Stars of The 2025 NCAA Tournament

The phrase, “all good things must come to an end,” is quite frankly overused. However, it applies flawlessly towards my feelings about March Madness ending. One of the greatest events in sports never disappoints. All the haters, complaining about the quality of some of the games can take a hike. I sat on the couch for hours at a time watching basketball and I will not be complaining about that. No, not all the games were nail biters. That doesn’t mean they weren’t enjoyable. We had buzzer beaters, comebacks, NBA prospects, record breaking performances, and so much more. This tournament also gave us one of the best Final Fours I’ve ever seen. So for all you complainers out there, it ended up being worth the wait. The tournament also gave us a plethora of stars for me to choose from. So without further ado please enjoy the second iteration of our NCAA Tournament stars.

Cooper Flagg

Cooper Flagg was the biggest star entering the 2025 tournament. After an injury in the ACC Tournament there were questions regarding his health and availability. The Freshman sensation was cleared to play and did not disappoint. He averaged 21 points per game but that only tells part of the story. Flagg was an absolute stat sheet stuffer racking up points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals throughout the tournament with ease. His two best games came against Arizona in the Sweet Sixteen and Houston in the Final Four. While his potential game winning shot against Houston fell short, Flagg was without a doubt one of the most dominant players in the tournament. Flagg’s ability to handle and create at 6’9 is what separates him from most prospects we’ve seen in recent memory. A lot of players in today’s era are massive question marks on the defensive end. This is another reason why Flagg is such an anomaly as a prospect. Some players can hide subpar defense by racking up either blocks or steals. The Duke Freshman puts up great stats while playing tremendous team defense. Flagg will make an immediate impact defensively in the NBA while he adjusts on the offensive end. Flagg’s tremendous run in March is just the beginning. I expect him to be an impact player in the NBA for years to come.

Mark Sears

Sears became the first player to ever be a Biasedly Unbiased Sports list of NCAA stars two years in a row. Statistically, Sears’ numbers decreased slightly this past season. Despite this, Sears came out firing in the NCAA Tournament. The Crimson Tide made it to the Elite Eight and but fell short against a loaded Duke team. Sears had a tough game against the Blue Devils in what was an unfortunate way to end his collegiate career. Don’t let that distract you from his double double (22 points and 10 assists) against Robert Morris and historic performance against BYU in the Sweet Sixteen. The Crimson Tide hit an NCAA Tournament record 25 3’s and Sears drilled a whopping 10 of those threes. Scoring 34 points on efficient shooting, Sears etched his name in tournament history with the rest of the Crimson Tide. I am not sure what is next for Sears. The downside is that he is an undersized guard that lacks elite athleticism. However, he is an elite scorer that is a streaky shooter and also plays a herky-jerky style that gets him to the free throw line frequently. Whether it’s in the NBA, G-League, or overseas, Sears will be playing professional basketball for a long time.

Walter Clayton Jr.

After 67 games of March Madness basketball, one star shined the brightest. That was Florida Gator star Walter Clayton Jr. The All-American sensation averaged 22.3 points per game in the tournament which included some of the most clutch buckets I’ve ever seen. The eventual National Champions had close games against UConn, Texas Tech, Auburn, and Houston during their title run. Clayton scored 23+ in three of these games including 30+ against Tech and Auburn. In those close games I urge any basketball fan to go back and watch the last 5ish minutes. Clayton was nearly automatic from deep with tough off the dribble, step back triples to seal wins late. His long range shooting has deservedly gotten a ton of praise, but Clayton gets to the rim and finishes through contact at an elite level. A true testament to his skill as a basketball player came in the National Title when his shot wasn’t falling early. Clayton Jr. scored a tournament low 11 points but got his teammates involved and tallied 7 assists. Outside of winning the National Championship and tournament MOP, Clayton also vastly improved his draft stock. There will be questions about his size and athleticism, but I know a real hooper when I see one. Clayton will create a role for himself at the next level as he goes down in NCAA Tournament history.

Derik Queen

It’s pretty obvious why the Maryland Freshman is on this list. After Colorado State hit a late 3 for the lead, the Terrapins quickly called a timeout. In the huddle, Queen requested the ball with the game on the line. He catches the ball around the 3 point line, takes it towards the rim, rises, and kisses a smooth floater off the glass as time expires. While that was his signature moment, he was great in all three Maryland tournament games. Queen recorded a double double in the first round, a game winner in the Round of 32, and had 27 in their Sweet Sixteen loss to Florida. That’s called making an impact in the tournament. Queen uses his size to be a force around the rime offensively. He possesses creativity and an incredible feel for the game that allows him to create space for himself. His handle and elite footwork make up for a lack of dynamic athleticism. His unique skillset makes him an intriguing prospect as he looks to head to the NBA.

Caleb Love

Now this is a familiar name for college basketball fans that made the most of his final season in 2025. He averaged 17.2 point per game this season and lead Arizona to a 4 seed during their first season in the Big 12. For years people have been talking about the “good” Caleb Love and the “bad” Caleb Love. Despite the talk, Love clearly played like the good version of himself down the stretch. This culminated to a scoring outburst of 29 and 35 points in his final 2 collegiate games against Oregon and Duke. In the Sweet Sixteen, Arizona was clearly outmatched against a stacked Duke team. Love put up an efficient 35 points without committing a turnover in his collegiate swan song. This was a prime example of when and where he is at his best. Throughout his career, Love has been a high volume 3 point shooter. For a majority of his career he was inconsistent and his shooting percentage from deep remained in the mid to low 30s. He possesses quickness to blow past defenders and score at the rim. However, when he also has his jump shot cooking is where he’s most dangerous. A pure microwave scorer, Love provided incredible highlights throughout his career. From upsetting Duke in the Final Four while at UNC to this 35 point masterclass, we thank you Mr. Love.

Amir Khan

One of the biggest stars of the 2025 tournament did not score a single point. Yes, I’m talking about overnight sensation and McNeese manager Amir “Aura” Khan. This might be unpopular as Khan became a polarizing figure since hitting mainstream media in early March. I’ll keep my love or irritation with Khan to myself, but he was undeniably one of the biggest winners of March Madness. He went viral with his boom box entrance videos and McNeese had a first round upset of Clemson. The biggest win for Mr. Aura were the NIL deals that he earned throughout March. While I’m not sure what the numbers ended up being, it’s rumored to be somewhere above the $100k mark. Shoutout to an unknown for making a name for himself and making life changing money! Love him or hate him, Amir did an amazing job capitalizing on his opportunity. He is following coach Will Wade to NC State, so we might not have seen the last of the viral manager.

Johni Broome

The Auburn big man was tough as nails throughout the tournament. In his third year at Auburn, Broome led the Tigers to the Final Four. He didn’t end his college career in quite the way he’d hoped, but there is absolutely no reason for him to hang his head. Broome was an All American and NPOY candidate this season. The first two tournament games were solid but he broke out for 22 points and 16 rebounds against Michigan. Broome was dominant in the Elite Eight as he scored 26 points to go along with 14 rebounds. That wasn’t the most impressive part though. About halfway through the second half, Broome got hurt on a scary fall and exited the floor. Then as Michigan State begins to get some momentum, Broome returns to the court like a Superhero. He’ll just be a decoy right? Wrong! Johni comes onto the floor and immediately drills a momentum changing three. Auburn goes on to win and advance to the Final Four. Broome dominated to start the Final Four matchup against Florida. However, as the game went on, it became clear he wasn’t 100%. The Tigers fell short of their ultimate goal, but Broome proved why he is the perfect representation of what college basketball is supposed to be.

Darrion Williams

When you watch Texas Tech star Darrion Williams play, it looks like you’re watching a defensive end playing basketball. Williams plays bully-ball, pure and simple. Coming in at 6-6 and 225 pounds of pure muscle, he uses his size and strength to get to the basket. Don’t let the style fool you, since Williams also has a smooth jump shot and can space the floor. Tech went on an Elite Eight run and Williams was a catalyst for that. He averaged 21 points and 7 rebounds across the Red Raiders 4 games. This included a 28 point performance against Drake and a clutch game-tying three against Arkansas. Texas Tech was down by double digits late against the Razorbacks, and Williams was having a tough shooting performance. Despite this, they came back and Williams hit the game-tying three late in the final minutes. The Red Raiders pulled away in overtime clinching an Elite Eight berth. While they lost their Final Four chance late against Florida, Williams cemented his name in Texas Tech lore. The next steps for Williams are up in the air as he declared for the draft with the option to return to college via the transfer portal.

Bennett Stirtz

This year, there wasn’t a lot of representation from the Cinderella schools included on this list. Bennett Stirtz and his 11th seeded Drake Bulldogs pulled off the upset in the First Round against Missouri. He is definitely not the flashiest player and that fits in perfectly with the style of head coach Ben McCollum. The Bulldogs style is methodically using up most of the shot clock to find the best shot available. In a day and age where high volume 3’s is the trend, this against the grain style from McCollum and his star player is refreshing. After starting with McCollum at Northwest Missouri State, Stirtz followed him to Drake. At Drake, he immediately took lead of the team and was a stat sheet stuffer. Stirtz averaged, 19.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.1 steals in his lone season with the Bulldogs. In the tournament, Stirtz continued this level of play scoring 21 points in both games. He impacts the game at both ends of the court and routinely gets tough buckets at the end of the shot clock. Despite Stirtz and McCollum leaving for Iowa, this 2024-2025 season will be remembered by Drake fans forever.

LJ Cryer

The Houston sharpshooter is a classic example of a player whose performance might easily be lost in history. Cryer scored 26 points including 6 threes as the Cougars pulled off an immaculate comeback against Duke in the Final Four. The Houston Senior also had a scoring outburst of 30, 17, and 19 (National Title Game) throughout the tournament. Cryer was a veteran presence to Houston as a 5th year Senior that won a National Title as a Freshman at Baylor. While most of his value came from shooting 42% from three at a high volume, Cryer had a lot of intangible value as well. He provided was a calming presence for the improved Cougar offense and helped Milos Uzan get into Kelvin Sampson’s offense. Houston ultimately came up just short against Florida in the National Championship. I also have to ask the question, why wasn’t the ball in LJ Cryer’s hands late? I truly think he has the poise that could’ve made him a March legend and the Cougars National Champions. Despite the outcome, Cryer put up big game after big game in a noble end to his collegiate career.

Honorable Mentions:

Zakai Zeigler

Richie Saunders

Alijah Martin

John Tonje

Danny Wolf

Braden Smith

Kyan Evans

One of the best things about March Madness is the wide range of stars that we get introduced to. There are your NBA prospects, big school stars, Cinderella heroes, and finally your March legends that shine bright in March’s biggest moments. Like most tournaments, the 2025 rendition of March Madness gave us exactly that. While the tournament was very chalk, it gave us an elite Final Four and Championship battle. The Cinderella players may not have been prominent on this list, but it allowed for the best players in the country to showcase their talent. I gave my 10 stars but it easily could have been 15 players. Shoutout to these college kids that will always be remembered for their performances in sport’s most important month.