Ranking the 25 Best Players in the 2025 Men's NCAA Tournament
While the drive toward a national championship is a reflection of a complete team, the 2025 men's NCAA tournament is also be a showcase of individual stardom.
Best of all, it goes beyond the most popular names.
(Click here to play the NCAA March Madness Men's Bracket Challenge.)
You might have watched Cooper Flagg or Johni Broome all season—or heard of them at least. But March Madness is a chance to see superstars from smaller schools, such as Bennett Stirtz, Nique Clifford and Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones.
Our ranking of the best players in this year's edition of March Madness is subjective—big vibes guy in this genre—but we largely considered each player's production and team impact.
In short: Watch these players because they are very good.
25-21. Conerway, Nembhard, Mbeng, Dickinson and Cryer
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25. Tayton Conerway, Troy
After winning the Sun Belt's Sixth Man of the Year award last season, Conerway earned the league's Player of the Year in 2024-25. The senior guard has tallied 14.3 points, 4.8 assists and 2.9 steals per game, so his impact is constant. He'll be leading Troy's upset effort against Kentucky.
24. Ryan Nemhbard, Gonzaga
Gonzaga is once again a powerful team offensively, and Nembhard is the catalyst. In addition to his 10.8 points per contest and 39.3 percent three-point clip, he leads the nation with an average of 9.8 assists per game.
23. Bez Mbeng, Yale
Yale's top scorer is John Poulakidas, an efficient and high-volume shooter who will be vital in the Bulldogs' aim to upset Texas A&M. Driving the team, though, is Mbeng. The three-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year is an exceptional on-ball stopper, and he's averaging 13.4 points, 5.6 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game this season.
22. Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
The veteran center is a well-known name, poised to make his fourth appearance in March Madness. Kansas has struggled a bit down the stretch, but Dickinson is a powerful force down low. He's notched 16 double-doubles this season.
21. LJ Cryer, Houston
Houston is known for its excellent team defense, but Cryer provides a significant offensive punch. The fifth-year senior is leading the Cougars with 15.2 points per game, and he's knocked down a sizzling 42.2 percent of his three-point attempts.
20-16. Tait-Jones, Karaban, Wolf, Clifford and Stirtz
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20. Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, UC San Diego
Basically the only thing Tait-Jones is missing is a notable three-point impact. He's is otherwise a superstar for UC San Diego, a popular 12th-seeded upset candidate. He's racked up 19.5 points per game while shooting a terrific 57.6 percent from the field and has dished 3.7 assists per night, too.
19. Alex Karaban, Connecticut
After holding a complementary role on back-to-back championships teams, Karaban is the Huskies' top player this season. Beyond his valuable counting stats—14.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game—Karaban has a knack for hitting clutch shots. That certainly could come in handy during the Big Dance.
18. Danny Wolf, Michigan
Last season, Wolf netted 13 points in Yale's first-round upset of Auburn. This year, the 7-footer is a leader of Big Ten tournament champion Michigan. Wolf has rare all-around offensive skill for a player his size and is averaging 13.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
17. Nique Clifford, Colorado State
Clifford should also be comfortable on the March Madness stage after amassing 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in an First Four win over Virginia last season. The fifth-year senior recently landed first-team All-Mountain West honors with 19.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
16. Bennett Stirtz, Drake
This will be the first NCAA tournament for Stirtz, who, like several Drake teammates, followed coach Ben McCollum from Division II school Northwest Missouri State. Stirtz has driven the Bulldogs with conference-best marks of 19.1 points and 2.2 steals per game in addition to his 5.7 assists.
15-11. Luis, Toppin, Dent, Lanier and Kalkbrenner
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15. RJ Luis Jr., St. John's
Said in the most complimentary way possible, St. John's is incredibly annoying on defense. Luis stands out as the face of that strength, as he's able to effectively guard all five positions with his 6'7" frame. He's not much of a long-range shooter, yet he leads the Red Storm offensively with 18.4 points per night.
14. JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Toppin transferred to the Red Raiders after a standout freshman year at New Mexico and quickly became their key player. He's a bouncy forward who is a pesky rim-deterrent and averages 3.2 offensive rebounds within his 9.2 total boards per night. Toppin leads Texas Tech at 18.1 points per game.
13. Donovan Dent, New Mexico
Recently named the Mountain West Player of the Year, Dent paced the conference with 20.6 points per game. What makes Dent most dangerous is his ability to attack the rim tethered with his unselfishness and vision as a passer. He's collected 6.4 assists per night as well.
12. Chaz Lanier, Tennessee
Point guard Zakai Zeigler is a standout defender and deserving All-American pick, yet Lanier's offensive ability is vital for Tennessee. The transfer from North Florida has averaged 17.7 points and is the Vols' top perimeter threat with 3.2 triples per game at a 40.0 percent clip.
11. Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
The fifth-year center is loaded with experience in March. Creighton has reached the Big Dance each season with Kalbrenner, who averaged 18.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game in three NCAA outings last year. The opening-round matchup with Louisville will be his 12th career March Madness game.
10-6. Jones, Tonje, Queen, Johnson and Haggerty
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10. Kam Jones, Marquette
Jones stepped into the featured role for Marquette this season and has thrived with 19.3 points and 5.9 assists per game. Though he's shooting only 31.2 percent from beyond the arc in 2024-25, he shot 38.3 percent across the previous three seasons. There isn't a better time for Jones to somehow unlock that range.
9. John Tonje, Wisconsin
Sticking in the Badger State, next is Wisconsin's key transfer. Tonje, who arrived from Missouri, made his presence known with a 41-point explosion in a November win over Arizona and has remained UW's star. He's scored 19.2 points per night with a 38.8 percent three-point clip.
8. Derik Queen, Maryland
The Terps lack depth beyond their Crab Five starting lineup. But if you're not going to have a deep reserve unit, it certainly helps to have Queen controlling the interior. The powerful freshman center has posted 16.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game and is comfortable as a dribbler, too.
7. Tre Johnson, Texas
Soon to be a first-round NBA draft selection, Tre Johnson is finishing what's likely to be his lone season at Texas. The freshman has shouldered a heavy offensive burden, scoring a Big 12-best 19.8 points with a 39.2 percent long-range mark and 2.8 assists per game.
6. PJ Haggerty, Memphis
The challenge of defending Haggerty is that he's willing to shoot from anywhere and does so efficiently. It's no surprise that he paced the AAC with 21.8 points. Haggerty is constantly active on both ends, adding 5.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals per contest.
5-1. Sears, Smith, Clayton, Broome and Flagg
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5. Mark Sears, Alabama
Yet another fifth-year senior, Sears recently earned first-team AP All-America recognition. In his third season with the Crimson Tide, he's averaged 18.7 points and 4.9 assists per game. Sears' contributions will presumably have the most significant impact on whether Bama returns to the Final Four.
4. Braden Smith, Purdue
Smith is the maestro of Purdue's efficient offense. He led the Big Ten at 8.7 assists yet committed just 2.9 turnovers per game, a comparably modest rate given his usage. Smith's average of 16.1 points also includes a 38.4 percent three-point clip.
3. Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
Florida enters the Big Dance on a heater, having won six straight games—including three on the path to an SEC tournament title—over Madness-bound opponents. The success can be tied to Clayton, a dangerous offensive piece with 17.5 points, 4.3 assists and 37.7 percent three-point shooting on 7.8 triples per night.
2. Johni Broome, Auburn
Broome's fingerprints are plastered all over Auburn's success. While pacing the Tigers at 18.9 points and 3.1 assists per outing, he stands atop the SEC with 10.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. Broome is both dangerous and versatile on both ends of the floor because of his ability to affect the game in so many ways.
1. Cooper Flagg, Duke
Copy and paste Broome's intro for Flagg at Duke. The superstar freshman leads the Blue Devils in all five major stat categories with 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, and he's shooting 36.8 percent from three. As long as the ankle injury that he suffered during the ACC tournament doesn't hold him back, Flagg will be the centerpiece of Duke's drive for a national title.
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