG), Liberty (Liberty, Mo.)

Santa Clara
G Christian Hammond (15.8 PPG), Colorado Prep (Denver, Colo.)

UCF
G Riley Kugel (14.4 PPG), Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.)

Missouri
F Mark Mitchell (18.3 PPG), Sunrise Christian (Wichita, Kan.)

Texas A&M
F Rashaun Agee (14.7 PPG), Bogan (Chicago, Ill.)

NC State
G Paul McNeil (13.9 PPG), Richmond Senior (Rockingham, N.C.)

Texas
G Dailyn Swain (17.8 PPG), Columbus Africentric (Columbus, Ohio)

SMU
G Boopie Miller (19.2 PPG), Victory Rock Prep (Bradenton, Fla.)

Miami (OH)
G Pete Suder (14.6 PPG), Carmel (Carmel, Ind.)

VCU
G Terrence Hill Jr. (14.4 PPG), Roosevelt (Portland, Ore.)

South Florida
G Wes Enis (16.8 PPG), Miami East (Casstown, Ohio)

McNeese State
G Larry Johnson (17.5 PPG), Southern California Academy (Castaic, Calif.)

Akron
G Tavari Johnson (20.1 PPG), Lyons (La Grange, Ill.)

Northern Iowa
G Trey Campbell (13.7 PPG), Cedar Falls (Cedar Falls, Iowa)

High Point
F Terry Anderson (16.0 PPG), Deer Park (Deer Park, Texas)

Cal Baptist
G Dominique Daniels Jr. (23.2 PPG), Trinity International (Las Vegas, Nev.)

Hofstra
G Cruz Davis (20.2 PPG), Southern California Academy (Castaic, Calif.)

Troy
F Victor Valdes (14.8 PPG), International

Hawaii
C Isaac Johnson (14.1 PPG), American Fork (American Fork, Utah)

North Dakota State
G Damari Wheeler-Thomas (14.4 PPG), Larkin (Elgin, Ill.)

Penn
F Ethan Roberts (16.9 PPG), Hersey (Arlington Heights, Ill.)

Wright State
G Michael Cooper (13.4 PPG), Jeffersonville (Jeffersonville, Ind.)

Kennesaw State
G RJ Johnson (14.5 PPG), Grissom (Huntsville, Ala.)

Tennessee State
G Aaron Nkrumah (17.6 PPG), South (Worcester, Mass.)

Idaho
F Jackson Rasmussen (13.9 PPG), Owyhee (Meridian, Idaho)

Furman
G Alex Wilkins (17.7 PPG), Brooks School (North Andover, Mass.)

Queens
G Nasir Mann (13.4 PPG), The Villages (The Villages, Fla.)

Siena
G Gavin Doty (17.9 PPG), Fulton (Fulton, N.Y.)

Long Island
G Jamal Fuller (16.4 PPG), Central Technical (Toronto, Ontario)

Howard
G Bryce Harris (17.1 PPG), Brentwood (Brentwood, N.Y.)

UMBC
G Jah’Likai King (13.9 PPG), Newburgh Free Academy (Newburgh, N.Y.)

Lehigh
G Nasir Whitlock (21.0 PPG), DeLaSalle (Minneapolis, Minn.)

Prairie View A&M
G Dontae Horne (20.2 PPG), Kirby (Memphis, Tenn.)