The NCAA Tournament is headed into the second week of action with sixteen teams remaining. Who are the best players still in contention for the title?
The Sweet 16 is nearly here, which means the opening week of the NCAA Tournament is over with, and what an opening set of games it was. 52 teams have already been sent home, and of the 16 teams remaining, I have attempted to compile a list of the 25 best players still fighting for the crown.
Despite many of the top seeds and favorites going home early, the few blue bloods and several lesser seeds left have a number of top-notch players. Whittling this list down was tough.
Here are the 25 best players set to play in the Sweet 16, presented in alphabetical order.
Grayson Allen – Duke
There’s no better way to start off a list than with a controversial pick. I limited the list to one or two players per team, and Wendell Carter Jr. certainly has an argument for the second Duke spot, but there is something about a third banana, play-making Allen that impresses me more than any of his various incarnations.
Marvin Bagley III – Duke
Even with all the four-year legends and recent one-and-done’s in the colorful history of Duke players, Bagley stands out as a force of nature offensively. Coach K has never had a weapon quite like this.