March Madness is about more than just brackets and upsets; it’s also a glorious showcase for the best players in college basketball.
March Madness is thus a great opportunity to catch a glimpse of the stars of tomorrow before they leave college for the NBA Draft. In the past, it’s been a launching pad for basketball legends like Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Stephen Curry, and countless others.
With that in mind, let’s look at the top 25 players in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Top 25 March Madness Players Ranked
| Rk | Player | POS | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zach Edey | C | Purdue |
| 2 | Marcus Sasser | G | Houston |
| 3 | Trayce Jackson-Davis | F | Indiana |
| 4 | Brandon Miller | F | Alabama |
| 5 | Drew Timme | F | Gonzaga |
| 6 | Ąžuolas Tubelis | F | Arizona |
| 7 | Jalen Wilson | G/F | Kansas |
| 8 | Oscar Tshiebwe | C | Kentucky |
| 9 | Keyonte George | G | Baylor |
| 10 | Max Abmas | G | Oral Roebrts |
| 11 | Jaime Jaquez Jr. | G | UCLA |
| 12 | Tyler Kolek | G | Marquette |
| 13 | Adama Sanogo | C | UConn |
| 14 | Adam Flagler | G | Baylor |
| 15 | Wade Taylor | G | Texas A&M |
| 16 | Isaiah Wong | G | Miami |
| 17 | Kendric Davis | G | Memphis |
| 18 | Marquis Nowell | G | Kansas State |
| 19 | Keyontae Johnson | F | Kansas State |
| 20 | Kyle Filipowski | C | Duke |
| 21 | Terrence Shannon | G | Illinois |
| 22 | Steven Ashworth | G | Utah State |
| 23 | Jordan Brown | F | Louisiana |
| 24 | Tucker DeVries | G | Drake |
| 25 | Drew Pember | F | UNC-Asheville |
Keep tabs on the latest March Madness odds with our CBB lines comparison:
Top 25 Players in March Madness 2023
Note that all CBB odds and lines are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook as of Thursday, March 9, at 11 a.m. ET.
1. Zach Edey, C, Purdue
Edey has been the dominant player in the country all season long, dragging an inexperienced Purdue team to a regular season Big Ten Championship.
Edey’s height creates massive mismatches on both ends of the floor and he is the runaway favorite in my Wooden Award odds examination for a reason.
2. Marcus Sasser, G, Houston
The seasoned point guard has led Houston to an Elite 8 and Final 4 in the last two seasons and now has Houston in a prime position to make another run.
Sasser deals with the mid-major stigma, but there isn’t a doubt he’s one of the best two-way players in the NCAA tournament.
Houston is the consensus favorite to win it all according to Pat Pickens’ report on CBB National Championship odds.
3. Trayce Jackson Davis, F, Indiana
Trayce Jackson Davis has been a star in the Big Ten over the last three years, but over the last three weeks, he’s proved he deserved to be considered among the best in the nation.
He stayed another year in Bloomington for this reason, and it’s time for TJD to show out on a national stage.
4. Brandon Miller, F, Alabama
Miller and Alabama are plagued by off-the-court issues, but in a vacuum, Miller might be the best player in the country. The 6-foot-7 freshman can run, shoot, and pass, and has the leadership of a fifth-year senior.
When things go south for Alabama, they look to Miller, and all season long he has delivered.
5. Drew Timme, C, Gonzaga
Timme has been arguably the best player in college basketball the last three seasons, but teams have begun to figure out how to take advantage of him defensively with pick and rolls.
If the Zags are able to figure it out on the defensive end, watch out, as this team could make a deep run.
6. Ąžuolas Tubelis, F, Arizona
Whether it’s due to being out on the west coast or because of a down-year in the PAC-12, it seems as if Arizona is flying below the radar this year.
Tubelis leads the way with 19.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game and his 6’11 frame looms around the rim.
The Arizona Wildcats to win it all are one of Pat Pickens’ CBB Best Bets and are currently sixth in the odds. You can bet them to win it at (+1700) on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
7. Jalen Wilson, G, Kansas
Wilson is one of the best scorers in the nation, leading what could end up being the No. 1 overall seed.
Although his efficiency has gone down with the increased volume, Kansas will need Wilson to score in bunches if they will repeat as National Champions.
8. Oscar Tshiebwe, C, Kentucky
Kentucky looked like they might not get a tournament bid in early February, but they turned it on with five straight wins including completing the season sweep of Tennessee.
Tshiebwe is a massive individual and plays as so, leading the nation with 13.1 rebounds per game. After a disappointing loss to Saint Peter’s in the first round last year, look for Tshiebwe to come out as a man possessed in this year’s tournament.
9. Keyonte George, G, Baylor
George is expected to go in the top 10 of next year’s NBA draft and at 19 years old has arguably the highest ceiling of anyone in this year’s NCAA tournament.
He isn’t the most efficient scorer, yet, but he takes 7 threes per game and knocks down 35% of those. George sprained his ankle late in the regular but if he’s healthy, he’ll make a massive impact for Baylor.
10. Max Abmas, G, Oral Roberts
Abmas and Oral Roberts might have shocked the world in 2021 when they made a run to the Sweet 16, but nobody should be caught off guard if they’re able to recreate it.
Abmas is still one of the nation’s best scorers averaging 22 points on an impressive 44/38/92 shooting split.
11. Jaime Jaquez Jr., G, UCLA
Another seasoned veteran near the top of the list, Jaquez Jr. has been a major part of an incredible four-year turnaround for UCLA.
He’s already played in a Final Four and a Sweet 16 and is the leading scorer for an experienced UCLA team that looks poised to make another deep run.
12. Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette
The Big East Player of the Year as just a sophomore, Kolek is a true floor general for Marquette and second in the nation with 7.9 assists per game.
In Marquette’s last three regular-season games, he averaged 20.3 points and 11.3 assists per game to secure the Big East Championship.
13. Adama Sanogo, C, UConn
Sanogo is a force in the paint offensively and his glass-cleaning and shot-blocking abilities will be a massive impact on how far UConn can go.
He’s a major contributor to the Huskies being the top offensive rebounding team in the country, per KenPom, and has the ability to step out and hit the three if left alone, which opens the door for everyone else.
14. Adam Flagler, G, Baylor
Flagler played a role in Baylor’s National Championship in 2021, but he’ll play an even larger role on this team.
Flagler has improved as a distributor, averaging a career-high 4.8 assists, and is also a threat to score from anywhere – shooting 41% from three this year.
15. Wade Taylor IV, G, Texas A&M
After starting the year poorly, Texas A&M turned it on in conference play in large part thanks to the play of Taylor.
The sophomore guard is shooting 36.5% from three and leads the team with 16.3 points and 4.1 assists per game, but his impact isn’t just on the offensive end. Taylor is also a fantastic defender and has led Texas A&M to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2018.
16. Isaiah Wong, G, Miami
The ACC National Player of the Year led Miami to the Elite 8 last season, and it looks as if Miami is even better than last season.
Wong scores it efficiently, leads the team in assists and makes his impact felt on the defensive end with nearly a steal and a half per game.
17. Kendric Davis, G, Memphis
A true volume scorer for Memphis, Davis will look to take Memphis to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009. Davis is 11th in the nation in scoring with 21.5 per game, and since scoring 42 against UCF in early January, has scored over 20 points in all but one game.
18. Markquis Nowell, G, Kansas State
Nowell narrowly edges his Kansas State teammate simply due to his ability to create shots for his teammates.
He’s third in the nation in assists per game with 7.7 and is arguably the best defender in the Big 12, leading the league with 2.5 steals per game. He’s also a threat to score averaging 17 points per game on 35.6% from three.
19. Keyontae Johnson, F, Kansas State
Johnson has had an incredible comeback story after collapsing on the court two years ago.
He’s been a big boost to the Wildcats leading the team in scoring with 17.8 points on an efficient 51.9% from the field and 42.4% from beyond the arc. Johnson also leads the team with 7 rebounds per contest.
20. Kyle Filipowski, C, Duke
The freshman center has been an incredible addition to Duke this season and leads the Blue Devils in scoring (15) and rebounding (9.2).
The ACC Newcomer of the Year can space the floor and his 7-foot frame effects shots on the defensive end. His skillset combined with just a hint of Duke-edginess could be exactly what Duke needs to make a run.
- Check out The Game Day’s 2023 NBA Mock Draft, where Filipowski is projected to go just outside the lottery.
21. Terrence Shannon Jr, G, Illinois
Shannon has big-game experience from his time at Texas Tech and has done it all for the Illini this season. He’s transitioned into the alpha scorer role for Illinois and was seventh in the Big Ten in scoring with 17.1 points per game.
Shannon is big for a guard and a ferocious defender averaging 1.3 steals a game; his play is directly tied to Illinois’ success on both ends.
22. Steven Ashworth, G, Utah State
Utah State bounced around the bubble for a majority of the season but a couple of timely wins late have this team relatively safely in the field in large part thanks to Ashworth.
He shoots 45% from beyond the arc and is top 10 in the Mountain West in both scoring (16.3) and assists (4.7).
23. Jordan Brown, F, Louisiana
Louisiana navigated its way through a deep Sun Belt conference, earning a bid after beating South Alabama in the championship. And Jordan Brown and his 16 rebounds played a massive impact in that win.
Brown averages 19.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and blocks over a shot a game.
24. Tucker DeVries, G, Drake
The youngest contributor of a seasoned Drake squad narrowly cracks the list. DeVries is a lights-out shooter averaging 19 points on an impressive 45.7/38.7/84 shooting splits and is a huge part of what makes this offense go.
25. Drew Pember, F, UNC-Asheville
Pember and UNC-Asheville will be a heavy underdog in their first-round game, but the 6-foot-10 senior is deserving of the final spot on this list.
He averaged 30 points and 11.3 rebounds per game in the Big South tournament and does it all for the Bulldogs. He can step out and knock down the three, lead the conference in rebounding and scoring, and has the ability to take over a game at any time.
