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March Madness 2025: Ranking the top 16 players still in the NCAA Tournament

March Madness 2025: Ranking the top 16 players still in the NCAA Tournament - Saturday Down South

Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard celebrate a Florida NCAA Tournament victory.

And then there were 16.

The upsets haven’t quite been there to this point of the NCAA Tournament. There’s only 1 team left in the field seeded lower than a 6, and that team is coached by John Calipari. But in the absence of Cinderellas, titans have taken center stage. The sport’s brightest stars are all still standing. The presumptive No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft is still around. Both contenders for the Wooden Award are still battling. The Sweet 16, though short on madness, is chock-full of big-name stars.

So, ahead of the regional semifinals, let’s rank the top players still in the field. Below, you’ll find the top 16.

Honorable Mention: Kentucky‘s Otega Oweh, Tennessee’s Chaz Lanier, Texas Tech’s Darrion Williams

16. Amari Williams, Kentucky forward

Season stats: 10.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 24.0 PER

In the Wildcats’ second-round win over Illinois, Amari Williams showcased his all-around ability. He had 8 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks. Williams has been searching for his shot during this NCAA Tournament, but he doesn’t have to score to impact the game. In fact, he’s one of the most impactful players in the field because of all the extra stuff he does. The 6-10 point center is averaging 2.2 blocks and 5.6 assists per 40 minutes this season with a career-best 55.9% effective field goal rate. He’s seventh among SEC players in PER and 11th in box plus/minus. Williams is also top-25 in Evan Miya’s player ratings. Because of his ability to anchor a defense, lead the break, and play-make from the perimeter, Williams is a nightmare for teams to prepare for on short rest. And that gravity helps every one of his teammates operate with a little more space.

15. Jase Richardson, Michigan State guard

Season stats: 11.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 20.6 PER

An All-Big Ten selection as a freshman, Jase Richardson has been the driving force behind Michigan State’s best team in years. And he wasn’t even starting until February. In 13 games as a starter, Richardson is averaging 16.2 points per game to go along with 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He’s also shooting 41% from 3 since entering the starting 5. Richardson had 38 points in 2 games at the Big Ten Tournament. He was ice-cold in the second-round win over New Mexico, but still came up huge at the end of the game. In the final 2:01 of the game, Richardson had a steal, an offensive rebound that led to an old-fashioned 3-point play, and 3 makes from the foul line after drawing a foul on a triple.

14. Emanuel Sharp, Houston guard

Season stats: 12.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 21.0 PER

The 6-3 junior is playing a little less and scoring a little less for Houston this season than he did last season, but his fit within the Cougars’ system has been perfectly optimized. Within one of the best defenses in the nation, Emanuel Sharp is a bulldog. He’s top-10 among all Division I players in defensive box plus/minus and averages 2.1 steals per 40 minutes. On the other end of the floor, Sharp provides floor spacing for his teammates and drills 42% of his triples.

13. LJ Cryer, Houston guard

Season stats: 15.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 19.4 PER

Houston isn’t in the Sweet 16 without LJ Cryer, who drilled 6 triples and scored 30 points in the second-round win over Gonzaga. Kelvin Sampson’s Houston remains one of the stingiest defenses in the country, but the Cougars are a different kind of title contender this season because the offense has finally found itself. The Cougs are 10th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom. Milos Uzan is a big reason for that. Cryer, a 3-time All-Big 12 selection and a national champion with Baylor, is the guy the offense can lean on deep in the tourney. He has multiple 30-point games this season and at least 20 in 11 appearances.

12. Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Maryland guard

Season stats: 14.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 21.2 PER

Ja’Kobi Gillespie was an all-conference performer before transferring to Maryland and he was an all-conference performer in his first season with Maryland. He has scored double-digit points in 29 of his 35 appearances this season, has at least 5 assists in 17 appearances, and multiple steals in 22 appearances. Gillespie gets it done on both ends of the floor, and he does so while playing heavy minutes.

11. Thomas Haugh, Florida forward

Season stats: 9.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 21.8 PER

The advanced metrics love Florida’s Thomas Haugh. The counting stats are modest as a result of Haugh’s limited role off the bench, but his impact on the game has been felt all season. The 6-9 sophomore has per-40 averages of 15.7 points 9.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.2 blocks while shooting 33% from 3 and limiting his turnovers. In Evan Miya’s player ratings, Haugh is seventh nationally.

10. Alex Condon, Florida forward

Season stats: 11.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 24.2 PER

A 6-11 forward from Perth, Australia, Alex Condon is a problem for anyone on any given night. He was unguardable throughout a 27-point game against Alabama on March 5. He has 9 games with at least 4 assists this season. He has 16 games with multiple blocks. The guards power the Gators, but Condon’s versatility is huge. He can move, pass, shoot, and defend physical bigs down low.

9. Derik Queen, Maryland forward

Season stats: 16.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 24.5 PER

Derik Queen lays claim to the most memorable moment of the NCAA Tournament so far. His banked runner at the buzzer to beat Colorado State — travel or not — was a remarkable shot for a player of his size to make. The 6-10, 246-pound Queen has been outstanding all year. He was the Big Ten’s Rookie of the Year and landed on the all-conference team. In the final game of the Big Ten Tournament, Queen scored 31 points. In 2 March Madness games, Queen has 29 points, 21 rebounds, and 4 blocks. He has a 53.7% effective field goal rate and can step outside to knock down triples.

8. Mark Sears, Alabama guard

Season stats: 18.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 18.9 PER

The lead Alabama guard is having a down season. His shooting efficiency is at a career-low almost across the board. He’s averaging the second-most turnovers per game of his 5-year career. He’s averaging less than 1 steal per game for the first time in his career. And his scoring has dipped nearly 3 points per game below last season’s output. Mark Sears was an All-American for Alabama last season when he averaged 21.5 per game with a 60.4% effective field goal rate. He drilled nearly 44% of his triples then. This season, he’s shooting just 33% from 3, but that big-time shot-maker is still in there. Sears had 22 points and 10 assists in the first round. He scored 30 points in a game against Florida on March 5 and scored 35 against Mizzou on Feb. 19. In a tight second half, any team in the field would take Sears.

7. Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee guard

Season stats: 13.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 20.4 PER

The Golden Era of Tennessee basketball has had a 5-9 guard at its heart from the very beginning. Four of the 9 winningest seasons in Tennessee history have featured Zeigler, but his inclusion on this list isn’t a lifetime achievement award. A 4-time SEC All-Defense selection and a 2-time Defensive Player of the Year, Zeigler is the guy I’d want most, championship on the line, to guard the final shot. This season, Zeigler is averaging career-highs in points, assists, rebounds, and steals. He’s also (finally) a consistent shooter. In 2 tourney games thus far, Zeigler has 27 points, 18 assists, and 5 steals.

6. Vladislav Goldin, Michigan forward

Season stats: 16.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 26.2 PER

Michigan’s twin-tower pick-and-roll is a sight to behold. While teammate Danny Wolf has the polish to play on the perimeter, Goldin is a bruiser who just tears up defenses inside. He has a 63.2% effective field goal rate this season while upping his scoring and rebounding from last year. Goldin ate Texas A&M up inside in the second round, finishing with 23 points, 12 rebounds (5 of them on the offensive glass), and 3 blocks.

5. Braden Smith, Purdue guard

Season stats: 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 21.8 PER

In Evan Miya’s player ratings, Purdue veteran Braden Smith is the most indispensable player in college basketball. He was integral to Purdue’s national runner-up finish last season, and he’s arguably been even more important this season. Without Zach Edey to bully teams in the post, Smith has seen his usage rate take a big jump. He’s taking 3 more shots per 40 minutes and has upped his assists. All the while, Smith has remained a deadly shooter from 3 (38.5%).

4. Walter Clayton Jr., Florida guard

Season stats: 17.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 21.1 PER

Given the time, score, and spot on the floor, I can’t think of a more ridiculous shot for someone to take with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line. Watching it live, Walter Clayton Jr.’s fall-away triple over an outstretched UConn arm reminded me of the way Steve Kerr used to talk about Steph Curry when he first started coaching him; that he had to learn there just aren’t bad shots when it comes to his point guard. There isn’t a bad shot for Clayton right now, who took over down the stretch against the 2-time defending champs. Clayton has 4 straight games with at least 20 points. He has hit 19 triples in those 4 games at a 48.7% clip. He’s the best guard in the tournament right now.

3. JT Toppin, Texas Tech forward

Season stats: 18.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 32.7 PER

In Texas Tech’s first-round win, the Red Raiders took 46 triples and Toppin played more of an ancillary role. He still scored 12 points to go along with 11 boards while making 6 of his 8 shots. In the second round, Toppin and frontcourt mate Darrion Williams were the focal point. Toppin scored 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting. A consensus All-American, Toppin is second in the nation in PER. Toppin is rangy, bouncy, and energetic, protecting the rim and terrorizing opponents on the offensive glass.

2. Johni Broome, Auburn forward

Season stats: 18.4 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 31.1 PER

The Player of the Year in the SEC hasn’t had his breakout moment yet in the NCAA Tournament, but it feels like it is coming. Foul trouble reduced Johni Broome’s role in a first-round blowout of Alabama State. He shot 4-for-13 and scored just 8 points in the second-round win over Creighton. But Broome’s greatness isn’t just in his ability to score. In 2 tourney games, he has 23 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and 2 blocks. This season, he averaged a career-best 3 assists to go with 2.2 blocks. Broome is skilled enough to take defenders out to the perimeter and unselfish enough to beat doubles by finding open teammates. He scored 34 points on the final day of the regular season and then put up back-to-back 23-point games in the SEC Tournament. For Auburn to win a title, Broome has to get the offense going, but that’s really a matter of when and not if.

1. Cooper Flagg, Duke forward

Season stats: 18.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 30.5 PER

Was there any question as to who would top this list? The Duke freshman lived up to every ounce of hype he received before the year. He has put himself in that rare class of player who was viewed as generational before they stepped on the court, and then carried the burden of enormous expectations like it was nothing. He leads all Division I players in win shares per 40 minutes, box plus/minus, and BPR (per Evan Miya). Off an ankle injury in the ACC Tournament, Flagg has played a total of 51 minutes in the NCAA Tournament thus far and has still managed to contribute 32 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists, and 3 blocks. Duke has outscored its 2 opponents by a combined 41 points in Flagg’s 51 minutes.

Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.