The NCAA basketball tournament, also known as March Madness, isn't the only big college tournament going on this month.
On Friday, the road to the Frozen Four begins as the NCAA Hockey Tournament gets underway.
Although it's college hockey, fans of every NHL should be paying close attention as prospects from pro teams and upcoming draft prospects will be showcasing their abilities in the hopes of helping their team win it all.
With there being so many players, though, it's difficult to know who to watch, which is why we compiled a list of 8 first-round picks to keep an eye on in the tournament.
North Dakota - Tyson Jost and Brock Boeser
Avalanche fans and Canucks fans have to be upset that their teams are officially out of the playoff race, but watching Tyson Jost and Brock Boeser should bring their spirits up.
Jost, a first-round pick in by the Avs in 2016 (10th overall) and Boeser (23rd overall pick in 2015 by Vancouver) will try and lead North Dakota to back to back championships.
Denver - Henrik Borgstrom
Panthers 2016 first-round pick (23rd overall), Henrik Borgstrom, recorded 38 points this season for the top ranked team in the tournament.
Boston University - Clayton Keller, Dante Fabbro, Charles McAvoy, and Kieffer Bellows
Boston University's roster features four first-round picks from the 2016 draft.
Clayton Keller (7th overall, Arizona), Charles McAvoy (14th overall, Boston), Dante Fabbro (17th overall, Nashville), and Kieffer Bellows (19th overall, Islanders) all played in the World Juniors.
McAvoy, Keller and Bellows won gold for team USA while Fabbro helped Canada win a silver medal.
Minnesota Duluth - Riley Tufte
A 25th-overall pick in the 2016 draft by the Dallas Stars, Riley Tufte will try and help the number two team in the tournament reach the frozen four.
The first-round picks highlighted here aren't the only players to watch, though.
Ahead of the tournament, the NCAA highlighted some others players to watch during the tournament:
We're excited for the tournament, which begins Friday afternoon.
