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The last time a freshman was the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament was 2015, when point guard Tyus Jones piloted Duke to its fifth national championship.
Jones — and Jahlil Okafor, another freshman — came up big for the Blue Devils, and Duke beat Wisconsin for the national title with tournament averages of 13.0 points, 4.5 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.
Duke is the No. 2 overall seed in the 2025 tournament and freshmen will likely lead them to San Antonio should head coach Jon Scheyer guide this group back to the Final Four for the first time since Coach K’s farewell in New Orleans in 2022.
Already a household name, Duke All-American Cooper Flagg’s status is up in the air for the first round and beyond due to a left ankle injury. But Scheyer’s cast is deep, talented and proved a threat without Flagg in the ACC semifinals and championship game.
Will Flagg or Kon Knueppel make this tournament their shining moment? Here are 10 players who stand a reasonable chance to become a household name this month.
Johni Broome, Auburn
Playing for the No. 1 Tigers in the rugged SEC, Broome was a marked man all season. That didn’t matter. He delivered a Player of the Year-type season with 18.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game and the 6-foot-10 forward came up huge in the biggest moments. Broome can bang with his back to the basket and drill a 3. His one weakness is free-throw shooting. Broome shot 60.7 percent in 2024-25.
Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
His 11th game this season with 20-plus points came in the SEC tournament championship game. Clayton scores at will, fearlessly attacking the rim with a smooth stroke. He made 13 triples in the Gators’ three-game run through the conference tourney.
Nique Clifford, Colorado State
He has 15 double-doubles in 34 games this season and averaged 19 points per game for the Rams. At 6-6, 200 pounds, Clifford can be a matchup challenge…
Source link : https://albanyherald.com/sports/10-players-primed-to-become-household-names-in-ncaa-tournament/
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Publish date : 2025-03-17 21:07:00
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