We are down to four teams, and that means it's time to engage in our annual ritual of ranking their players in the 2021 Final Four. Part of this cherished rite of April is calling the result a "top 25" list, even though there are merely 20 starters. The number 25 just lands better, and, hey, there's nothing wrong with sending some love out to the sixth men.
(Truth in advertising. There are actually 26 players here. There was a tie.)
The rules are simple: We place a heavy emphasis on tournament performance because, well, the NCAA tournament is kind of important. As always, this is not a mock draft. Pro potential is another ball of wax entirely.
Here is how we rank the top 25 players at the 2021 Final Four:
1. Drew Timme, Gonzaga Bulldogs
Who knew Norfolk State held the secret to stopping the unstoppable Timme? The Spartans held him to 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting, but since the round of 64, the sophomore has been on an absolute rampage. In addition to slicing and dicing USC's vaunted interior defense within the first six minutes of the regional final, Timme hung a 30-13 double-double on Oklahoma while shooting 9-of-12 on his 2-point field goals. Not many players can say they were so dominant in a game that they forced the opposing coach to retire. We kid, we kid, but Timme has been sensational.
2. Davion Mitchell, Baylor Bears
For a while in the second half against Arkansas when it looked like the game could go to the wire, Mitchell was dominating the ball on offense and very much living up to his reputation as possibly the nation's best player on D. Never mind the career 65% shooting at the line, the junior has been on fire from the perimeter all year. Then, come tournament time, Mitchell decided it would be fun to be Zion Williamson for a spell, and in the past four games, he has connected on 67% of his 2s on a high volume of attempts.
3. Johnny Juzang, UCLA Bruins
Michigan quite simply could not stop Juzang. The sophomore wove his way through a very good Wolverines defense and ended his evening with 28 points and a punched ticket for the Final Four. Surprisingly, he is shooting a relatively normal 36% on his 3s for the tournament, but his 9-of-14 performance inside the arc is what fueled his effort against UM. And at 6-foot-6, he is more than capable of hurting opponents from anywhere.
4. Quentin Grimes, Houston Cougars
Even at this very late date, Grimes is, somehow, still being underrated. He is esteemed as a vital shooter in a Houston offense that occasionally struggles to find the basket, and certainly his 41% success rate on 3s has given a lift to the Cougars. However, coach Kelvin Sampson loses nothing on defense when Grimes is on the floor; and in fact, the junior possesses a steal rate that ranks alongside those of his teammates.
5. Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga Bulldogs
One terrifying thought among many presented to three other Final Four teams by this Gonzaga bunch is that the Bulldogs have scored a ridiculous 1.23 points per possession in the tournament while Suggs has shot just 20% on his 3s. In typical Suggs fashion, however, the freshman has been a force of nature just the same. He came close to recording a triple-double against USC only to stand pat with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. Ask the Trojans what it's like to see Suggs pull down yet another defensive board (he had nine) and trigger the break himself at lightning speed.
6. Jared Butler, Baylor Bears
On the season as a whole, Butler carries the highest steal rate of any player at the Final Four. Unusually, he is connecting on just 25% of his 3s in the tournament, and it's proper for opponents to fear what an already dominant Baylor might look like if the junior were being his customary self (he shot 44.8% from 3 in Big 12 games this season) from the perimeter. Butler is the archetype of an efficient high-volume scorer and distributor on offense, and then he turns around and assumes the role of one of the nation's top defenders.
7. DeJon Jarreau, Houston Cougars
Watching Jarreau shadow Syracuse's Buddy Boeheim off the ball was one of the underrated delights of the Sweet 16. The senior has been giving this same kind of treatment to frustrated scorers now for a long while. In addition, Jarreau is an outstanding distributor (he has had eight assists in each of the past two games) who's recording a career high for both his volume and makes from beyond the arc. He is this Houston team summed up in one player.
8. Corey Kispert, Gonzaga Bulldogs
A healthy portion of the Gonzaga offense is geared toward generating either layups for everyone or 3s for Kispert, and the senior has not disappointed on that front in the tournament. Despite an off night from the perimeter against USC (3-of-10), he has still connected on 50% of his tries from beyond the arc over the past four contests. His per-tournament-game offensive ratings at KenPom have varied from a "low" (ha!) of 102 to a stratospheric high of 163.
9. MaCio Teague, Baylor Bears
Teague led all scorers with 22 against Arkansas, and the senior has been making shots from both sides of the arc all season. The onetime UNC Asheville star has developed his 2-point game and is now more efficient close to the basket than at any point in his career. His 14 made 3s in the tournament set the standard for his team, and Teague is additionally a career 87% shooter at the line.
10. Tyger Campbell, UCLA Bruins
As the central nervous system for Mick Cronin's offense, Campbell delivers the ball where it needs to go and, in a very real sense, has made this stirring run all the way to the Final Four possible. The Bruins have been distinguished in the tournament by their exceptionally low turnover rate, and Campbell personally has given away the ball just six times in five games.
11. Joel Ayayi, Gonzaga Bulldogs
Up until the point where he caught a nasty and inadvertent Evan Mobley elbow to the face in the USC game, Ayayi was being his steady and methodical 15-point-a-game self in the NCAA tournament. Being the statistical fourth of fifth option for points in the Gonzaga offense is a recipe for incredible efficiency, and, sure enough, for the season the junior is connecting on 67% of his 2-point attempts and 38% of his 3s.
12. Jaime Jaquez, UCLA Bruins
Jacquez was arguably his team's most essential player in UCLA's thrilling overtime victory against Alabama in the Sweet 16. The sophomore played all 45 minutes and logged 17 points, eight rebounds, three steals, three assists and a block. It was a gritty, relentless and ultimately successful effort that nicely sums up how his team has won five straight.
13. Mark Vital, Baylor Bears
For a player who has totaled 16 points in the tournament thus far, Vital has demonstrated time and again that he is essential for Baylor's success. The senior is an outstanding offensive rebounder, and the Bears have excelled at generating more scoring chances than opponents during the tournament. At a listed height of 6-foot-5, Vital is customarily guarding much taller players, and he does so superbly.
14. Andrew Nembhard, Gonzaga Bulldogs
At Florida last year, Nembhard recorded 21% of the shot attempts that occurred while he was on the floor. That number has plummeted to 16% with the Bulldogs this season, but, then again, the junior is a starter on what might be one of the best teams in the sport's history. Nembhard ventured close to the supporting-role performance horizon against Creighton, notching 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting to go along with eight assists and a single turnover.
15. Matthew Mayer, Baylor Bears
Though he averages less than 16 minutes per contest, Mayer has recorded a total of 35 steals this season. He brings energy off the bench and, at 6-foot-9, he is a dual-threat wing who can score from any spot on the court. Mayer made an impression on Wisconsin in the round of 32 by ringing up 17 points in 24 minutes.
16. Marcus Sasser, Houston Cougars
In a Houston defense that routinely disrupts opposing offenses, Sasser is a tireless co-disrupter (see his four steals against Syracuse) who accounts for almost as many shots in this offense as Grimes and hits 88% of his free throws. His 20-point effort against Oregon State in the regional final was highlighted by five 3s and two steals.
17. Jules Bernard, UCLA Bruins
The Sweet 16 victory over Alabama had many heroes, but Bernard's four makes from beyond the arc were a crucial ingredient in the Bruins' success that evening. The junior typifies one aspect of the UCLA attack in that on the season as a whole, his 3s were attempted at a low volume but those shots were on target a high percentage of the time.
18. Justin Gorham, Houston Cougars
Let's not overthink this: Houston is possibly the best offensive rebounding team in the nation, and Gorham is the main reason the Cougars have attained that status. His five offensive boards against Oregon State characterized a teamwide performance that saw UH pull down 46% of its missed shots.
19. Adam Flagler, Baylor Bears
Flagler earned quality minutes in a stacked rotation more or less from day one after his transfer from Presbyterian. He scored 16 in the Bears' Sweet 16 win over Villanova, and his 42% success rate on 3s for the season blends in seamlessly with the accuracy of his teammates. Scott Drew has the luxury of putting multiple shooters on the floor who also play defense, and versatile players such as Flagler have powered BU to its first Final Four in 71 years.
20. Tramon Mark, Houston Cougars
For a player who comes off the bench, Mark is confident about seeking out his shots and particularly excels at getting to the line. His half-court buzzer-beater against Memphis at the close of the regular season gave the Cougars the win and delivered perhaps this team's most spectacular moment of the season.
21. Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, Baylor Bears
He is a rebounder (particularly on the offensive end) and a shot-blocker, and his 2-point attempts go in the basket. When Tchamwa Tchatchoua comes in off the bench, opponents are exposed to a blast of energy and length.
22. Cody Riley, UCLA Bruins
His playing time can be limited by foul trouble, but Riley gave Alabama fits and in fact blocked four shots in a span of just 26 minutes. At 6-foot-9, he is the lone bastion of size in Cronin's small-ball attack. Riley excels on both the offensive and defensive glass, and he shot 71% at the line in Pac-12 play.
23. Fabian White, Houston Cougars
After suffering an ACL injury that would have ordinarily cost him the entire season, White was able to return to the rotation in February rather than be forced to excercise a medical redshirt thanks to the bonus year of eligibility granted across Division I due to COVID-19. He and Gorham ensure that the Cougars benefit from an ample supply of offensive rebounds.
24. Anton Watson, Gonzaga Bulldogs
At 6-foot-8, Watson has a knack for steals and has already accumulated eight takeaways in the tournament despite coming off the bench and playing just 75 minutes total. Gonzaga's hometown product of Spokane, Washington, can be glimpsed at KenPom as having achieved an offensive rating of 222 against Norfolk State, and, no, that is not a typo.
25. (tie) David Singleton, UCLA Bruins
Singleton came off the bench and came up big for UCLA with 15 points in 20 minutes in the overtime marathon against Alabama
25. (tie) Reggie Chaney, Houston Cougars
Chaney slots in perfectly as an offensive rebounder and a defender in a Houston starting five that thrives at the intersection of those two pursuits.