March Madness 2025: The 5 best players in the Men's NCAA Tournament you must watch

The most glorious time of the year for college basketball fans has arrived. The 2025 Men's NCAA Tournament is set to get underway this week, with Selection Sunday in the rearview mirror. With the bracket set, all eyes are on the top teams, mainly the No. 1 seeds: Auburn, Duke, Houston and Florida.

Those teams, and all of the others, wouldn't have gotten to this point without standout performances from several players. With the tournament nearing, let's pick out five players who have made a name for themselves this season and must be watched in the tournament.

Ryan Kalkbrenner, center, Creighton

By this point, everyone knows about Ryan Kalkbrenner. Now in his fifth and final season, the 7-foot-1 center wants to finish his Creighton Bluejays career with a bang. Kalkbrenner has gotten better and better with each ing season, setting career highs for points, rebounds, assists and three-point shooting percentage in 2024-25. That last statistic will be key, as Kalkbrenner's ability to control the paint on the defensive end and stretch the floor offensively makes him a nightmare for other teams.

Braden Smith, guard, Purdue

Braden Smith's ascension to stardom has been a sight to behold. He played a key role in the Purdue Boilermakers making it to the national championship last year, and took a massive step in of development this season. Averaging a 16.1/4.6/8.7 stat line, Smith also shoots well from the perimeter and gets over two steals per game. He may be small, but Smith has the ability to control the game on both ends of the floor.

PJ Haggerty, guard, Memphis

Memphis Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway lured PJ Haggerty away from Tulsa last offseason, and the move has paid massive dividends quickly. Haggerty was third in the nation in points per game with 21.8 throughout the season, and he's no slouch in other statistical categories as well. Haggerty can score from truly everywhere on the court and doesn't mind getting locked in on defense either.

Johni Broome, forward, Auburn

Johni Broome has been doing this for a while, but it all really came together for an Auburn Tigers team that was ranked first in the country heading into the final two weeks of the season. Broome is good at everything, adept at scoring inside the paint, dishing out assists from the low post, protecting the rim as a shot blocker, out-rebounding everyone and even dipping his toe in three-point shooting.

Cooper Flagg, forward, Duke

If it wasn't for Cooper Flagg, Broome would have surely been No. 1. Luckily for the two, both were named as All-American forwards right before the tournament started. Flagg comes into the tournament with a minor injury, but he should be fully recovered sooner than later. When he's fully healthy, Flagg is a force to be reckoned with. Having turned 18 years old just a few months ago, Flagg is already considered a surefire bet to the be the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

He can score by driving to the rim or pulling up from mid-range or downtown. He can find the open man and set up teammates in a variety of ways. He can rebound with his long arms, which he also uses to block shots and cut out es in tight lanes. He's also an 83% free-throw shooter, which always comes in handy come tourney time.