NCAA Tournament 2014: Ranking the Top 116 Players
It’s Christmas in March.
After 344 days of melancholy, win or go home basketball is BACK — beginning with the opening round contests in Dayton Tuesday/Wednesday evening. Parity is the word in 2014. There are six teams at lower than 10/1 odds to cut down the nets, but after that it’s a jumbled mess. As a result, ranking players becomes an exceedingly difficult chore. If you can accept the strategic challenge, this is your pool to win. Below you’ll find a list of the top 116 players in the tournament, determined based on expected points/rebounds/assists and length of stay in the Big Dance. I’ve also tabbed nine mid-major sleepers worthy of consideration.
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Top 115
- Doug McDermott, F Creighton
- Jabari Parker, F Duke
- Russ Smith, G Louisville
- DeAndre Kane, G Iowa State
- Gary Harris, SG Michigan State
- Andrew Wiggins, SF Kansas
- Nik Stauskas, SG Michigan
- Adreian Payne, PF Michigan State
- Kyle Anderson, G/F UCLA
- Melvin Ejim, F Iowa State
- Nick Johnson, SG Arizona
- Montrezl Harrell, PF Louisville
- Scottie Wilbekin, PG Florida
- Rodney Hood, SF Duke
- Shabazz Napier, PG Connecticut
- Marcus Paige, G North Carolina
- Cameron Bairstow, PF New Mexico
- Marcus Smart, G Oklahoma State
- C.J. Fair, SF Syracuse
- Julius Randle, PF Kentucky
- Jordan Adams, SG UCLA
- Joseph Young, SG Oregon
- Perry Ellis, F Kansas
- Kendall Williams, G New Mexico
- Tyler Ennis, PG Syracuse
- Georges Niang, PF Iowa State
- Caris LeVert, G Michigan
- Frank Kaminsky, C Wisconsin
- Cleanthony Early, F Wichita State
- Wayne Selden, SG Kansas
- Jerami Grant, F Syracuse
- Malcolm Brogdon, SG Virginia
- Xavier Thames, PG San Diego State
- Jayvaughn Pinkston, F Villanova
- Sam Dekker, F Wisconsin
- Aaron Gordon, F Arizona
- Fred VanVleet, PG Wichita State
- Glen Robinson III, SF Michigan
- Darrun Hilliard, SG Villanova
- Keith Appling, PG Michigan State
- Markel Brown, SG Oklahoma State
- Kaleb Tarczewski, C Arizona
- Branden Dawson, F Michigan State
- Ron Baker, G Wichita State
- Casey Prather, G/F Florida
- T.J. Warren, F NC State (OPENING ROUND)
- Buddy Hield, SG Oklahoma
- Joe Harris, SG Virginia
- Lamar Patterson, G/F Pittsburgh
- Semaj Christon, SG Xavier (OPENING ROUND)
- Cory Jefferson, PF Baylor
- Winston Shepard, G/F San Diego State
- Bryce Cotton, PG Providence
- Terran Petteway, SG Nebraska
- Joel Embiid, C Kansas (INJURY)
- Denzel Valentine, G/F Michigan State
- James Bell, G/F Villanova
- Patric Young, C Florida
- Isaiah Taylor, PG Texas
- Ryan Spangler, F/C Oklahoma
- T.J. McConnell, PG Arizona
- Rasheed Sulaimon, SG Duke
- Sean Kilpatrick, SG Cincinnati
- Alex Kirk, C New Mexico
- Chris Jones, G Louisville
- Nigel Hayes, PF Wisconsin
- Aaron Craft, PG Ohio State
- Talib Zanna, C Pittsburgh
- Ben Brust, SG Wisconsin
- Treveon Graham, G/F VCU
- Kenny Chery, PG Baylor
- Mike Moser, F Oregon
- Brice Johnson, PF North Carolina
- Roy Devyn Marble,G/F Iowa (OPENING ROUND)
- Dustin Hogue, F Iowa State
- Ryan Boatright, G Connecticut
- Jarnell Stokes, PF Tennessee (OPENING ROUND)
- Michael Frazier, SG Florida
- Jahii Carson, PG Arizona State
- Justin Jackson, PF Cincinnati
- Jordair Jett, PG Saint Louis
- LeBryan Nash, F Oklahoma State
- James Michael McAdoo, F North Carolina
- Ryan Arcidiacono, PG Villanova
- Austin Chatman, PG Creighton
- Akil Mitchell, PF Virginia
- Aaron White, F Iowa (OPENING ROUND)
- Jordan Bachynski, C Arizona State
- Joe Jackson, PG Memphis
- LaQuinton Ross, SF Ohio State
- Isaiah Austin, F/C Baylor
- Naadir Tharpe, PG Kansas
- London Perrantes, PG Virginia
- Tyler Haws, SG BYU
- Amile Jefferson, PF Duke
- Halil Kanicevic, PF St. Josephs
- Jordan Woodard, PG Oklahoma
- Chaz Williams, PG Massachusetts
- Marcus Foster, SG Kansas State
- DeAndre Daniels, F Connecticut
- Cameron Ridley, C Texas
- James Young, SG Kentucky
- Quinn Cook, PG Duke
- Norman Powell, F UCLA
- Dwayne Evans, F Saint Louis
- Andrew Harrison, PG Kentucky
- Dwight Powell, PF Stanford
- J.P Tokoto, F North Carolina
- Travis Trice, G Michigan State
- Jordan McRae, G/F Tennessee (OPENING ROUND)
- Trevor Cooney, SG Syracuse
- Askia Booker, G Colorado
- Will Yeguete, F Florida
- Cady Lalanne, C Massachusetts
- Aaron Harrison, SG Kentucky
- Melvin Johnson, SG VCU (INJURED, expected to be available)
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Deep Sleepers
Wesley Saunders, G/F Harvard
Jeremy Ingram, G NC Central
Elfrid Payton, G Louisiana Lafayette
Shawn Long, PF Louisiana Lafayette
Taylor Braun, SG North Dakota State
Marshall Bjorklund, PF North Dakota State
Langston Hall, PG Mercer
Daniel Mullings, SG New Mexico State
Jacob Parker, SF Stephen F Austin
Quick Pace Squads
BYU, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Louisiana Lafayette, Massachusetts, Memphis, Oregon, UCLA, VCU
Methodical Movers
Baylor, Florida, Michigan, NC Central, Pittsburgh, SF Austin, Syracuse, Virginia, Wisconsin
Projected Final Four
Kansas versus Villanova, Arizona versus Duke
The Author
3 Comments
How can you have Nigel Hayes ranked 30 spots ahead of LaQuinton Ross?
Nigel Hayes
8.0 PPG
2.8 RPG
.9 APG
9.4% of Wisconsin’s FG Attempts
20.3% of Wisconsin’s FT Attempts
LaQuinton Ross
15.4 PPG
6.1 RPG
.8 APG
21.9% of Ohio State’s FG Attempts
21.5% of Ohio State’s FT Attempts
First off, it would not surprise me if Ohio State doesn’t win a game. So my rankings take into account that caution…
Second, Hayes has been integrated into the offense with greater frequency in recent weeks. As much as I dislike them, Wisconsin has a favorable draw.
If it was as simple as looking at #’s… you know the drill.
Dear Chris,
“First off, it would not surprise me if Ohio State doesn’t win a game. So my rankings take into account that caution…”
I think you owe someone an apology.
: P