13. Last season, Sprinkle -- now the coach at his alma mater -- led the program back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since that appearance. 3 stars, For most, a seven-game winning streak would be proof they peaked at the right time. His unblockable jumper and late-game confidence can give Auburn a dimension no other team has. March Madness upsets: Auburn, Purdue, Illinois in danger - Sports Illustrated Gonzaga is Laying 23.5 Points Against Georgia State. The 6-foot-9 big grew up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, first playing soccer and then transitioning to basketball. Lloyd told the Tucson Daily Star his play in Walla Walla generated "some low, low-level D-I interest" before he transferred to Division II Southern Colorado (now CSU Pueblo) for the 1995-96 season and finished his career at Division III Whitman College. Ryan Odom, Utah State Aggies -- Odom played at Division III Hampden-Sydney, scoring 1,162 career points, logging 362 assists and appearing on a pair of NCAA tournament teams with the Tigers. 1-seeds | 2-seeds | 3-seeds | 4-seeds | 5-seeds| 6-seed | 7-seeds | Hurley was the No. Remy Martin, Kansas: KU's stars have not quite played up to their potential in the NCAA Tournament -- both Ochai Agbaji and David McCormack in particular have been hot or cold -- but Martin coming off the bench has been a godsend for the Jayhawks. As a result, the Golden Eagles were picked to finish ninth in the preseason Big East poll. If were lucky, well see him face another player on this list in the Sweet 16. Max Abmas was a sophomore when he led ORU to the Sweet 16 in 2021, one of the NCAA tournament's most memorable rides. He also helped Princeton hold Ivy League opponents to a 47% clip inside the arc, the top mark in the conference. Fran McCaffery, Iowa Hawkeyes -- McCaffery started his career in the ACC, averaging 5.3 points as a freshman at Wake Forest (1977-78) before transferring to Penn for his final three collegiate seasons. Their talent and potential still make them more intriguing than imposing right now. The Golden Flashes held a 10-point lead in the first half, too. Even when matched up against college basketball's best this season, the projected Wooden Award winner has looked like he was playing with kids. Fortunately, were seeing an evolving version of Holmgren recently. The good news: The team finished 6-3 in those games he missed, and the Musketeers are comfortable with Jerome Hunter (7.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG) as their new starter at power forward. Mississippi State is also the worst 3-point shooting team in America (27.3%). Take Jordan Brown, the former McDonald's All-American who signed with Nevada after high school for the 2018-19 season. The 25 Greatest March Madness Players in College Basketball - Medium As great as team success is, impressive individual efforts thus far must be recognized. Nebraska's Maddie Harris claims the national title with a no. Corey Kispert, the West Coast Conference Player . 5 stars, Before the season began, Tommy Lloyd vowed his team would continue to play the same style it did in 2021-22, despite losing Ben Mathurin, Dalen Terry and Christian Koloko -- three players key to that style -- to the NBA. Predicting the entire 2022 men's bracket, line by line, Click or tap here to listen to the latest #MM365 episode, Why Indiana could make a run from the First Four, Every first-round matchup in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, picked, Every first-round game in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, picked, College basketball dictionary: 51 terms defined, DI Mens Basketball Committee discusses tournament expansion, Individual Pathway players announced for NCAA College Basketball Academies, Coaches announced for NCAA College Basketball Academies, How three HBCU men's basketball programs seeded 15th pulled off March Madness upsets, Men's tournament projections after the NBA draft early entrant deadline, Katz's Power 36: Previewing the 2023-24 season post NBA draft early entry withdrawal deadline, 10 lessons learned in this year's men's hoops attendance numbers, Every HBCU player ever selected in the NBA Draft, Remembering Denny Crum, from the Wizards apprentice to the hall of fame, Denny Crum, hall of fame coach and 2-time NCAA champion, dies at 86, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Jaden Ivey, Purdue: While hes capable of setting Twitter ablaze with a highlight-reel dunk, Ivey at times hasnt quite lived up to potential, struggling with turnovers in big moments and inconsistency commanding the ball when the Boilermakers need him most. It would be the type of head-to-head matchup that could send Murrays draft stock rocketing up the boards. 4 stars, In 2011, Kemba Walker led a 3-seed Huskies in one of most miraculous national title runs in NCAA tournament history. The 21-year-old entered March averaging 1.7 3s per game, hitting 38.8% beyond the line. March Madness' top-50 players, ranked for 2023 men's NCAA tournament They're 7-1 in their last eight games, and won the Horizon League tournament because of their defensive pressure: They've forced turnovers on nearly one-fourth of their opponents' possessions. Brian Dutcher, San Diego State Aztecs -- Dutcher played his final level of competitive basketball for the varsity team at Jefferson High School in Bloomington, Minnesota, later attending the University of Minnesota but not playing under his father, Jim Dutcher, the Golden Gophers' head coach from 1975 to 1986. Three stars means a team is talented but must play the best basketball of its season -- and get lucky. Men's committee discusses expansion. Racking up double-doubles with 3s and blocks to lead a Final Four run, that will make Holmgren the No. Would You Bet That? They had lost Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun, a pair of first-round picks, in last summer's NBA draft. Steve Lutz, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders -- Lutz began his college basketball career at Ranger Junior College before transferring to then-NAIA Texas Lutheran University of Segun, Texas. So which Wolfpack will show up: the one that beat Duke by 24 points in January, or the one that lost to Clemson by 25 points Feb. 25? When he and projected first-round NBA draft pick Jalen Hood-Schifino (13.4 PPG) are cooking together, Indiana is difficult to stop. That's a testament to that defensive fortitude. Plus, they've lost just one game since Dec. 31, so they're confident. Despite not being the perfect fit, the sophomore guard is making those around him better and is even turning it up as of late. He is everything for Illinois, averaging 23 points and 11.4 rebounds in wins compared to 15.2 points and 5 rebounds in losses. But Zach Freemantle (15.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG), who had already missed nine games in the final weeks of the regular season, will not return due to a foot injury. Jabari Smith is one of the most exciting players to watch in college basketball. He's surrounded by two players (Jordan Hawkins, Alex Karaban) who both shot more than 38% from 3 this season. Here's what March Madness looked like the year you were born. Mills did not letter for the Bronchos because of a back injury suffered during his freshman year, then transferred to Texas A&M, where he did not play basketball. 14. Keegan Murray, Iowas 6-foot-8 forward, is thriving in his sophomore season. Some of the greatest upsets in college basketball history unfolded because an unsuspecting high seed couldn't top a hot mid-major's scoring barrage. The all-Sun Belt first-teamer is averaging 19.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 1.2 BPG. Davis is often carrying them, looking for ways to score and snagging rebounds to turn defensive stops into points. March Madness FAQ: Everything you need to know. It was no secret Jeff Capel had to save his job after four straight sub-.500 seasons and no postseason appearances. Kentucky loves to feed him near the rim and he can finish with authority. Sprinkle, the Big Sky Freshman of the Year, was an All-Big Sky tournament pick for his 30-point performance in the '96 Big Sky championship win over Weber State. If it happens, the Rams' defensive pressure will be the difference. One potential dream March Madness scenario in the Midwest region would see Murray face Jabari Smith in the Elite Eight. Experienced players are always fun to watch during March Madness. Outside of its two losses to Gonzaga, the margin of defeat in its other five losses this season was five points or fewer. But if he's less than 100%, Miami could be a different team. Meet the players who make up this year's March Madness Cinderella Saint 37. The floor? 5. But there's been plenty of movement within the non-power-conference pool. Maybe the powerhouses will dominate the next three weeks of action. 6 seed Texas. Kris withdrew from the NBA draft and returned to Fran McCaffery's program, where he has been one of America's best players. The Eagles also forced more turnovers per possession than any team in Big East action. Maryland had trouble maintaining a consistent defensive fortitude (its Big Ten opponents shot 51% from inside the arc). 15. But Boise State also had an ace in its push for a bid: a nonconference win over Texas A&M, which has anchored its rsum. 3 stars, It's fair to wonder which coach thought Jalen Pickett didn't deserve a spot on the all-Big Ten first team. Keegan Murray, Iowa: Iowa's first-round loss as a red-hot 5-seed to No. The younger Dutcher worked for his dad in a nonplaying role during college before beginning his coaching career at Apple Valley (Minnesota) High School and later the University of Illinois. And 6-7 star Jalen Slawson (15.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG 3.2 APG, 1.6 BPG, 1.6 SPG, 39% from 3) is one of four players on the roster averaging double figures. Keatts, whose teams won three Dixie Conference regular season titles in four years, averaged 13.3 points per game as a senior. Drew played in 243 NBA games as a member of the Rockets, Bulls and Hornets from 1998 to 2004. The opportunities have been there for Auburn to win, although a 4-9 record in its last 13 games entering the NCAA tournament couldn't have made Pearl feel safe as Selection Sunday approached. Hardaway's basketball achievements went beyond the NBA -- he was a consensus All-American in college at Memphis in 1993 and won gold with USA Basketball at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Nothing underdog about these Huskies. This year, we've developed a star system to define a particular team's shot at advancing to the Final Four: Five stars means a team has it all, and we wouldn't be surprised if it made a run to Houston. The concern about the Cougars' tournament run will be the same one the program has faced in recent years: Can they compete with the best teams in America after playing in a league ranked ninth -- below the West Coast Conference -- on KenPom's rankings? The University Board of Trustees celebrated March Madness differently in 2023. Though injury problems that began with a serious knee injury in 1997-98 likely prevented Hardaway from reaching his full potential as a player, he is remembered as one of the important players of his generation. If you can get past those losses to South Carolina and Georgia, Kentucky looks closer to the team that was picked to win the SEC in the league's preseason poll. Dylan Penn, a 6-3 guard who transferred to Vermont from Bellarmine last summer, averaged 13.2 PPG this season and helped John Becker's team capture its seventh consecutive America East championship and its fourth NCAA tournament appearance in seven years. Drew Pember. This is the time of year when stars take over and a coach turns the keys over to his best player, thats Mathurin. The 6-foot-6 freshman is averaging just 10.4 points across 30 games. Every year, people search the field for a feisty mid-major with the potential to pull off an upset. A 9.1 point-per-game scorer who bombed 209 3-pointers over his four-year career, Collins was a 1996 All-ACC pick and later played two seasons of professional basketball in Finland. March Madness 2022: Top 25 players in the NCAA tournament Boo Buie (17.2 PPG 4.5 APG, 1.1 SPG) and the Wildcats had other plans. Here's the list of teams that beat Bruce Pearl's squad this season by three or fewer points: USC, West Virginia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Arkansas. He caused havoc on that end of the court, combing for 3.3 blocks+steals per game. Pitt beat Virginia and Miami, the co-ACC champs, but also lost at Notre Dame in a crucial matchup for its postseason hopes. Yes, the Bulldogs have a number of questionable losses on their rsum (Georgia State, Winthrop and USC Upstate are all ranked in the 200s on KenPom). The best rsum in America is anchored by wins over Duke, Texas, Baylor, Indiana, Kansas State and Kentucky. The only Peacock to make MAAC All-Freshman team, he has made at least two baskets per game in the NCAA tournament, averaging 13.3 minutes per . There's a lot to like about this team's shot to win a game or two. 10 rules to filling out your bracket Bennett's strategy this season has been to play at one of America's slowest paces -- a WCC-low 63.2 possessions per game average in league play -- while also employing an elite defense (top 10 in adjusted defensive efficiency). Two years ago, Scott Drew coached Baylor to the national championship with a strong defensive crew led by a collection of veterans. 19. But not a typical college student. Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky: While Kentucky bowed out of the tournament in the first round in stunning fashion, Oscar Tshiebwe managed to pad his Player of the Year candidacy. For comparison, the Milwaukee Bucks, one of the NBA's best defensive teams, have held opponents to 109.6 points per 100 possessions this season. Kendall Hilton. Jalen Wilson (19.7 PPG, 8.4 RPG) is a projected All-American. We're seeing NBA trend towards shooters with size and Smith Jr. fits that description to perfection. 58. The 6-foot-10 forward shot 42.5% from the perimeter in his . Adrian Baldwin Jr. (12.6 PPG) & Co. have also experienced offensive gains during the nine-game winning streak that continued when VCU beat Dayton in the Atlantic-10 tournament championship game. (He was a unanimous first-team selection for the league's media but not the league's coaches.) 2023 Fantasy College Basketball - RotoWire NCAAB But the late-season stumbles that preceded the Zeigler injury are a real concern. 3 stars, Eric Musselman's emotions throughout his team's 67-61 loss to Texas A&M in the SEC tournament quarterfinals on Friday -- he had to be restrained by his assistants multiple times and a reporter claimed an Arkansas assistant grabbed his phone and threw it down -- illustrate the frustration around this program entering the NCAA tournament. Nike's "Lil' Penny" ad campaign also helped launch Hardaway to superstardom off the court. Yes, they suffered seven losses in league play. One star means if these teams get that far, it's time to set the entire bracket on fire because this is more rare than a lightning strike. Matt Langel, Colgate Raiders -- Langel was a very good player on some formidable teams at Penn (1996-2000), starting on a pair of NCAA tournament squads under Fran Dunphy and earning All-Ivy first-team honors as a senior. Lets dive into the top players to watch in March Madness 2022. Instead of cutting down nets, Tar Heels cut a white and Carolina blue ribbon to mark the opening of new space for the North Carolina Collaboratory in Kenan Labs.Trustees cut short their last committee meeting on March 22 to attend the ribbon-cutting with researchers and special guests from the North Carolina General . But he's still searching for his first NCAA tournament win. March Madness: Players to Watch - The New York Times That's the ceiling. Bob Huggins, West Virginia Mountaineers -- Huggins, a prep standout who still ranks in the top 20 on the all-time Ohio high school scoring list, began his collegiate career at Ohio University in 1972 before transferring and playing three seasons at West Virginia under Joedy Gardner (1974-77). The 6-foot-10 forward shot 42.5% from the perimeter in his freshman season, averaging 2.3 three-pointers made per game. 2 stars, Coach Darian DeVries and his son, sophomore Tucker DeVries (19.0 PPG, 39% from 3), are more just an NCAA tournament feel-good story. You could call this Wolfpack season the "Life and Times of Terquavion Smith, Vol. The Quincy (Mass.) 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Their return to the NCAA tournament is once again one of the field's great redemption stories. But we take full responsibility for your victories. 55. Cooley's teams are always stacked with rugged defenders, but this group hasn't fit that profile since the vibe changed midway through the season. But if he regains his confidence during the postseason, TCU will be a challenge for any opponent -- as proven by its victories over the Big 12's top tier (Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor and Texas). 24. 14. Marquette has wins over Baylor, UConn, Xavier and Creighton. Position: F/C Height and weight: 7-foot-1, 190 lbs. They've shot 59% from inside the arc and 37% from 3 since Jan. 1. Thanks to his size and length, hes also an effective rebounder. The Golden Flashes are 10-1 in their last 11 games. 12. The Rams coach has led the team to its third NCAA tournament appearance in five years. Following NCAA Selection Sunday, March Madness started on March 15 and 16 with the First Four games to determine the final bracket. But there are also those individual players who become household names and part of March Madness lore. Abmas finished 1-for-13 and scored three points in that rare loss. 7 overall pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 1993 NBA draft, but his pro career was set back by a serious car accident just 19 games into his rookie season. He was inducted into the Providence Hall of Fame in 1991. 14-seeds | 15-seeds | 16-seeds. Purdue committed turnovers on 18.5% of its possessions and made just 32% of its 3-point attempts, per barttorvik.com, from Feb. 1 through the end of the regular season. 36. The Paladins -- a Paladin is a knight or a "defender of a noble cause" -- won five of those by 20 points or more. Darian DeVries, Drake Bulldogs -- DeVries was a 1,000-point scorer and two-time captain at Northern Iowa (1994-98), developing into a double-digit scorer and the team's assist leader over his final two seasons at UNI. Pat Kelsey, Charleston Cougars -- Kelsey played at Wyoming (1993-94) and then Xavier (1995-98), serving as a reserve guard on two NCAA tournament teams under Skip Prosser. That, along with a more challenging schedule in February, changed the trajectory of a program that went 4-6 in its 10 games entering the NCAA tournament. To honor the anniversary of the 1985 NCAA Tournament, Sporting News endeavored to rank the 68 greatest players of the expanded-bracket era, which began with the 1984-85 season and continues today. If the Hoos play a close game in the early rounds, remember: This is the worst free-throw shooting team (70%) under Bennett since 2013-14. Click or tap on any of the games below to be taken directly to that live stream or box score. It marked the fourth time he scored 30-plus points on the year. You can't assess the Alabama men's basketball program without mentioning everything that has happened off the court. He's averaging 17.5 points after averaging single-digit scoring numbers for KU on the season. As with all top 25 endeavors from this desk . This it the time for Purdue to put the team on Iveys shoulders, hes ready to carry them. Tournament Challenge: Check brackets But teams have to contend with him while also defending LJ Cryer (42% from 3) and Adam Flagler (41% from 3), two of America's top shooters. During that rocky 3-3 stretch, Indiana failed to finish in the top-100 nationally in adjusted offensive or defensive efficiency. The Cougars shoot a lot of 3s, more than 47% of their field goal attempts. Dixon scored 11 points and had four assists in that first-round victory over Marshall. We know what the Terps can do. The concern? 1 star, Darrin Horn, who finished 23-41 in the SEC in four years at South Carolina, got a second chance with Northern Kentucky. March 13, 2023 4:02 pm CT. Arkansas was announced as the eighth seed in the West region, lining up to match up with top-seeded Kansas. Rick Barnes, Tennessee Volunteers -- Barnes served mainly as a reserve guard under head coach Bob Hodges at Division II Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, North Carolina, from 1974 to 1977, never averaging more than three points per game. The Huskies of 2023 boast the same potential. The 5-foot-9 guard averages 3.1 steals per game, plus 13.3 points, 5.4 assists and 3.4 rebounds. Sampson also earned three collegiate letters as a baseball player at Pembroke. After leading UMBC to a first-round win over Virginia in 2018 -- the first and only 16-seed victory over a 1-seed in NCAA tournament history -- Ryan Odom didn't immediately bolt for another job.