Fantasy BasketballNCAA

NCAA Tournament 2014: Ranking the Top 116 Players

NCAA Tournament Andrew Wiggins
Photo Credit: Jamie Squire/ Getty Images NA

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

  1. Doug McDermott, F Creighton
  2. Jabari Parker, F Duke
  3. Russ Smith, G Louisville
  4. DeAndre Kane, G Iowa State
  5. Gary Harris, SG Michigan State
  6. Andrew Wiggins, SF Kansas
  7. Nik Stauskas, SG Michigan
  8. Adreian Payne, PF Michigan State
  9. Kyle Anderson, G/F UCLA
  10. Melvin Ejim, F Iowa State
  11. Nick Johnson, SG Arizona
  12. Montrezl Harrell, PF Louisville
  13. Scottie Wilbekin, PG Florida
  14. Rodney Hood, SF Duke
  15. Shabazz Napier, PG Connecticut
  16. Marcus Paige, G North Carolina
  17. Cameron Bairstow, PF New Mexico
  18. Marcus Smart, G Oklahoma State
  19. C.J. Fair, SF Syracuse
  20. Julius Randle, PF Kentucky
  21. Jordan Adams, SG UCLA
  22. Joseph Young, SG Oregon
  23. Perry Ellis, F Kansas
  24. Kendall Williams, G New Mexico
  25. Tyler Ennis, PG Syracuse
  26. Georges Niang, PF Iowa State
  27. Caris LeVert, G Michigan
  28. Frank Kaminsky, C Wisconsin
  29. Cleanthony Early, F Wichita State
  30. Wayne Selden, SG Kansas
  31. Jerami Grant, F Syracuse
  32. Malcolm Brogdon, SG Virginia
  33. Xavier Thames, PG San Diego State
  34. Jayvaughn Pinkston, F Villanova
  35. Sam Dekker, F Wisconsin
  36. Aaron Gordon, F Arizona
  37. Fred VanVleet, PG Wichita State
  38. Glen Robinson III, SF Michigan
  39. Darrun Hilliard, SG Villanova
  40. Keith Appling, PG Michigan State
  41. Markel Brown, SG Oklahoma State
  42. Kaleb Tarczewski, C Arizona
  43. Branden Dawson, F Michigan State
  44. Ron Baker, G Wichita State
  45. Casey Prather, G/F Florida
  46. T.J. Warren, F NC State (OPENING ROUND)
  47. Buddy Hield, SG Oklahoma
  48. Joe Harris, SG Virginia
  49. Lamar Patterson, G/F Pittsburgh
  50. Semaj Christon, SG Xavier (OPENING ROUND)
  51. Cory Jefferson, PF Baylor
  52. Winston Shepard, G/F San Diego State
  53. Bryce Cotton, PG Providence
  54. Terran Petteway, SG Nebraska
  55. Joel Embiid, C Kansas (INJURY)
  56. Denzel Valentine, G/F Michigan State
  57. James Bell, G/F Villanova
  58. Patric Young, C Florida
  59. Isaiah Taylor, PG Texas
  60. Ryan Spangler, F/C Oklahoma
  61. T.J. McConnell, PG Arizona
  62. Rasheed Sulaimon, SG Duke
  63. Sean Kilpatrick, SG Cincinnati
  64. Alex Kirk, C New Mexico
  65. Chris Jones, G Louisville
  66. Nigel Hayes, PF Wisconsin
  67. Aaron Craft, PG Ohio State
  68. Talib Zanna, C Pittsburgh
  69. Ben Brust, SG Wisconsin
  70. Treveon Graham, G/F VCU
  71. Kenny Chery, PG Baylor
  72. Mike Moser, F Oregon
  73. Brice Johnson, PF North Carolina
  74. Roy Devyn Marble,G/F Iowa (OPENING ROUND)
  75. Dustin Hogue, F Iowa State
  76. Ryan Boatright, G Connecticut
  77. Jarnell Stokes, PF Tennessee (OPENING ROUND)
  78. Michael Frazier, SG Florida
  79. Jahii Carson, PG Arizona State
  80. Justin Jackson, PF Cincinnati
  81. Jordair Jett, PG Saint Louis
  82. LeBryan Nash, F Oklahoma State
  83. James Michael McAdoo, F North Carolina
  84. Ryan Arcidiacono, PG Villanova
  85. Austin Chatman, PG Creighton
  86. Akil Mitchell, PF Virginia
  87. Aaron White, F Iowa (OPENING ROUND)
  88. Jordan Bachynski, C Arizona State
  89. Joe Jackson, PG Memphis
  90. LaQuinton Ross, SF Ohio State
  91. Isaiah Austin, F/C Baylor
  92. Naadir Tharpe, PG Kansas
  93. London Perrantes, PG Virginia
  94. Tyler Haws, SG BYU
  95. Amile Jefferson, PF Duke
  96. Halil Kanicevic, PF St. Josephs
  97. Jordan Woodard, PG Oklahoma
  98. Chaz Williams, PG Massachusetts
  99. Marcus Foster, SG Kansas State
  100. DeAndre Daniels, F Connecticut
  101. Cameron Ridley, C Texas
  102. James Young, SG Kentucky
  103. Quinn Cook, PG Duke
  104. Norman Powell, F UCLA
  105. Dwayne Evans, F Saint Louis
  106. Andrew Harrison, PG Kentucky
  107. Dwight Powell, PF Stanford
  108. J.P Tokoto, F North Carolina
  109. Travis Trice, G Michigan State
  110. Jordan McRae, G/F Tennessee (OPENING ROUND)
  111. Trevor Cooney, SG Syracuse
  112. Askia Booker, G Colorado
  113. Will Yeguete, F Florida
  114. Cady Lalanne, C Massachusetts
  115. Aaron Harrison, SG Kentucky
  116. 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

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3 Comments

  1. Chris
    March 18, 2014 at 12:26 pm

    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

    • Adam Ganeles
      March 18, 2014 at 7:41 pm

      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.

      • March 27, 2014 at 8:35 pm

        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