Ranking the 25 best players on the floor entering this season's NCAA men's college basketball tournament.

As we wind down the 2024-25 college basketball season and March Madness approaches, it's a good moment to spotlight the nation's top performers and names to watch for in the tourney. We'll give our listing on the 25 best players in college hoops this season, and provide a little POV on why we've selected them.

The 25 Best Men's College Basketball Players in 2024-25

One of the interesting aspects of modern transfer-crazy college basketball is the wide disparity between rosters of seasoned veterans and those with highly touted freshmen looking to make their mark. This season's player of the year race is a perfect encapsulation of this dynamic. In our humble opinion, it comes down to a tossup between dominant fifth-year Auburn center Johni Broome and versatile freshman phenom Cooper Flagg of Duke.

Regardless of who you think deserves the honor, we offer up these rankings as way to drop some insights on the players who shaped the narrative of the '24-25 season.

  1. Johni Broome, C, Auburn - The best player on the best team from the best conference. Broome is the SEC’s most impactful big man and the centerpiece to Auburn’s monster season.
  2. Cooper Flagg, F, Duke - The expected top pick in the upcoming NBA draft, Flagg is considered by many to be a generational prospect. He was the top recruit this offseason and backed it up all season.
  3. Braden Smith, G, Purdue - Arguably the nation’s best pure point guard (8.8 APG), the Big Ten Player of the Year also scored more than 16 points and hauled in nearly 5 rebounds per game.
  4. Eric Dixon, F, Villanova - One of the most reliable and versatile players in the game entering the season, Dixon took it to another level this year by leading the nation in scoring at 23 points per game. 
  5. Javon Small, G, West Virginia - One of many transfer studs on our list, Small elevated his game in Morgantown with one of the nation’s better nightly stat lines (18.6 PPG, 5.6 APG, 4.1 RPG).
  6. Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton - Kalkbrenner made history this year as the first ever four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year. He’s both an elite rim protector and efficient scorer for the Jays.
  7. J.T. Toppin, F, Texas Tech - The Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2024 (12.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG) cranked up the scoring (18.4 PPG) in ‘25 for a breakout Texas Tech season under Grant McCasland.
  8. R.J. Luis Jr., G, St. John’s - The Big East Player of the Year, Luis was the most consistent member of Rick Pitino’s record-setting squad, scoring over 18 points and hauling in 7 rebounds a game.
  9. P.J. Haggerty, G, Memphis - Last year’s AAC Freshman of the Year, Haggerty was dominant on a fierce Tigers squad looking to do tournament damage after putting together one of the best non-con resumes in the sport. 
  10. Mark Sears, PG, Alabama - Coming off a historic NCAA Tournament run in 2024 (24.2 PPG), Sears once again was a clutch scorer and primary table setter for 2025 Alabama’s high-octane offense.
  11. Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida - Part of a dynamic three-headed backcourt monster, Clayton showed ability to get to the rim or hit from deep while spearheading one of the most efficient offenses in college hoops. 
  12. Hunter Dickinson, C, Kansas - While it may seem like Dickinson has been playing college hoops for a decade, he’s certainly made the most of it, averaging another double-double this year for the Jayhawks.
  13. Kam Jones, G, Marquette - A lethal three-level scorer (19.2 PPG) for a battle-tested Marquette team, Jones scored more than 2,000 points in his four-year Golden Eagles career. 
  14. Chaz Lanier, G, Tennessee - One of the best transfers in college hoops this season, Lanier posted elite shooting (41% 3PT) numbers while leading Rick Barnes’ Volunteers in scoring.
  15. Augustas Marciulionis, G, Saint Mary's - The player of the year in the West Coast Conference, Marciulionis was a revelation and stat stuffer for a 28-win Gaels squad looking to make a tourney run.
  16. Chucky Hepburn, G, Louisville - The former Wisconsin Badger did it all during the Cards’ surprising ACC second-place run, with a stat line of 16 PPG, 6 APG, 4 RPG, 2 SPG.
  17. Tre Johnson, G, Texas - A top five recruit in 2024, the long, smooth shooting guard led the SEC in scoring and consistently thrived in Texas’ guard-heavy system.
  18. Ryan Nembhard, G, Gonzaga - One of the nation’s best facilitators, Nembhard piloted Gonzaga’s potent offense while posting a ridiculous 9.8 assists-per-game stat line.
  19. Derick Queen, F, Maryland - Queen ranked first or second on the team in points, blocks, rebounds, steals and assists for a Maryland unit that finished second in the B1G and could be a force in the big dance. 
  20. Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma - A likely lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Fears was positively unstoppable at times in the Sooners’ inaugural SEC campaign, showing impressive creativity and scoring ability.
  21. Dylan Harper, G, Rutgers - One of the top recruits in the 2024 class, Harper showed dynamic playmaking ability and occasional superstar power for a Rutgers team that never quite found itself in a deep Big Ten. 
  22. Bennett Stirtz, G, Drake - Transferring in from D-II Northwest Missouri State, Stirtz  finished in the top 50 in the nation in scoring and assists for 30-win Drake, while posting elite shooting splits (49% FG, 39% 3PT, 80% FT). 
  23. Caleb Love, G, Arizona - Last season’s Player of the Year in the now defunct Pac-12, Love face a new challenge in the Big XII in 2025 but still produced for an Arizona squad with Final Four aspirations.
  24. R.J. Davis, G, North Carolina - The ACC’s leading scorer in 2023-24 (21 PPG) and a Wooden Award preseason candidate, Davis struggled at times in ‘25 but still became the second all-time points scorer in Tarheels history.
  25. Alex Karaban, F, Connecticut - The Huskies’ glue guy and key holdover from both of their back-to-back title teams, Karaban improved his production in almost every statistical category in 2025.

Honorable Mentions

  • Ace Bailey, F, Rutgers
  • Alec Peters, F, Valparaiso
  • Bez Mbeng, G, Yale
  • Brice Williams, G, Nebraska
  • Bruce Thornton, G, Ohio State
  • Bryce Hopkins, F, Providence
  • Coleman Hawkins, C, Kansas State
  • Collin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina
  • Curtis Jones, F, Iowa State
  • Danny Wolf, F, Michigan
  • Darrion Williams, F, Texas Tech
  • Deyton Albury, F, Utah State
  • Donovan Dent, F, New Mexico
  • Gabriel Pozzato, F, Evansville
  • Garaham Ike, C, Gonzaga
  • Great Osobor, F, Washington
  • Hunter Sallis, G, Wake Forest
  • J’Wan Roberts, F, Houston
  • Jaden Brownell, F, Samford
  • John Tonje, G, Wisconsin
  • Josh Hubbard, G, Mississippi State
  • Kadary Richmond, G, St. John’s
  • Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois
  • Kennard Davis Jr., G, Southern Illinois
  • Keshon Gilbert, G, Iowa State
  • Kon Knueppel, G, Duke
  • L.J. Cryer, G, Houston
  • Lamont Butler, G, Kentucky
  • Liam McNeeley, G, Connecticut
  • Marcus Johnson, F, Bowling Green
  • Max Shulga, G, VCU
  • Maxime Raynaud, C, Stanford
  • Norchad Omier, F, Baylor
  • Otega Oweh, F, Kentucky
  • Oumar Ballo, C, Indiana
  • Richie Saunders, F, BYU
  • Tamin Lipsey, G, Iowa State
  • Trey Kaufman-Renn, F, Purdue
  • Ty Johnson, G, UC Davis
  • Tyon Grant-Foster, F, Grand Canyon
  • VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor
  • Vladislav Goldin, C, Michigan
  • Wade Taylor IV, G, Texas A&M
  • Zakai Zeigler, G, Tennessee

Best College Players: Fantasy Implications

Our rankings serve as a useful resource for fantasy basketball managers in two primary ways:

  1. For season-long fantasy basketball vets, this year's best college hoops prospects are often next year's impact rookies in the NBA. If you're looking to gain an edge in your league, keep an eye on dynamic guards like Alabama's Mark Sears and Marquette's Kam Jones, or impactful big men like Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner and Kansas' Hunter Dickinson. These players may play an important role in an NBA rotation next year, so you can use this season's NCAA tournament as an opportunity to scout them.
  2. For DFS competitors, these players are worth a look during March Madness. Whether you need a sneaky under-the-radar Sleeper Picks play during the tournament, like Ohio State's Bruce Thornton or Duke's Kon Knueppel, or you're filling out your tournament picks on Sleeper Bracket Mania, this ranking should lend you a hand in finding the angles. Remember you can also stay ahead of the game with real-time updates and player tracking on the Sleeper app, ensuring you're equipped to make strategic decisions for your fantasy endeavors.