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March Madness is a wonderful time of year where fans who can't always pay attention to college hoops all season long fill out their brackets, gather around the television and incredulously ask, to everyone and no one, "Wait this guy is still in college!?"
Thanks to the transfer portal and players getting an extra year of eligibility because of the pandemic, it seems like were hearing that question more often than ever.
IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY's NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.
As the 2025 NCAA tournament heats up, there are plenty of names that will definitely sound familiar on the broadcasts.
These nine will top that list.
The 24-year-old center from Northern Virginia played his first the seasons at Michigan before transferring to Kansas ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. He's still at Kansas, finishing up his fifth year while averaging 17.6 points and 10 rebounds per game.
Another fifth-year Jayhawk, Harris has been starting for Kansas since his sophomore season in 2021-22. He helped the Jayhawks bring home a title that season and has kept his job ever since. This season he's averaging 9.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
The 23-year-old began his college career at North Carolina and reached the national championship game as a sophomore in 2022. He spent one more season with the Tar Heels before transferring to Tucson, where he's starred the last two years. Love withdrew from the 2024 NBA Draft to come back, and it's resulted in him averaging 16.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
This is Hepburn's fourth season — and first at Louisville — but it feels like he's been around much longer because he's started every game of his career starting as a freshman with Wisconsin. The move to Louisville has paid off quite well as he's averaging a career-best 16.3 points and 5.9 assists per game.
Anytime a starter stays at Duke for more than two years it feels like they've been around forever. That's how often the Blue Devils send players to the pros. Proctor is only in his junior year, but has started more than 90 percent of Duke's games over that span.
The two-time SEC First-Team selection began his career at Ohio before transferring home to Alabama, where he helped lead the Crimson Tide to the Final Four last season. He's back for his fifth year and playing some of his best basketball yet with 19.0 points and 5.0 assists per game.
Roach played four seasons at Duke, reaching the Final Four in 2022. He transferred to Baylor last offseason and has started to look more like himself as the weather gets warmer. The fifth-year star dropped 21 on Oklahoma State at the end of February as he looks to re-establish his game.
Cryer spent his first three seasons at Baylor before leaving for in-state and in-conference rival Houston. After winning a national title in a limited role with the Bears in 2021, Cryer may very well get a second ring as a star player for the Cougars.
The senior guard spent his first three seasons playing for his father, Darian, at Drake and followed him to the Big 12 after taking the West Virginia job. It's worked out pretty well for both of them as the Mountaineers are back in the NCAA tournament with Tucker averaging 14.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Players still active in NCAA men's basketball during March Madness
Continue reading...
Thanks to the transfer portal and players getting an extra year of eligibility because of the pandemic, it seems like were hearing that question more often than ever.
IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY's NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.
As the 2025 NCAA tournament heats up, there are plenty of names that will definitely sound familiar on the broadcasts.
These nine will top that list.
1. Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
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The 24-year-old center from Northern Virginia played his first the seasons at Michigan before transferring to Kansas ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. He's still at Kansas, finishing up his fifth year while averaging 17.6 points and 10 rebounds per game.
2. Dajuan Harris, Kansas
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Another fifth-year Jayhawk, Harris has been starting for Kansas since his sophomore season in 2021-22. He helped the Jayhawks bring home a title that season and has kept his job ever since. This season he's averaging 9.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
3. Caleb Love, Arizona
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The 23-year-old began his college career at North Carolina and reached the national championship game as a sophomore in 2022. He spent one more season with the Tar Heels before transferring to Tucson, where he's starred the last two years. Love withdrew from the 2024 NBA Draft to come back, and it's resulted in him averaging 16.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
4. Chucky Hepburn, Louisville
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This is Hepburn's fourth season — and first at Louisville — but it feels like he's been around much longer because he's started every game of his career starting as a freshman with Wisconsin. The move to Louisville has paid off quite well as he's averaging a career-best 16.3 points and 5.9 assists per game.
5. Tyrese Proctor, Duke
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Anytime a starter stays at Duke for more than two years it feels like they've been around forever. That's how often the Blue Devils send players to the pros. Proctor is only in his junior year, but has started more than 90 percent of Duke's games over that span.
6. Mark Sears, Alabama
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The two-time SEC First-Team selection began his career at Ohio before transferring home to Alabama, where he helped lead the Crimson Tide to the Final Four last season. He's back for his fifth year and playing some of his best basketball yet with 19.0 points and 5.0 assists per game.
7. Jeremy Roach, Baylor
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Roach played four seasons at Duke, reaching the Final Four in 2022. He transferred to Baylor last offseason and has started to look more like himself as the weather gets warmer. The fifth-year star dropped 21 on Oklahoma State at the end of February as he looks to re-establish his game.
8. L.J. Cryer, Houston
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Cryer spent his first three seasons at Baylor before leaving for in-state and in-conference rival Houston. After winning a national title in a limited role with the Bears in 2021, Cryer may very well get a second ring as a star player for the Cougars.
9. Tucker DeVries, West Virginia
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The senior guard spent his first three seasons playing for his father, Darian, at Drake and followed him to the Big 12 after taking the West Virginia job. It's worked out pretty well for both of them as the Mountaineers are back in the NCAA tournament with Tucker averaging 14.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Players still active in NCAA men's basketball during March Madness
Continue reading...
