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Rising Stars to Watch in March Madness 2025
Get to Know the Breakout Players Who Could Dominate the Court and Shift the March Madness Odds in 2025
Young Phenoms
The nation’s best teams and the top college basketball players will be represented when March Madness kicks off with the conference tournaments and ultimately the national college basketball tournament, also known as the Big Dance. Below we explore five rising stars in college hoops and their anticipated impact on the lush history of March Madness.
🔮 NEW BRACKET PREDICTION 🔮
The latest predictions from @TheAndyKatz are in as we enter February 📰 pic.twitter.com/vKjuJvfq2g
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) February 4, 2025
Get to know the breakout players who could dominate the court and shift the March Madness Odds in 2025.
5. Hunter Dickinson, 7’2” Senior, Kansas
The Jayhawks’ 7’2” behemoth spent his first three years at Michigan before transferring to Kansas last year, where he averaged 17.9 points and nearly 11 rebounds per contest. The native of Alexandria, Virginia, decided to forego the 2024 NBA Draft and return to Lawrence, Kansas, where he continues to make his mark as the team’s leading scorer and rebounder.
going to be thinking about this one for awhile 🤯 pic.twitter.com/UAQgYohW68
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) February 4, 2025
Kansas is ranked 16th in the nation and is coming off an impressive 17-point win over No. 8 Iowa State, where Dickinson contributed 14 points and 9 rebounds in the victory. Expect to see plenty more of Hunter Dickinson in the postseason, and his muscle down low could make the Jayhawks a team to watch when the Madness begins.
4. Liam McNeeley, 6’7” Freshman, UConn
The Huskies are the defending national champs, but they have stumbled a bit in the early going and are ranked 19th in the nation with a 16-6 record. However, one new player on the roster, Liam McNeeley, has made his presence felt in the paint and beyond the arc, giving this 6’7” small forward a unique ability to stretch the floor and get down and dirty in the paint when the need arises.
Catching up on some Liam McNeeley film and have been very pleased. Like what I’ve seen offensively, but the playmaking has really been solid.
Some great reads when it comes to understanding scoring gravity that comes with his strenghts. Good ability to react and show nice… pic.twitter.com/hB0Ie3ssNl
— Tyler Rucker (@tyler_rucker) December 24, 2024
A high ankle sprain kept McNeeley out for eight games this season, but the Huskies will be hoping the face of their future will be healthy when the national tournament comes around.
3. Johni Broome, 6’10” Senior, Auburn
Auburn’s tower of power in the paint, Johni Broome, is one of the most physical presences in the college game today. He is among the top five in blocks, averaging 2.8 stuffs per game, and rebounds with 10.9 boards per contest. He is a monster down low and on the glass, which is one critical reason why the Auburn Tigers lead the SEC and are ranked No. 1 in the nation.
But the Auburn enforcer is not a one-trick pony, as he is also the team’s leading scorer with 18.1 points per game. If it’s a talented two-way player that will make a big difference in the tournament this year, it’s Johni Broome whose Tigers are currently tied with Duke at +380 as the favorites to be cutting down the nets at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on April 7th.
2. Mark Sears, 6’1” Senior, Alabama
The Crimson Tide are the No. 3 ranked team in the nation thanks in large part to their scoring leader and fifth-year senior, Mark Sears. Although Sears’ 18.1 points per game scoring average has propelled Alabama to near the top of the SEC standings, discounting his leadership and experience in the Big Dance would be a mistake.
Mark Sears’ mom is in the crowd shooting free throws while he’s at the line 😂❤️
Love to see it 👏 pic.twitter.com/iMnxrqlkCz
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 23, 2024
March Madness betting pools have Alabama as one of the most dangerous teams in this year’s tournament, and Sears brings the knowledge of what it takes to make a deep run in the Dance after the Tide made it all the way to the Final Four last season before bowing to eventual champion Connecticut.
1. Cooper Flagg, 6’9” Freshman, Duke
The comparisons to Kevin Durant’s offensive prowess and Zion Williamson’s defensive abilities are almost unfair. However, Duke freshman Cooper Flagg has lived up to all the lofty expectations at the collegiate level since he was ranked the top high school prospect in the nation after graduating from Florida’s Montverde Academy.
COOPER FLAGG JUST WENT COAST-TO-COAST AND POSTERIZED THE DEFENDER 😱🔥
ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Z5jcZ756ew
— ESPN (@espn) January 8, 2025
The National High School Player of the Year in 2024 has been a dual threat since joining Duke, averaging nearly eight boards, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.3 blocks, and 19.5 points per game. But his ferocious defensive intensity has set him apart from the pack.
It’s not surprising that Duke opened up BetUS Sportsbook 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Winner odds as favorites, with Flagg contributing mightily to the team’s 19-2 record after 21 games. Flagg is the consensus No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
