Apr 4, 2025, 08:00 AM ET
For only the second time in NCAA tournament history, four No. 1 seeds have reached the Final Four — and the last stage of the college basketball season features not only teams that have separated themselves, but also some of the game’s brightest stars.
The latter group is led by Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, and Johni Broome, the SEC Player of the Year and Flagg’s top competition in the race for the Wooden Award and other national honors.
Overall, three AP first-team All-Americans will attempt to lead their teams to the national championship. But there are other players in the Final Four worth noting, too.
Here is our ranking of the top 15 players who will play in San Antonio this Saturday.
Men’s Final Four player ranking
1. Cooper Flagg, F, Duke
Flagg’s 42-point performance against Notre Dame on Jan. 11 set the stage for an incredible second half to the season, and he hasn’t slowed down much in the NCAA tournament. He is the best player in college basketball, the first player expected to come off the board in June’s NBA draft — and his 30-point, 6-rebound, 7-assist, 3-block performance against Arizona in the Sweet 16 was something we haven’t seen in some time. — Jeff Borzello
2. Johni Broome, PF, Auburn
In a season that didn’t feature a generational talent like Flagg, Broome would have been the easy choice for national player of the year. His 25-point, 14-rebound effort in Auburn’s Elite Eight win over Michigan State was his 21st double-double of the 2024-25 campaign. The former Morehead State standout shoots 56% inside the arc and is one of the best transfers in the history of the portal. — Myron Medcalf
3. Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida
Todd Golden made the decision to switch Clayton to point guard this past offseason so his best player could control the flow of this Gators offense. The result? Clayton, an AP first-team All-American, has been the best point guard in America. He has registered at least 18 points and four assists in nine games this season. — Medcalf
4. Kon Knueppel, G, Duke
He has been Flagg’s sidekick for much of the season, but Knueppel has shown the ability to carry the offense on his own when needed. He was the best player on the floor in the Elite Eight win over Alabama, totaling 41 points and eight assists between that game and the Sweet 16 victory over Arizona. — Borzello
5. L.J. Cryer, SG, Houston
Cryer’s emergence as Houston’s most consistent and dangerous offensive threat over the second half of the season has been a key development for the Cougars’ improvement on that side of the floor. He made a ridiculous 44% of his 3-point attempts in Big 12 play, then shot 10-for-20 in the opening two games of the NCAA tournament. Cryer went for 30 points against Gonzaga, but it’s unlikely Houston can survive a single-digit scoring effort like he had against Arizona in the Big 12 tournament championship and against Purdue in the Sweet 16. — Borzello
6. Khaman Maluach, C, Duke
The third member of Duke’s one-and-done lottery pick trio, Maluach changes the game so much at both ends of the floor. Offensively, he catches everything thrown in his general vicinity and dunks it. Defensively, his mere presence is enough to keep opponents away from the rim. He blocks shots, alters approaches and cleans up the glass. — Borzello
7. Milos Uzan, PG, Houston
He took time to adapt to Kelvin Sampson’s program, but once Uzan got comfortable, there weren’t many point guards in the country more effective than the Oklahoma transfer. He has averaged 14.0 points and 4.0 assists over his past 21 games, shooting 50.6% from 3-point range. He’s playing with confidence and has shown the ability to take — and make — big shots. — Borzello
8. Tahaad Pettiford, PG, Auburn
While Flagg, Knueppel, Derik Queen and others have dominated headlines for the 2025 freshman class, Pettiford — a five-star prospect who was ranked 35th by ESPN — has proven that he belongs in the conversation about elite first-year players as he has averaged 14.7 points per game in March. And he has had to find his way on a squad that features veteran stars and a player of the year contender. That’s not easy. — Medcalf
play
Auburn ball movement finds open Tahaad Pettiford for 3
Auburn’s passing leads to an open 3-pointer from Tahaad Pettiford in the corner.
9. Alijah Martin, SG, Florida
After his numbers declined last season at Florida Atlantic, Martin worked on becoming a more efficient player by losing muscle and hoping to regain the explosiveness and agility that helped him lead the Owls to the Final Four in 2023. It worked. This year, he is having a career season as the Robin to Clayton’s Batman with 14.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.3 APG and 1.5 SPG. — Medcalf
10. J’Wan Roberts, PF, Houston
Roberts needs to be at his best against Duke — and that’s something we haven’t seen consistently in several weeks. He played elite ball between mid-January and early February, averaging 16.9 points and 6.5 rebounds over an eight-game stretch. In his past 13 games, though, he is averaging 8.8 points and 5.8 rebounds (while missing two games with an ankle injury). — Borzello
11. Tyrese Proctor, G, Duke
Proctor and his ability to get hot from beyond the arc might be the key for Duke against Houston. In a three-game stretch between the ACC and NCAA tournaments, Proctor shot 19-for-30 from 3-point range — then went for 17 points in the Elite Eight win over Alabama. He stretches the floor, provides NCAA tournament experience on a young team and can initiate offense for others. — Borzello
12. Chad Baker-Mazara, SF, Auburn
The All-SEC third-team selection is the type of player who can score 20 points in a big game — or draw a technical foul for trash-talking an opposing player and subsequently stall his team’s momentum. At Auburn, however, the Tigers have the right mix of talent to turn Baker-Mazara’s unique personality into an asset, although he has struggled in recent weeks following hip and shoulder injuries with only one double-digit scoring effort since March 4. — Medcalf
13. Thomas Haugh, PF, Florida
Haugh is arguably the best reserve remaining in the Final Four. As a key player off Florida’s bench, he has averaged 13.2 PPG and 7.5 RPG in the NCAA tournament. The 6-foot-9 standout has also recorded four steals and four blocks in those four games. The boost he has given Florida has been vital to its run. — Medcalf
14. Alex Condon, PF, Florida
Condon hasn’t been 100% since he suffered an ankle injury in a February matchup against Mississippi State, but the Gators hope he will regain his old form, akin to when he scored 27 points in a win over Alabama last month. The 6-foot-11 standout is also significant for Florida’s defensive efforts. A strong effort in San Antonio could also impact his NBA prospects. — Medcalf
15. Emanuel Sharp, SG, Houston
It doesn’t get much better than Sharp as a complementary option on the offensive end. He can get hot quickly from 3-point range, as evidenced by his string of 3s in the second half against Tennessee in the Elite Eight. After an injury-filled middle of the season, Sharp has regained his form, hitting double figures in 11 of his past 13 games — with four or more 3s in four games over that span. — Borzello
Honorable mentions: Denver Jones, Auburn; Joseph Tugler, Houston; Miles Kelly, Auburn; Will Richard, Florida
