Top Players in 2016 March Madness Tournament

bit.ly/indichallenge Here is the link to sign up for the indihoops bracket challenge! Winners get prizes and it’s free to sign up!

March Madness is only a couple of days away. We take a look at the top 10 players in college basketball, their role and a look back on the AAU program they played for.

**These rankings are not in order

1. Buddy Hield: Oklahoma, AAU Team-Pray and Play Players (KS) Hield, who originally is from the Bahamas, had a big-time summer in his junior year that garnered him several high major offers.The senior guard leads the Sooners to a second seed in the big dance and he averages 25 points and five rebounds a game this season. Oklahoma will look for him to lead the group and potentially make a long run.
2. Perry Ellis: Kansas, AAU Team-Pray and Play Players (KS) Ellis and Hield were teammates in AAU and like Hield, Ellis stayed four years to play collegiately. The forward is sound fundamentally and seems to make the right play when he has the ball. His play doesn’t wow you but he is productive nonetheless. The Jayhawks require Ellis’s leadership to make a deep run.
3. Denzel Valentine: Michigan State, AAU Team-Michigan Mustangs (MI) We go with our third straight senior and the versatile guard has put up tremendous numbers with 19 points, eight rebounds and assists per game. Before he put on the green and white jersey, he had to show in the summer while he was in high school that he could shoot before Tom Izzo offered him a scholarship and he did just that and the rest is history.
4. Jamal Murray: Kentucky, AAU Team-CIA Bounce: Murray’s was labeled the best guard in Canada in his class and before he suited for the Wildcats he had an impressive performance against Team USA in the Pan American Games. Murray and the fourth seeded Wildcats may see a heavyweight second round matchup against Indiana (if both teams win) and that’ll definitely be a game to watch.
5. Kris Dunn: Providence, AAU Team-Connecticut Basketball Club (CT) Dunn played with rising NBA star Andre Drummond during the AAU season and now the 6’4 point guard is making a name for himself. Dunn has drawn comparisons to John Wall and will most likely be a top ten pick in this summer’s draft. The 9th seeded Friars will play USC in the first round and if they win it won’t get much easier but with Dunn running the show, they have a chance.
6. Jaylen Brown: California, AAU Team-Gametime (GA) Brown was a monster in high school and in the Adidas Circuit for Game Elite. The 6’7 225 pound forward is a matchup problem as he has the ability to play and guard different position due to his strength and athleticism.Fourth seed Golden Bears may see Maryland if both teams when their opener and that will be an intriguing matchup.
7. Brice Johnson: North Carolina, AAU Team-Carolina Wolves (SC) The 6’10 big man plays with a high motor and a lot of heart. Averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds a games, Johnson is a big reason the Tarheels have a chance at winning a national championship this year. His junior year in AAU was huge him as his value skyrocketed and was a top 25 player nationally. Johnson is looking to end his collegiate career with a title.
8. Georges Niang: Iowa State, AAU Team-BABC (MA) That BABC squad that Niang was on was loaded with Kansas guard Wayne Selden and NBA center and 2013 lottery pick Nerlens Noel on there. Niang has one of if not the most accomplished player in Iowa State basketball history.
9. Grayson Allen: Duke, AAU Team-E1T1 (FL) Allen didn’t start for his AAU team as he was behind 2015 second overall pick D’Angelo Russell. The sophomore guard has had a strong season averaging 22 points, five rebounds and four assists a game and he will be looked upon to have big games this tournament.
10. Tyler Ulis: Kentucky, AAU Team-Meanstreets (IL) Arguably the best pure point guard in the country, Ulis averages 17 points and seven assists a game. In high school, his play in the Nike EYBL Circuit led him to be ranked as the number eight point guard in the nation. Ulis is small but very tough, he and Murray will be major factors for Kentucky’s success going forward.