Welcome to Glass Slipper! Jake Diebler, get this thing done; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

In 2011, Kemba Walker led UConn to a national title with a relatively mediocre roster at his disposal. His backup on that team - a kid by the name of Shabazz Napier - embarked on an eerily similar run three years later, and dragged a No. 7 seed Huskies squad to another championship.

During my lifetime, the pair of undersized point guards are the only stars in the sport to win it all without an awesome supporting cast. Let’s run through four players that could follow their one-man show blueprint, and get to a Final Four in 2025.

1. Kam Jones, Marquette

We’ll start with an obvious one. I fell in love with 2022-23 Marquette, and Jones was a massive reason why. He’s a ball-dominant guard who actually cares about the right things, which is a rarity these days. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; this kid is going to win an NBA Sixth Man of the Year award someday.

Kam’s three-ball has nosedived from 41% to 31% this season. If he finally heats up - and the Golden Eagles foray deep into the Big East tournament - some folks will be in danger. A head coach who has cut down the nets before, paired with a superstar that’s catching fire at the perfect time? Be careful.

2. Javon Small, West Virginia

There’s exactly one major-conference guy matching Small in point, rebounds, and assists per game. Kam Jones. The Mountaineers appear to be safe from bubble talk, so their standout transfer will indeed make his first March Madness appearance.

Javon isn’t exactly Mr. Efficiency, and he’s incredibly inconsistent. But he has shown an ability to dominate on big stages. Small dropped 31 on Gonzaga during West Virginia’s sizzling start, and posted a 26-7-7 line on Louisville a day later. He fully got my attention in January, when he toppled my darling Iowa State boys. I’m not telling you to pencil in a Final Four run here. I don’t possess the courage for that. I’m just warning you that it’s possible; don’t be completely stunned if Javon has a No. 1 seed on the ropes in the second round.

3. Richie Saunders, BYU

I thought about removing Saunders from consideration because he plays with a first-round pick. But whichever NBA franchise drafts Egor Demin is enticed by his ceiling, and not the present version of him. He currently owns 42-28-67 shooting splits, after all. That makes our friend Richie perfectly eligible to be included in this exercise.

Whenever I watch Saunders, I see a lot of Austin Reaves. The clever finishing, the controlled pace, the general feel. Richie has a quick trigger from the outside, and can kickstart a Cougars barrage when he’s feeling it. Go ahead and ask Bill Self what he thinks about him.

By the way, have we ever seen a BYU kid - who springs incredibly high on his jumper - take the world by storm with a three-point avalanche before? Oh. Right. I remember a dude.

4. Donovan Dent, New Mexico

Did you know that a school seeded seventh or lower has made the Final Four in 11 of the past 13 tournaments? Don’t tell me that it’s far-fetched for the Lobos to catch fire. As long as they take care of business in the Mountain West bracket, they’ll take 29 wins into the Big Dance. This is not a group to scoff at.

Dent is top-12 in the nation in both scoring and assists. His guile around the rim would make Kyrie Irving proud.

If your favorite team has championship aspirations, this is not the man you want to see pop up in your region on Selection Sunday.

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