Rising Stars
Rising Star: Louisville Junior Luke Hancock
Most pundits expected Louisville to be in the national championship game, but no one expected Luke Hancock to play an important role.
Rising Star: Louisville Junior Russ Smith
Russ Smith, nicknamed ‘Russdiculous’ for his frenetic style of play, has been simply wonderful in the tournament.
Rising Star: Arizona Senior Mark Lyons
Mark Lyons had a solid career at a perennial basketball power and helped lead his team to the Sweet 16—last season. This season, he helped lead another basketball power, this time Arizona, to the Sweet 16.
Rising Star: Creighton Junior Doug McDermott
It’s been one tremendous season for Creighton. From the rumors that Creighton will be one of the new teams invited to the Big East to the terrific season for the Bluejays, culminating in a No. 7-seed in the NCAA tournament.
Rising Star: Georgetown Sophomore Otto Porter Jr.
The Georgetown Hoyas have been the class of the Big East in the last season before the conference fully implodes and they are led by one of the best NBA prospects in the college game. Otto Porter Jr. is a smooth small forward with terrific size at 6-feet 8 inches and his potential is off the charts.
Rising Star: Gonzaga Junior Kelly Olynyk
Gonzaga has a history of busting brackets but the Bulldogs now find themselves in the role of the hunted as Gonzaga became No. 1 in the AP poll for the first time in history.
Rising Star: Duke Senior Mason Plumlee
The Duke Blue Devils are a top-five team and will be a tough out come March because of one of the most overlooked attributes in college basketball: senior leadership. With so many talented players leaving early for NBA stardom, having a strong senior-led team isn’t as common as it used to be.
Rising Star: Kansas Freshman Ben McLemore
Ben McLemore may not get the attention that other Player of the Year candidates get, but the Kansas freshman has been drawing plenty of attention from the people that matter most: NBA scouts.
Rising Star: Miami Sophomore Shane Larkin
If Shane Larkin has been on a sports fan’s radar, it’s mostly because he’s the son of Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin. After his breakout game against North Carolina this weekend, it’s time to recognize him as one of college basketball’s rising stars.
Rising Star: Kentucky Freshman Nerlens Noel
This isn’t last year’s Kentucky team and Nerlens Noel is not Anthony Davis. The comparison was natural in the preseason. Like Davis, Noel was one of the top recruits in the country and figured to be the standout of Kentucky’s brand new roster.
Rising Star: Michigan Sophomore Trey Burke
The Michigan Wolverines are the No. 1 team in the country for the first time in more than two decades, and one of the biggest reasons why is point guard Trey Burke. He flirted with the NBA draft at the end of the 2011-2012 season but decided to return for his sophomore campaign to bring Michigan a championship.
Rising Star: Kentucky’s Marquis Teague
By: Mark Chalifoux There’s not much that hasn’t been said about Kentucky. The Wildcats clearly established themselves as the best team in the nation and have the chance to prove it as the favorite in […]
Rising Star: Kansas’ Thomas Robinson
By: Mark Chalifoux If Kansas is going to take down the Kentucky Wildcats in the National Championship game, it’s going to take a monster effort from All-American forward Thomas Robinson. Of course, Robinson is capable […]
Rising Star: Louisville’s Russ Smith
By: Mark Chalifoux Louisville has been on a tear this tournament in what may be head coach Rick Pitino’s finest coaching job as the 4-seeded Cardinals are in the Final Four. They face archrival Kentucky […]
Rising Star: Kentucky’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
By: Mark Chalifoux The NCAA tournament has seen some stellar games, but the only team to really stand out thus far is the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, Kentucky. The Wildcats boast a lineup stock […]
Rising Star: Ohio State’s Deshaun Thomas
By: Mark Chalifoux The NCAA tournament has seen some great individual performances and some great players, but perhaps no better scorer than Ohio State sophomore forward Deshaun Thomas. Opposing defenses can’t focus too heavily on […]
Rising Star: Kansas’ Tyshawn Taylor
By: Mark Chalifoux The senior guard from Kansas hasn’t exactly been dazzling in the NCAA tournament. He put up a less-than-stellar 10 points in a first-round blowout win, an even bigger struggle to get 10 […]
Rising Star: Xavier’s Tu Holloway
By: Mark Chalifoux If you needed one guard in college basketball to win you a game, you’d pick Tu Holloway. The Xavier senior has led the Musketeers to the Sweet 16 three times in his […]
Rising Star: Michigan State’s Draymond Green
By: Mark Chalifoux He’s not the biggest forward in the country but there’s no question that Michigan State’s Draymond Green is one of the best. Green was a first-team All-American forward this season and had […]
Rising Star: Ohio’s D.J. Cooper
By: Mark Chalifoux Ohio point guard D.J. Cooper isn’t a Cinderella, he’s a giant-killer. The 13-seeded Bobcats are the natural media darling in the sweet 16 as the Bobcats are the only mid-major left, but […]
