March Madness Stars of the Past 20 Years
March Madness starts this week, which means this is unquestionably one of the best weeks of the year. We get our appetizer with the first four games that serve as play-in games for those teams that barely made the tournament. Then on Thursday morning, we get nonstop basketball action for over 12 hours. And the best news is, we get to do it all again on Friday. Did I take PTO for this? Absolutely. Didn’t even have to think twice about it. In my eyes, the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament is a national holiday that deserves to be celebrated by all. The start of the year can be such a depressing time, especially after the football season ends. The tournament is our first glimpse of hope of the year. The weather is starting to turn, the sun is out longer, and we get endless basketball.
As this beautiful tournament starts, I want to take a walk down memory lane. I did a list of the best games we’ve witnessed in the past couple of decades, this year I want to take a look at some of my favorite stars the tournament has given us. There are pure stars, breakout players from Cinderella teams, and heroes that hit big time shots. It was such a joy for me to reminisce about the stars and moments of tournaments past. I hope you all enjoy this walk down memory lane just a fraction of the amount that I did. Also make sure to let me know which March Madness stars I left off this list.
Kemba Walker
How can you go over March Madness stars of the past 20 years and not mention Kemba Walker? March of 2011 should forever be recognized as Kemba Walker Month. Starting in the Big East tournament, the UConn star put the entire country on notice. After his iconic step back game winner against Pitt, there was no stopping the Huskies. On a side note, I spent hours in my driveway trying to recreate that shot. As the NCAA Tournament started, Kemba and the Huskies rolled through the first 3 rounds. These victories were spearheaded by Cardiac Kemba. He was efficient at scoring from the field, three point arc, and the free throw line. This includes 2 30+ point games while being the teams top playmaker. While some rockier games lay ahead, Walker still found a way to get it done. A true March icon, nobody that watched him at UConn was shocked to see Kemba continue his success in the NBA. He gave us an iconic moment with his step back against Pitt and a legendary March nickname. Cardiac Kemba will live on forever.
Mario Chalmers
Chalmers represents a player that became a legend on a singular play as opposed to a dominant tournament run. Don’t get me wrong, the Kansas Jayhawk had an incredible tournament. He scored 11+ points in all 6 tournament games, while also getting multiple steals in each game. The future Miami Heat starter got it done both offensively and defensively in the tournament. That 2008 Kansas team, was loaded and didn’t need to rely on one individual star. Even with that being true, Chalmers was at his best when the lights were brightest. He finished the game with 18 points, 3 assists, 4 steals, and the biggest shot of the game. The Jayhawks were down 53-60 with just two minutes left in the National Title game against Memphis. They mounted a comeback but were still down by 3 in the final seconds. As Kansas heads down the court, their point guard slips but just manages to toss it back to Mario Chalmers running a weave action at the three point line. He fires a three pointer that will live in tournament lore and sent the game to overtime. The Jayhawks end up pulling away in overtime. Anytime you watch a compilation of all time tournament highlights, Mario’s Miracle is sure to be included.
DJ Burns
Now we get to one of the most loveable tournament stars in recent memory. In last year’s tournament (2024), NC State made a Cinderella run as an 11 seed. The Wolfpack had an underwhelming regular season, but won 9 straight games on their journey to a Final Four appearance. They needed to win the ACC Championship just to get in and they did just that. Burns led NC State by dominating the paint on the offensive end. Coming in at 6’9 260 pounds, the big man played an under-the-rim style of basketball. He used touch around the rim and threw his body around with reckless abandon. The mix of power and touch made it nearly impossible for teams without a rim protector to defend. In the Round of 32 and Elite 8, Burns scored 20+ points (24 and 29). Pair his tournament production with an easy to love personality, and we get an all-time March Madness star.
Stephen Curry
Real ball-knowers, got their first glimpse of Steph Curry in the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Before I get into the 2008 tournament, let’s admire Curry’s college career. During his 3 seasons at Davidson, he averaged 20+ in each season and earned both 1st and 2nd team All American honors. Now back to that 2008 tournament. Curry led the Wildcats on an Elite 8 run. Steph scored 40, 30, 33, and 25 points in those four games, giving him an average of 32 points per game during that Cinderella run. That also gave him an average of 5.75 three point-makes per game. That would be an incredible stretch in today’s game. In 2008, when the three point attempts weren’t as high, it was unlike anything we’d ever seen. On this run, Curry led Davison to victories over Gonzaga, Georgetown, and Wisconsin. All this led up to a matchup with Kansas in the Elite 8. Since we already talked, about Chalmers we know Kansas eventually won the championship in 2008. That didn’t stop Steph from scoring 25 points (44% of Davidson’s team total) and keeping the Wildcats in this game. The Jayhawks forced the ball out of Curry’s hands on the last possession and survived the upset bid. We all know Steph as the greatest shooter of all time, but don’t forget we were introduced to him during March Madness.
Gordon Hayward
There are countless players that became legends because of clutch shots they made in the tournament. How many people are iconic for a missed shot? Even crazier, how many of those misses aren’t infamous or considered bad misses? Former Butler star Gordon Hayward falls right into that category. Before we get to his heartbreaking buzzer beater, it’s important to look at how impressive this Butler Cinderella run was. After an incredible regular season, the Bulldogs weren’t overlooked but nobody expected them to make a run to the NCAA Title Game. Hayward was a catalyst on this run with his efficient scoring and rebounding for Butler. His best game was a 22 point, 9 rebound performance against Kansas State in the Elite 8. He followed that up against Michigan State with a 19 point, 9 rebound performance. Hayward was pivotal as the 5-seeded Bulldogs continued to win games and made their way to the National Championship. Butler ended up losing to Duke in heartbreaking fashion. The ball finds it’s way to Hayward with Butler down 2 in the final seconds. He launches a half-court shot that hit the backboard, bounces off the rim, hangs in the air, and ultimately falls to the ground. I could watch that shot a million times and I still think it should go in. The ball didn’t bounce Hayward’s way in 2010 but his performance was one to be remembered.
Kris Jenkins
As kids, we all dream of hitting the game winning shot in the National Championship. Kris Jenkins of Villanova actually got to live out that dream in 2016. Similar to Mario Chalmers, Jenkins scored 10+ point in all 6 tournament games. However, his clutch shot is what created a legacy that will never die. After Marcus Paige of North Carolina hit a circus three pointer, the most forgotten clutch shot of all time, Villanova had the ball with seconds left. They ran a set pay where Ryan Arcidiacono pitched the ball back to Jenkins a few feet behind the three point arc and the rest is history. It gave us a legendary game and legendary calls. “Gives it to Jenkins for the championship,” and “How about those onions?” are two of the most memorable calls I’ve ever heard. Shoutout to the legends Jim Nantz and Bill Raftery. I remember watching this game in a Buffalo Wild Wings and the entire place going crazy when Jenkins hit that shot that cemented him as a March hero.
Jimmer Fredette
Jimmer Fredette is one of those elite individuals that is known worldwide simply by his first name. Add Jimmer to a high powered list of Kobe, Beyoncé, Rhianna, and LeBron just to name a few. What separated him from other stars is the limitless range he operated from beyond the 3 point arc. Once Jimmer crossed half court you needed a defender in his air space immediately. He wasn’t strictly a spot up shooter either, he could create space off the dribble and elevate in the blink of an eye. Fredette and BYU qualified for the NCAA Tournament in both 2010 and 2011. The Cougars played a total of 5 games going 3-2 in those games. While he was a star in both tournaments, his 2011 was otherworldly. Jimmer scored 30+ points and had 5+ assists in all three of their tournament games. The most impressive was a 34 point outburst where he went 7 of 12 from three. Jimmer was unconscious from deep and led BYU to the Sweet 16 with a win over Gonzaga. Fredette is one of the most fun players I’ve ever seen play. I was sure he’d carve a long NBA career out for himself. Despite that never happening, Jimmer is an all-time tournament performer. On a side note, seeing someone in a BYU Jimmer Fredette jersey is a signal that individual is a hoop lover.
David McCormack
This addition to my list, is one that many people overlook. However, if there’s one thing that is as beloved as an underdog story, it’s a redemption story. Kansas center David McCormack was just that. Kansas is a blue blood that get’s national attention every year, no matter the success of the team. For 2 seasons, McCormack was a polarizing player for both Kansas fans and the national media. A skilled big man with the tendency to make mistakes, many people thought he would be the downfall of Kansas in the 2022 tournament. That could not be further from the truth, especially in the Jayhawks last 2 games of the tournament. Kansas relied on the post play of McCormack and the fact that he was one of the best offensive rebounders in the country (3.9 per game). The stat lines for McCormack were 25 points, 9 rebounds and 15 points, 10 rebounds in the Final 4/NCAA Championship games. In the Final 4 matchup against Villanova he had a posterizing dunk to punctuate the Jayhawks dominating win. In a close National Championship contest, he scored clutch baskets to put Kansas up 1 and then up 3 in the final minutes of the championship game. With those baskets the redemption arc for Big Dave was complete, making him not only a Jayhawk legend, but a tournament legend. McCormack’s story just goes to show that it’s not how you start your career, but it’s how you perform when the pressure is at it’s highest.
Jack Gohlke
Jack Gohlke represents everything that the NCAA Tournament is about. A relative unknown, Gohlke played the game of his life, became a national media darling, and upset a college basketball blue blood. His Oakland team only played 2 games in the tournament, but they definitely made an impact. Before we talk about his performance in the tournament, I urge you to look at Gohlke’s regular season shot chart. Dude was on the court to do one thing and one thing only, launch threes. He shot the three at 38% clip in the regular season on a whopping 10 attempts per game. As a 14-seed going up against Kentucky, many people overlooked Oakland. Gohlke and company had something else to say about that. The sharpshooter hit 10 3’s and scored 32 points to help Oakland pull off the upset of the tournament. The initial reaction is to blame the defensive game plan for Kentucky. That game plan deserves some criticism but please watch the highlights of those screens. The Oakland sniper was flying around screens and squaring his shoulder in mid air. A handful of these shots were contested well, but it didn’t matter. He went on to have another great performance and hit 6 more 3’s in the Grizzlies overtime loss to NC State. Gohlke will live on forever in March lore and is probably still hitting contested 3’s as we speak.
Buddy Hield
The Oklahoma star is one of my All-Time favorite college players to watch. Hield put up points in a hurry from all three levels and shot 45.7% from beyond the arc in his All-American senior season. He led his Oklahoma Sooners on a Final 4 run, spearheaded by his high powered scoring ability. On a side note, the Kansas vs. Oklahoma regular season game in 2016 that went to 3OT with Kansas ultimately winning 109-106 was one of the best basketball games I’ve ever witnessed. Hield turned a solid Oklahoma team into a National Title contender as his scoring ability transcended the teams ceiling. Hield continued his season long burner averaging 25.2 points throughout the Sooner’s 5 tournament games. This included outbursts of 36 and 37 points. If you can’t tell based off this list, I love knockdown shooters. Hield was one of the best when it came to high volume and high efficiency the NCAA has ever seen. When he got going, the contest from the defense didn’t matter. The basket was as wide as the ocean when Hield was on a heater which is why he will forever be one of my favorite college players of all time.
Honorable Mentions
Luke Maye
Frank Kaminsky
Aaron Harrison
Thomas Walkup
Clayton Custer
Zach Edey
Alex Caruso
Trey Burke
Doug Edert
There were a lot more honorable mentions on this list than I normally include. It was nearly impossible to keep this list to just 10, so I had to add quite a few of honorable mentions. I meant no disrespect to anyone that was left off this list as this list could have been close to 100 players long. As a basketball loving community, we are simply blessed with the performances we’ve gotten over the years. From the heroes of National Champions to the rising stars of Cinderella’s, it was a joy to watch each and every one of these beasts. Now I just hope our luck continues and that we get a new batch of stars in March Madness 2025.