The NCAA Tournament is the greatest sporting event in the world, mostly due to the games played on the courts across the country that dazzle us through our televisions.

Beyond that, however, is all of the fun that comes along with March Madness. The brackets, the bets, the memes. Every March there’s a few items that bring us true joy that barely involve the game of basketball.

One of those traditions is the All-Handsome Team. Here at Palestra Back, we’ve been continuing what began as dorm room foolishness each year since 2015 (!).

This year though, we opened up the fun.

Typically, this post is written by myself and a few friends, the official All-Handsome Committee. But year after year, I heard pushback from outsiders, desperate to offer their takes on the jawlines and smiles of college basketball. So we reached out via Twitter to ask for submissions.

This is the most democratic All-Handsome Team yet, complete with actual votes and the words of the masses. For each nominee, I will share a little introduction, a word from one of our committee members and then dive into what the Twitter monsters had to say.

We’ll run through these based on the percentage of handsomeness as voted on by the committee and the public, escalating to the best looking man of the month.

Xavier Brown (James Madison, Handsome to 12.5 percent of voters)

Look, this one isn’t on Xavier. It’s on me and the 68 teams that made the NCAA Tournament. This was a weak crop of entries this year, there’s no way around it. Xavier was one of the later additions to the ballot and I stand by it. Strong smile goes a long way.

The committee says: More cute than handsome. He has a nice smile. – Kevin

The people say:

Three people independently compared him to Rajon Rondo, which is not fair. He looks more like a guy that you think looks like Rajon Rondo than he actually looks like Rajon Rondo, if that makes sense. But it could be worse:

Reminds me of the bad guy from “Monsters, Inc.” – submitted by “beastmode cowgirl”

Marcus Domask (Illinois, Handsome to 25 percent of voters)

I’ll say three things. First, the photo of Marcus on the ballot was not his official headshot, which is terrible. Second, Marcus was not nominated by me, but by a person who is actually attracted to men, believe it or not. Lastly, Marcus Domask looks like a little porcelain boy in a Christmas display at your grandmother’s house.

The committee says: You might think he’s handsome but then if you see him smile you will realize you are wrong. He looks like a three-year old who is smiling for a picture for the first time and doing a bad job. – Eddie

The people say: He stole the girl you were grinding with at the 8th grade dance. – submitted anonymously

Tyson Walker (Michigan State, Handsome to 50 percent of voters)

A previous AHT member, also undone by a bad headshot.

The committee says: Yummy shoulders. Adorable smile. Wasn’t impressed last year with him so he must have had one of those glow ups the youths are always talking about.– Eddie

The people say: Hard yes, but this is only because I know ball. Casuals will vote no because this is a terrible photo of him. – submitted by Kyle

That’s right, and a good reminder that the best voter for this award is not someone necessarily with an eye for handsomeness, but someone who watches the damn games. A picture only goes so far.

Jeremy Roach (Duke, Handsome to 63 percent of voters)

Also a returning player, maybe seeing some voter fatigue, even though this is the first time it’s been open voting.

The committee says: It’s the eyes for me. They tell a story that’s worth a listen.– Kevin

The people say: Arguably the best and most endearing smile of the bunch. – submitted by Scooch

Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk (South Carolina, Handsome to 63 percent of voters)

The age old question: how much do we factor in the bod? Sure that makes you more attractive but does it make you handsome? The voters here say so.

The committee says: Guy is Verdonkulous. When I first heard his name come out of the announcer’s mouth I had to look him up because I didn’t understand it. Then, I saw him and I love everything about it. Guys, he’s gonna be a lawyer. Total package.– Eddie

The people say: The picture choice is clearly an effort to redirect focus from the face to the body. Concerning to say the least. – submitted anonymously

Brice Williams (Nebraska, Handsome to 63 percent of voters)

After nine years of this, you might think we’d run out of words to talk about how handsome an 18-24 year old man is. You’d be wrong. This fellas is sharp. Crisp. Fine tuned.

The committee says: Brice is definitely handsome. Is he All-Handsome? I’m not as sure. I give him the nod for the strong eyebrows that would make Peter Gallagher blush.– Stan

The people say: This is who I would have a crush on in my intro to computer science class. – submitted by “beastmode cowgirl”

Tristan Da Silva (Colorado, Handsome to 75 percent of voters)

I do feel like after nine of these, there’s a few buckets of dude. Preppy handsome, politician handsome, Hollywood handsome, etc. Tristan is a new bucket. I don’t know what to call his bucket but the people love it.

The committee says: His little teenager mustache is very endearing. On a lesser face it wouldn’t work, but for Tristan for some reason it WORKS. Very handsome. Love this kid.– Stan

The people say: With those eyes- nobody is safe. You may say “ew, that stache though” but I say “I can fix him.” – submitted by Scooch

Jaedon LeDee (San Diego State, Handsome to 86 percent of voters)

There’s a rare class of guys on the All-Handsome Team that are also among the best players in the country. Two kinds of All-American. A stud in every sense of the word. That’s Jaedon.

The committee says: I said it last year and I’ll say it again, Jaedon is the type of handsome that gets people to ignore 300 years of disappointment in politicians and think, “Actually, this is the guy gets it.”.– Stan

The people say: He has the chin that rivals Handsome Squidward and arms to match. – submitted by Scooch

The people have spoken. This is the handsomest lad in the land. Do I think this picture is better than his average moment on court? I do, but hey that’s the game we play. Congrats to Pelle and all the Arizona Wildcats and his fans back in Sweden.

The committee says: Sign this man up for the Bachelorette season 85 or whatever we’re on. Prime candidate with a nice suit and no socks.– Kevin

The people say: The archetype of a Scandinavian. Has the complexion of someone who has never had to stress about paying for health care. – submitted by Andy

Your 2024 March Madness All-Handsome Team:

G: Pelle Larson, Arizona

G: Brice Williams, Nebraska

F: Tristan Da Silva, Colorado

F: Jaedon LeDee, San Diego State

C: Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk, South Carolina

Maybe the first time ever the team is too tall? Huge year for the big boys. Good for them.

And good for us. Our first foray into letting the people speak and no one said anything too insane. We’ll see you next year for the 10th annual edition. Keep your eyes peeled for hunks.

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Shane McNichol is the founder, editor, and senior writer at PalestraBack.com. He has also contributed to ESPN.com, Action Network, Betway Insider, Rush The Court, Larry Brown Sports, Rotoballer, and USA Today Sports Weekly. Follow him on Twitter @OnTheShaneTrain.