It has been said that it takes three stars to win a championship, and so we run through the best three players on all 68 teams on pace to make the NCAA tournament. The entire database of thousands of college players appears on www.valueaddbasketball.com after it appears on Breitbart, but today we group the players that would go up against each other during the opening weekend with only one team surviving each of these groups to make the Sweet 16.
You can search for your team in the body of this story, or click here to cross reference and find your team’s projected location for the NCAA tournament in the earlier article. We start with the locations that would have games starting March 21, and then move to the March 22 sites. The rank by each player indicates where they rank among the 4000 Division 1 players, so Cody Zeller is the fifth best in the country right now,and he is projected to make the NBA as a Power Forward/Center.
Auburn Hills, MI 3/21
3-seed Indiana vs. Harvard, then Wyoming/Notre Dame winner
Whether a 1-, 2- or 3-seed Indiana looks like a huge favorite to make the Sweet 16.
The Hoosiers have three of the top 50 players, and that doesn’t even count NBA prospects Christian Watford and Will Sheehey. Notre Dame has two of the top 50 but is missing the crucial third top player, any Wyoming is a better match but would be hundreds of miles from home in Big Ten Country.
| Rnk | Auburn Hills, MI 3/21 | Team | Ht | Yr | Value Add | NBA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Cody Zeller | Indiana | 7’0 | So | 9.77 | PF/C |
| 7 | Leonard Washington | Wyoming | 6’7″ | Sr | 9.22 | |
| 17 | Victor Oladipo | Indiana | 6’5″ | Jr | 8.75 | SG/SF |
| 45 | Jack Cooley | Notre Dame | 6’9″ | Sr | 7.44 | PF |
| 51 | Jordan Hulls | Indiana | 6’0 | Sr | 7.12 | |
| 91 | Eric Atkins | Notre Dame | 6’2″ | Jr | 6.43 | |
| 95 | Larry Nance | Wyoming | 6’8″ | So | 6.37 | |
| 144 | Luke Martinez | Wyoming | 6’4″ | Sr | 5.65 | |
| 145 | Wesley Saunders | Harvard | 6’5″ | So | 5.64 | |
| 300 | Laurent Rivard | Harvard | 6’5″ | Jr | 4.03 | |
| 309 | Siyani Chambers | Harvard | 6’0 | Fr | 3.91 | |
| 488 | Pat Connaughton | Notre Dame | 6’5″ | So | 3.04 |
2-seed Minnesota vs. Weber St., then Oklahoma St./Bucknell winner
With Trevor Mbakwe back at full strength, Minnesota could have three top 60 players by tournament time and likewise have a big home court advantage if the foe is Oklahoma St. to deliver two Big Ten teams to the Sweet 16. However, Bucknell would be no push over with the second best player in the country in Mike Muscala, who destroyed Missouri a couple of weeks ago.
| Rnk | Auburn Hills, MI 3/21 (2nd) | Team | Ht | Yr | Value Add | NBA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Mike Muscala | Bucknell | 6’11” | Sr | 10.84 | |
| 22 | Austin Hollins | Minnesota | 6’4″ | Jr | 8.23 | |
| 24 | Marcus Smart | Oklahoma St. | 6’4″ | Fr | 8.15 | |
| 56 | Andre Hollins | Minnesota | 6’1″ | So | 7.00 | |
| 72 | Markel Brown | Oklahoma St. | 6’3″ | Jr | 6.62 | |
| 111 | Trevor Mbakwe | Minnesota | 6’8″ | Sr | 6.11 | PF |
| 184 | Phil Forte | Oklahoma St. | 5’11” | Fr | 5.03 | |
| 259 | Scott Bamforth | Weber St. | 6’2″ | Sr | 4.43 | |
| 317 | Joel Bolomboy | Weber St. | 6’9″ | Fr | 3.87 | |
| 351 | Cameron Ayers | Bucknell | 6’5″ | Jr | 3.65 | |
| 461 | Joe Willman | Bucknell | 6’7″ | Sr | 3.14 | |
| 608 | Jordan Richardson | Weber St. | 6’1″ | Jr | 2.64 |
Lexington KY 3/21
1-seed Louisville vs. Pacific/Charleston Southern Winner, then Kansas St./Memphis winner
With two veteran guards in the top 20 of all players, Louisville may be the national favorite. If NBA prospect Adonis Thomas can give Memphis some help, they would prove the biggest threat.
| Rnk | Lexington KY 3/21 | Team | Ht | Yr | Value Add | NBA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Russ Smith | Louisville | 6’0 | Jr | 9.15 | |
| 19 | Peyton Siva | Louisville | 6’0 | Sr | 8.55 | PG/SG |
| 71 | Joe Jackson | Memphis | 6′ 1″ | Jr | 6.62 | |
| 96 | Chane Behanan | Louisville | 6’6″ | So | 6.36 | |
| 127 | Rodney McGruder | Kansas St. | 6’4″ | Sr | 5.90 | SG |
| 149 | Arlon Harper | Charleston Southern | 6’1″ | So | 5.56 | |
| 156 | D.J. Stephens | Memphis | 6′ 5″ | Sr | 5.46 | |
| 213 | Will Spradling | Kansas St. | 6’2″ | Jr | 4.68 | |
| 387 | Shaq Goodwin | Memphis | 6′ 9″ | Fr | 3.46 | |
| 400 | Saah Nimley | Charleston Southern | 5’8″ | So | 3.39 | |
| 410 | Cedrick Bowen | Charleston Southern | 6’5″ | So | 3.34 | |
| 427 | Angel Rodriguez | Kansas St. | 5’11” | So | 3.27 | |
| 484 | Lorenzo McCloud | Pacific | 6’0 | Sr | 3.05 | |
| 494 | Travis Fulton | Pacific | 6’6″ | Sr | 3.02 | |
| 737 | Trevin Harris | Pacific | 6’5″ | Jr | 2.19 |
3-seed Miami FL vs. Stony Brook, then UNLV/Brigham Young winner
Miami may need NBA prospect Reggie Johnson to step upto help their current top three, because even 13-seed Stony Brook has an unusually great 1-2 punch with two of the top 120 players (top 3% of all players). UNLV would have the best player in the group as Anthony Bennett could be an All-American prospect by year end, so this would be a dangerous grouping for Miami.
| Rnk | Lexington KY 3/21 (2nd) | Team | Ht | Yr | Value Add | NBA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Anthony Bennett | Nevada Las Vegas | 6’8″ | Fr | 8.05 | |
| 52 | Shane Larkin | Miami FL | 5’11” | So | 7.04 | |
| 98 | Tyler Haws | Brigham Young | 6’5″ | So | 6.31 | |
| 117 | Jameel Warney | Stony Brook | 6’8″ | Fr | 6.03 | |
| 118 | Tommy Brenton | Stony Brook | 6’5″ | Sr | 5.96 | |
| 122 | Durand Scott | Miami FL | 6’5″ | Sr | 5.94 | |
| 148 | Brandon Davies | Brigham Young | 6’9″ | Sr | 5.58 | |
| 218 | Trey McKinney Jones | Miami FL | 6’5″ | Sr | 4.64 | |
| 227 | Anthony Marshall | Nevada Las Vegas | 6’3″ | Sr | 4.59 | |
| 422 | Justin Hawkins | Nevada Las Vegas | 6’3″ | Sr | 3.28 | |
| 451 | Matt Carlino | Brigham Young | 6’2″ | So | 3.17 | |
| 518 | Marcus Rouse | Stony Brook | 6’1″ | Sr | 2.95 |
Salt Lake City, UT 3/21
4-seed Colorado St. vs. Illinois/Temple winner, then Cincinnati/Akron winner
Even if Colorado State could get the 4-seed, they might have trouble matching Cincinnati’s unbelievable duo of Cashmere Wright and Sean Kilpatrick, two of the top 31 players in the country. Illinois started hot, but their solid trio might not quite match Cincy, who would seem to be the favorite here to make the Sweet 16.
| Rnk | Salt Lake City, UT 3/21 | Team | Ht | Yr | Value Add | NBA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Cashmere Wright | Cincinnati | 6’0 | Sr | 8.94 | |
| 21 | Zeke Marshall | Akron | 7’0 | Sr | 8.29 | C |
| 32 | Sean Kilpatrick | Cincinnati | 6’4″ | Jr | 7.75 | SG |
| 101 | Brandon Paul | Illinois | 6’4″ | Sr | 6.26 | SG |
| 109 | Colton Iverson | Colorado St. | 6’10” | Sr | 6.12 | |
| 140 | Pierce Hornung | Colorado St. | 6’5″ | Sr | 5.69 | |
| 191 | Khalif Wyatt | Temple | 6’4″ | Sr | 4.95 | SG |
| 214 | D.J. Richardson | Illinois | 6’3″ | Sr | 4.67 | |
| 258 | Anthony Lee | Temple | 6’9″ | So | 4.43 | |
| 261 | Brian Walsh | Akron | 6’5″ | Jr | 4.42 | |
| 267 | Tracy Abrams | Illinois | 6’1″ | So | 4.35 | |
| 335 | Dorian Green | Colorado St. | 6’2″ | Sr | 3.76 | |
| 431 | Nick Harney | Akron | 6’7″ | Jr | 3.25 | |
| 432 | Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson | Temple | 6’6″ | Sr | 3.25 | |
| 456 | Cheikh Mbodj | Cincinnati | 6’10” | Sr | 3.17 |
3-seed New Mexico vs. Detroit, then NC State/Kentucky winner
The RPI should shake up by tournament time – at least New Mexico hopes so because this would be the gauntlet. The Lobos would have to go up against the eighth best player in the country in Detroit’s Ray McCallum, then face a loaded NC State or Kentucky team that should be in full stride by then. Nerlins Noel is taking over, and now gives Kentucky another shot at a freshman Player of the Year.
| Rnk | Salt Lake City, UT 3/21 (2nd) | Team | Ht | Yr | Value Add | NBA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Nerlens Noel | Kentucky | 6’10” | Fr | 9.64 | PF/C |
| 8 | Ray McCallum | Detroit | 6’3″ | Jr | 9.17 | PG |
| 44 | Richard Howell | North Carolina St. | 6’8″ | Sr | 7.47 | PF |
| 70 | Lorenzo Brown | North Carolina St. | 6’5″ | Jr | 6.66 | PG/SG |
| 163 | Alex Kirk | New Mexico | 7’0 | So | 5.38 | |
| 166 | Kendall Williams | New Mexico | 6’4″ | Jr | 5.34 | |
| 179 | T.J. Warren | North Carolina St. | 6’8″ | Fr | 5.15 | |
| 202 | Nick Minnerath | Detroit | 6’9″ | Sr | 4.83 | |
| 251 | Doug Anderson | Detroit | 6’6″ | Sr | 4.48 | |
| 254 | Kyle Wiltjer | Kentucky | 6’10” | So | 4.47 | |
| 260 | Willie Cauley-Stein | Kentucky | 7’0 | Fr | 4.42 | C |
| 344 | Cameron Bairstow | New Mexico | 6’9″ | Jr | 3.71 |
San Jose CA 3/21
1-seed Arizona vs. Florida Gulf Coast, then Southern Miss/San Diego St. winner
Nick Johnson would lead a balanced Arizona trio, against a solid challenge from either Southern Mississippi’s trio, or two of the top 70 players with San Diego State.
| Rnk | San Jose CA 3/21 | Team | Ht | Yr | Value Add | NBA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | Nick Johnson | Arizona | 6’3″ | So | 7.61 | |
| 59 | Chase Tapley | San Diego St. | 6’3″ | Sr | 6.98 | |
| 68 | Jamaal Franklin | San Diego St. | 6’5″ | Jr | 6.68 | SG |
| 85 | Michael Craig | Southern Mississippi | 6’5″ | Jr | 6.49 | |
| 92 | Solomon Hill | Arizona | 6’7″ | Sr | 6.42 | SF |
| 181 | Neil Watson | Southern Mississippi | 5’11” | Jr | 5.09 | |
| 200 | Kevin Parrom | Arizona | 6’6″ | Sr | 4.85 | |
| 281 | Daveon Boardingham | Southern Mississippi | 6’7″ | Jr | 4.17 | |
| 338 | Bernard Thompson | Florida Gulf Coast | 6′ 3″ | So | 3.75 | |
| 377 | Sherwood Brown | Florida Gulf Coast | 6′ 4″ | Sr | 3.50 | |
| 433 | Chase Fieler | Florida Gulf Coast | 6′ 8″ | Jr | 3.25 | |
| 458 | Deshawn Stephens | San Diego St. | 6’8″ | Sr | 3.16 |
3-seed Gonzaga vs. Stephen F. Austin, then Creighton/UNC winner
The Zags are loaded with a chance at three of the top 100 players, but they will hope that this draw changes by then. UNC’s top three right now does not even include NBA-bound Dexter Strickland and James Michael McAdoo, and Creighton’s Doug McDermott is a Player of the Year contender.
| Rnk | San Jose CA 3/21 (2nd) | Team | Ht | Yr | Value Add | NBA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Doug McDermott | Creighton | 6’8″ | Jr | 8.08 | PF |
| 39 | Taylor Smith | Stephen F. Austin | 6’6″ | Sr | 7.50 | |
| 55 | Elias Harris | Gonzaga | 6’8″ | Sr | 7.00 | SF/PF |
| 61 | Kelly Olynyk | Gonzaga | 7’0 | Jr | 6.87 | |
| 78 | Reggie Bullock | North Carolina | 6’7″ | Jr | 6.55 | SF |
| 104 | Kevin Pangos | Gonzaga | 6’2″ | So | 6.25 | PG |
| 153 | Grant Gibbs | Creighton | 6’5″ | Sr | 5.48 | |
| 157 | Gregory Echenique | Creighton | 6’9″ | Sr | 5.44 | |
| 337 | P.J. Hairston | North Carolina | 6’5″ | So | 3.75 | |
| 498 | Brice Johnson | North Carolina | 6’9″ | Fr | 3.01 | |
| 523 | Hal Bateman | Stephen F. Austin | 5’11” | Sr | 2.93 | |
| 530 | Jacob Parker | Stephen F. Austin | 6’6″ | So | 2.89 |
Austin, TX 3/22
2-seed Florida vs. George Mason, then Marquette/Wisconsin winner
With three of the top 50 players Florida could definitely win the national title. The Selection Committee probably would not actually allow a Marquette-Wisconsin opening round game between rivals, but this was set up on paper because Pitt and Wisconsin had to switch brackets as No. 10 seeds to avoid playing conference foes. While both Wisconsin teams have one top 50 player, the three-on-one would probably result in the same kind of blowout Florida had over both foes early in the season.
| Rnk | Austin, TX 3/22 | Team | Ht | Yr | Value Add | NBA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Kenny Boynton | Florida | 6’2″ | Sr | 8.51 | PG/SG |
| 33 | Erik Murphy | Florida | 6’10” | Sr | 7.71 | |
| 38 | Davante Gardner | Marquette | 6’8″ | Jr | 7.58 | Blue 468, Mayo 1753 |
| 48 | Jared Berggren | Wisconsin | 6’10” | Sr | 7.18 | |
| 49 | Patric Young | Florida | 6’9″ | Jr | 7.18 | PF |
| 94 | Sherrod Wright | George Mason | 6’4″ | Jr | 6.37 | |
| 105 | Ben Brust | Wisconsin | 6’1″ | Jr | 6.23 | |
| 324 | Sam Dekker | Wisconsin | 6’7″ | Fr | 3.83 | |
| 371 | Jamil Wilson | Marquette | 6’7″ | Jr | 3.53 | |
| 399 | Junior Cadougan | Marquette | 6’1″ | Sr | 3.39 | |
| 607 | Corey Edwards | George Mason | 5’11” | So | 2.64 | |
| 941 | Bryon Allen | George Mason | 6’3″ | Jr | 1.69 |
2-seed Kansas vs. Bryant, then Missouri/Colorado winner
With three of the top 41 players in the country Kansas absolutely looks like a national contender, but they would get good battles from either former Big 12 team in Colorado or Missouri.
| Rnk | Austin, TX 3/22 (2nd) | Team | Ht | Yr | Value Add | NBA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Ben McLemore | Kansas | 6′ 5″ | Fr | 8.77 | |
| 26 | Jeff Withey | Kansas | 7′ 0 | Sr | 8.06 | |
| 42 | Travis Releford | Kansas | 6′ 6″ | Sr | 7.49 | |
| 64 | Spencer Dinwiddie | Colorado | 6’5″ | So | 6.79 | PG/SG |
| 84 | Andre Roberson | Colorado | 6’7″ | Jr | 6.50 | SF |
| 138 | Laurence Bowers | Missouri | 6’8″ | Sr | 5.72 | |
| 223 | Alex Oriakhi | Missouri | 6’9″ | Sr | 4.61 | PF |
| 257 | Josh Scott | Colorado | 6’10” | Fr | 4.45 | |
| 372 | Phil Pressey | Missouri | 5’11” | Jr | 3.52 | PG |
| 675 | Frankie Dobbs | Bryant | 6’3″ | Sr | 2.40 | |
| 873 | Corey Maynard | Bryant | 6’3″ | Jr | 1.84 | |
| 1224 | Dyami Starks | Bryant | 6’2″ | So | 1.17 |
Dayton, OH 3/22
2-seed Michigan vs. Iona, then Middle Tennessee/Pitt winner
While Michigan boasts the No. 1 player in the country in Trey Burke, Pitt’s trio is near the best in the country and the Panthers could pose a real threat playing in Dayton.
| Rnk | Dayton, OH 3/22 | Team | Ht | Yr | Value Add | NBA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trey Burke | Michigan | 6’0 | So | 11.53 | PG |
| 41 | Lamar Patterson | Pittsburgh | 6’5″ | Jr | 7.49 | PG |
| 93 | Tray Woodall | Pittsburgh | 6’0 | Sr | 6.39 | |
| 112 | Sean Armand | Iona | 6’4″ | Jr | 6.11 | |
| 137 | Talib Zanna | Pittsburgh | 6’9″ | Jr | 5.73 | |
| 139 | Glenn Robinson | Michigan | 6’6″ | Fr | 5.72 | |
| 142 | Tim Hardaway | Michigan | 6’6″ | Jr | 5.67 | SG |
| 234 | Marcos Knight | Middle Tennessee | 6′ 2″ | Sr | 4.56 | |
| 240 | Lamont Jones | Iona | 6’0 | Sr | 4.53 | |
| 514 | Shawn Jones | Middle Tennessee | 6′ 8″ | Jr | 2.96 | |
| 524 | Bruce Massey | Middle Tennessee | 6′ 3″ | Sr | 2.92 | |
| 623 | David Laury | Iona | 6’8″ | So | 2.59 |
4-seed VCU vs. Louisiana Tech, then Ohio St./UCLA winner
We assume UCLA and Ohio State will move up by Selection Sunday, because otherwise this would be one of the most powerful 4-team pods ever. UCLA started the season without Shabazz Muhammad, so with him and fellow NBA prospects Norman Powell, Kyle Anderson and Joshua Smith hitting stride UCLA could be a national contender. Ohio State had the best preseason duo. However, VCU has three of the top 52 players and can beat anyone.
| Rnk | Dayton, OH 3/22 (2nd) | Team | Ht | Yr | Value Add | NBA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Deshaun Thomas | Ohio St. | 6’7″ | Jr | 8.75 | SF/PF |
| 46 | Juvonte Reddic | Virginia Commonwealth | 6’9″ | Jr | 7.43 | |
| 50 | Treveon Graham | Virginia Commonwealth | 6’5″ | So | 7.13 | |
| 53 | Briante Weber | Virginia Commonwealth | 6’2″ | So | 7.04 | |
| 66 | Aaron Craft | Ohio St. | 6’2″ | Jr | 6.77 | PG |
| 88 | Jordan Adams | UCLA | 6’5″ | Fr | 6.45 | |
| 154 | Shannon Scott | Ohio St. | 6’1″ | So | 5.48 | |
| 170 | Kyle Anderson | UCLA | 6’9″ | Fr | 5.29 | PF |
| 319 | Kenneth Smith | Louisiana Tech | 6’3″ | So | 3.86 | |
| 321 | Larry Drew | UCLA | 6’2″ | Sr | 3.85 | |
| 447 | Michale Kyser | Louisiana Tech | 6’9″ | So | 3.19 | |
| 558 | Cordarius Johnson | Louisiana Tech | 6’5″ | Jr | 2.80 |
Kansas City 3/22
4-seed Belmont vs. North Dakota St., then Butler/St. Mary’s winner
They probably will not actually get the 4-seed their RPI would merit, but Belmont has a veteran team that includes the 14th best player and three of the top 250, so they could challenge a Butler team in a very balanced group.
| Rnk | Kansas City 3/22 | Team | Ht | Yr | Value Add | NBA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Ian Clark | Belmont | 6′ 3″ | Sr | 8.78 | |
| 89 | Matthew Dellavedova | St. Mary’s | 6’4″ | Sr | 6.45 | PG |
| 134 | Andrew Smith (But) | Butler | 6’11” | Sr | 5.79 | |
| 171 | Blake Jenkins | Belmont | 6′ 7″ | Jr | 5.29 | |
| 222 | Kerron Johnson | Belmont | 6′ 1″ | Sr | 4.62 | |
| 230 | TrayVonn Wright | North Dakota St. | 6’7″ | Jr | 4.58 | |
| 235 | Marshall Bjorklund | North Dakota St. | 6’8″ | Jr | 4.55 | |
| 280 | Taylor Braun | North Dakota St. | 6’7″ | Jr | 4.17 | |
| 356 | Roosevelt Jones | Butler | 6’4″ | So | 3.60 | |
| 394 | Stephen Holt | St. Mary’s | 6’4″ | Jr | 3.43 | |
| 395 | Beau Levesque | St. Mary’s | 6’6″ | Jr | 3.43 | |
| 403 | Alex Smith | Bethune Cookman | 6’7″ | Sr | 3.38 | |
| 407 | Rotnei Clarke | Butler | 6’0 | Sr | 3.36 | |
| 511 | Adrien Coleman | Bethune Cookman | 6’5″ | Jr | 2.97 | |
| 781 | Kevin Dukes | Bethune Cookman | 5’9″ | Sr | 2.06 |
4-seed Wichita St. vs. Baylor/La Salle winner, then Michigan St./Boise St. winner
While Baylor’s RPI is not on course to be very high, with two of the top 30 players in the country they could certainly challenge to win this or any other group. However, Wichita State would love to earn Kansas City as a venue by grabbing a top four seed.
| Rnk | Kansas City 3/22 (2nd) | Team | Ht | Yr | Value Add | NBA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | Pierre Jackson | Baylor | 5’10” | Sr | 8.02 | PG |
| 30 | Cory Jefferson | Baylor | 6’9″ | Jr | 7.97 | |
| 79 | Derrick Marks | Boise St. | 6’3″ | So | 6.54 | |
| 99 | Ramon Galloway | La Salle | 6’3″ | Sr | 6.29 | |
| 106 | Keith Appling | Michigan St. | 6’1″ | Jr | 6.22 | |
| 131 | Ryan Watkins | Boise St. | 6’9″ | Jr | 5.85 | |
| 175 | Adreian Payne | Michigan St. | 6’10” | Jr | 5.22 | PF/C |
| 194 | Jeff Elorriaga | Boise St. | 6’2″ | Jr | 4.91 | |
| 196 | Malcolm Armstead | Wichita St. | 6’0 | Sr | 4.90 | |
| 205 | Cleanthony Early | Wichita St. | 6’8″ | Jr | 4.77 | |
| 242 | Tyreek Duren | La Salle | 6’0 | Jr | 4.52 | |
| 269 | Derrick Nix | Michigan St. | 6’9″ | Sr | 4.29 | |
| 315 | Isaiah Austin | Baylor | 7’1″ | Fr | 3.88 | C |
| 318 | Carl Hall | Wichita St. | 6’8″ | Sr | 3.86 | |
| 341 | Jerrell Wright | La Salle | 6’8″ | So | 3.73 |
Philadelphia 3/22
1-seed Duke vs. Southern/NC Central winner, then Mississippi/Oklahoma winner
With three of the best 34 players in the country, Coach K certainly has Duke back on top to challenge for another title. While they would certainly be the heavy favorite to make it through the first weekend, Mississippi has a fantastic trip that could knock off any team on a given day, as the one SEC team that has moved up to the top tier while others in the conference have been disappointing.
| Rnk | Philadelphia 3/22 | Team | Ht | Yr | Value Add | NBA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Mason Plumlee | Duke | 6’10” | Sr | 10.34 | PF |
| 18 | Quinn Cook | Duke | 6’1″ | So | 8.70 | |
| 31 | Malcolm Miller (Sou) | Southern | 6’6″ | Jr | 7.85 | |
| 34 | Ryan Kelly | Duke | 6’11” | Sr | 7.70 | |
| 60 | Reginald Buckner | Mississippi | 6’9″ | Sr | 6.97 | |
| 63 | Murphy Holloway | Mississippi | 6’7″ | Sr | 6.83 | |
| 76 | Romero Osby | Oklahoma | 6’8″ | Sr | 6.57 | |
| 107 | Marshall Henderson | Mississippi | 6’2″ | Jr | 6.22 | |
| 195 | Stanton Kidd | North Carolina Central | 6’7″ | Jr | 4.90 | |
| 274 | Jeremy Ingram | North Carolina Central | 6’3″ | Jr | 4.25 | |
| 334 | Steven Pledger | Oklahoma | 6’4″ | Sr | 3.77 | |
| 364 | Ray Willis | North Carolina Central | 6’6″ | Sr | 3.56 | |
| 436 | Derick Beltran | Southern | 6’4″ | Sr | 3.24 | |
| 527 | Buddy Hield | Oklahoma | 6’3″ | Fr | 2.90 | |
| 1104 | Javan Mitchell | Southern | 6’8″ | Sr | 1.35 |
1-seed Syracuse vs. Davidson, then Oregon/Iowa St. winner
While Oregon pulled off a great win at home against Arizona, if this were the bracket in Philadelphia the pecking order would be obvious. Syracuse would have the three best players, and Iowa State would have the next best three players.
| Rnk | Philadelphia 3/22 (2nd) | Team | Ht | Yr | Value Add | NBA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Michael Carter-Williams | Syracuse | 6’6″ | So | 8.85 | PG/SG |
| 54 | Brandon Triche | Syracuse | 6’4″ | Sr | 7.02 | PG |
| 62 | James Southerland | Syracuse | 6’8″ | Sr | 6.85 | |
| 135 | Tyrus McGee | Iowa St. | 6’2″ | Sr | 5.74 | |
| 239 | Melvin Ejim | Iowa St. | 6’6″ | Jr | 4.54 | |
| 294 | Georges Niang | Iowa St. | 6’7″ | Fr | 4.06 | |
| 386 | Jake Cohen | Davidson | 6’10” | Sr | 3.46 | |
| 415 | Dominic Artis | Oregon | 6’1″ | Fr | 3.32 | |
| 416 | Damyean Dotson | Oregon | 6’5″ | Fr | 3.31 | |
| 473 | Carlos Emory | Oregon | 6’5″ | Sr | 3.11 | |
| 507 | Nik Cochran | Davidson | 6’3″ | Sr | 2.98 | |
| 579 | De’Mon Brooks | Davidson | 6’7″ | Jr | 2.73 |
Best 10 not in tournament
Ten of the top 50 players in the country currently are not on teams projected to be in the tournament by Forecast RPI. The only one who certainly will not make it is Shabazz Napier because UConn is on probation. However, every other player on this list has a shot, and these ratings were pulled before Otto Porter took his Georgetown Hoyas into Notre Dame for the upset win.
| Rnk | Best 10 not in tournament | Team | Ht | Yr | Value Add | NBA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Shabazz Napier | Connecticut | 6’1″ | Jr | 10.38 | PG |
| 10 | Erick Green | Virginia Tech | 6’3″ | Sr | 9.04 | PG |
| 11 | Bryce Cotton | Providence | 6’1″ | Jr | 8.95 | |
| 23 | Nate Wolters | South Dakota St. | 6’4″ | Sr | 8.19 | PG |
| 28 | Trevor Releford | Alabama | 6’0 | Jr | 8.03 | PG |
| 35 | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | Georgia | 6’5″ | So | 7.63 | SG |
| 37 | Otto Porter | Georgetown | 6’8″ | So | 7.60 | SF |
| 40 | Jake Odum | Indiana St. | 6’4″ | Jr | 7.50 | |
| 43 | C.J. Wilcox | Washington | 6’5″ | Jr | 7.49 | |
| 47 | Ryan Broekhoff | Valparaiso | 6’7″ | Sr | 7.42 | SF |
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