March Madness Stars Who Took Their Talent to Social Media
The March Madness Stars Who Took Their Game to Social Media
Dual Threats
There was a time when college basketball fans had to watch games live to see the buzz created by players who became household names in the NCAA tournament, known affectionately as March Madness.
People literally hated Duke’s Christian Laettner for the game-winning shot he made against Kentucky in the 1992 tournament, one of the most memorable moments in the history of March Madness.
On this date in 1992: Christian Laettner! pic.twitter.com/UKfSLrw082
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) March 28, 2022
But we live in a different time now as it’s the era of basketball influencers, who can build a reputation through social media before they even take the court at their school. Then if they have a big moment in March Madness, they can turn it into a viral sensation and profit thanks to NIL deals.
The Social Media Game Changers
Here are three noteworthy cases of some of the best college basketball players who changed the game thanks to social media where their combined social reach exceeds 6 million followers.
Doug Edert: The Cinderella Story That Launched an NIL Revolution
Not many liked the March Madness odds for the Saint Peter’s Peacocks in 2022, but if someone told you this mustache belonged to a guy nicknamed Dirty Doug, you’d consider placing a bet on an upset, right?
Who remembers Doug Edert and St. Peter’s miracle run pic.twitter.com/osIBQ4nww6
— Cole (@Squam2x) January 20, 2024
Doug Edert’s facial hair and 20-point game against Kentucky made him an online sensation overnight. His Peacocks were a true Cinderella who made it all the way to the Elite Eight before falling against UNC.
Before the Peacocks’ run in 2022, Edert’s social media following was about 1,500. It exploded to over 150,000 after the Elite Eight run.
Who says not bothering to shave can’t pay off? Edert’s little run of fame earned him an NIL deal with Buffalo Wild Wings and a clothing line with Barstool to take advantage of his fun nickname.
Saint Peter’s guard Doug Edert has signed an NIL deal with Buffalo Wild Wings 🍗 pic.twitter.com/l207Tm2P4T
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 23, 2022
Drew Timme: When Personality Becomes a Brand
Speaking of mustaches and March Madness, I can’t give Drew Timme much credit for originality as Adam Morrison had the stache look down 20 years ago at Gonzaga.
But Timme was a big man who looked like Tom Green playing basketball, and with his mustache celebration, he became one of Gonzaga’s most interesting players in the tournament from 2021 to 2023 and one of the March Madness favorites to watch.
Adding the Drew Timme mustache celly to the pickup repertoire pic.twitter.com/W9MsYKtCUp
— District of Buckets™️ (@BucketsDistrict) April 4, 2021
But the big man had skills too, scoring 301 points in 13 NCAA tournament games, the sixth most ever. At the height of his popularity, he inked a very fitting endorsement deal with Dollar Shave Club, who introduced him as their first “chin-fluencer.”
Introducing our chin-fluencer: Drew “Chinny” Timme pic.twitter.com/pGCWHGtKSF
— Dollar Shave Club (@DollarShaveClub) March 9, 2022
Jared McCain: The Complete Package of Performance and Digital Influence
If you’re worried you can’t grow an exquisite mustache to rake in the views, we have good news. Jared McCain was just a freshman with marginal facial hair at Duke in the 2023-24 season, but he gained attention well before he started dropping 30-point games in the NCAA tournament thanks to his TikTok videos where he’d capitalize on trends and posts before and after videos from game day.
He also posted his post-surgery video (typical of Gen Z) in December:
@jaredmccain24After surgury tiktok 😎♬ original sound – Jaredmccain24
McCain was drafted by the 76ers where he was shining as a rookie before a meniscus tear ended his season. However, you can still catch him posting funny videos online like this interaction where he said, “They just call me the zesty hooper” to a young fan:
“They just call me the zesty hooper” 😂
– Jared McCain
(via @madeitnate / h/t @overtime )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 28, 2025
He’s also been a hit with the Eagles emulating one of his dances from TikTok:
Saquon and AJ did Jared Mccain’s TikTok dance in the end zone my Philly heart is full pic.twitter.com/b7CvDiwaCN
— Devan Kaney (@Devan_Kaney) November 25, 2024
Good for McCain the TikTok ban lasted 14 hours.
