NCAA Men's Tournament 2023: Ranking the Top 7 Players in the Final Four
Four teams are left in the hunt for the 2023 NCAA men's tournament title after a wild first two weeks of March Madness.
The No. 4 seed UConn Huskies are the top team still standing, and they are the only team in this year's Final Four field that has been there before. San Diego State and Miami, both No. 5 seeds, and No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic are all in uncharted tournament territory for their respective programs.
Before the Final Four tips off Saturday, we've taken a run through those four rosters and highlighted the seven best players left standing in the 2022 tournament.
Players are ranked based on overall stats, tournament productivity and their importance to their team's success.
7. Vladislav Goldin, Florida Atlantic
1 of 7
The numbers don't necessarily jump off the page, but anyone who tuned into Florida Atlantic's upset victory over No. 3 seed Kansas State in the Elite Eight saw Vladislav Goldin dominate inside for stretches of the game.
The 7'1" center is averaging 10.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in his second year at Florida Atlantic after spending his first collegiate season at Texas Tech.
After tallying just 17 points through his first three NCAA tournament games, he had 14 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks on 6-of-11 shooting against the Wildcats to help spearhead a 44-22 advantage on the boards for the Owls.
Up next is a San Diego State team that loves to grind the game to a molasses-slow pace, and that should mean more half-court offense and potentially a key role for Goldin inside with a trip to the national championship on the line.
6. Matt Bradley, San Diego State
2 of 7
No one is putting up gaudy offensive numbers on a San Diego State team that ranks No. 266 in KenPom's adjusted tempo and averages 71.5 points per game.
However, there is little question Matt Bradley is the best all-around player on the roster.
The 6'4" guard earned first team All-Mountain West honors while averaging 12.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists, and he is also an integral part of one of the best defenses in the country.
He had 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists against College of Charleston in the first round, and while he has been relatively quiet since, he remains the most important player on the Aztecs roster.
San Diego State has had a different leading scorer every game in the tournament so far, but he is the player most likely to go off for 20-plus points in the Final Four.
5. Johnell Davis, Florida Atlantic
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Johnell Davis does a little bit of everything for Florida Atlantic, and his well-rounded game was on full display in a second-round win over Fairleigh Dickinson when he tallied 29 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five steals in 34 minutes of action.
The 6'4" guard is averaging 17.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists during the NCAA tournament, and he leads the Owls in points and steals on the season while spending much of the year coming off the bench.
The Owls have a nine-man rotation, and everyone will have to contribute for them to keep their Cinderella run alive.
However, it's fair to say that Davis is the best all-around player on the team, and he'll be the focal point of the San Diego State defense.
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4. Jordan Miller, Miami
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Jordan Miller had the most impressive individual performance of any player in the Elite Eight, pouring in 27 points on 7-of-7 shooting from the floor and going 13-of-13 from the free-throw line in the Miami Hurricanes' comeback win against No. 2 seed Texas.
The 6'6" guard is averaging 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 62.2 percent from the floor, and he has been a solid secondary scoring option all season alongside ACC Player of the Year Isaiah Wong.
Miller has scored in double figures in 32 of 36 games this season, including five games over 20 points, and he will need to show up again to take pressure off Wong.
On top of his offensive contributions, he will also likely be tasked with guarding UConn sharpshooter Jordan Hawkins on Saturday.
3. Isaiah Wong, Miami
5 of 7
Isaiah Wong became the first Miami Hurricanes player since Shane Larkin in 2012-13 season to win ACC Player of the Year honors this year.
The 6'3" senior is averaging 16.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals, and he is the Hurricanes' leading scorer on a team that has four players averaging at least 13 points per game on the year.
Since posting a quiet five points on 1-of-10 shooting against No. 12 seed Drake in the first round, he is averaging 20.3 points and 5.7 rebounds while knocking down 47.5 percent of his shots over his last three games.
The Hurricanes have a lot of different weapons, but they are at their best when Wong is leading the offensive charge. His 27-point showing against Indiana in the second round stands as one of his best individual performances of the year.
2. Adama Sanogo, UConn
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Adama Sanogo was one of the nation's best post players this season, averaging 17.1 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 60.2 percent from the floor and tallying eight double-doubles along the way.
He had huge games against Iona (28 points, 13 rebounds) and Saint Mary's (24 points, 8 rebounds) to kick off this year's NCAA tournament run, and he is averaging 20.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while shooting 65.5 percent overall.
The 6'9", 240-pound forward will have a size advantage inside against Miami, and after going just 3-of-11 with 10 points against Gonzaga in the Elite Eight, he'll be looking for a bounce-back performance against the Hurricanes.
The Huskies are 11-0 when he scores 20 points, so look for them to get him involved early to try to get things rolling on the inside.
1. Jordan Hawkins, UConn
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Jordan Hawkins is the best NBA prospect left standing in the Final Four.
"NBA teams will ultimately covet Hawkins' off-ball scoring and shot-making for a role alongside established playmakers and top options," wrote B/R draft expert Jonathan Wasserman.
With 104 made threes at a 38.5 percent clip, he fits the shooting guard mold well in today's NBA. He is averaging 17.3 points per game in the NCAA tournament with 24 points against Arkansas and 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc against Gonzaga in the Elite Eight.
The 6'5" sophomore has scored over 20 points in 15 different games this year, and he is capable of getting hot from deep and completely changing the complexion of the game.
The Huskies were just 8-5 in games where he scored fewer than 15 points, and with back-to-back 20-point games under his belt, he could be on his way to NCAA Men's Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors if he keeps it rolling.
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