With the women’s Final Four set to tip off Friday night and the men’s Final Four on Saturday, the spotlight will shine brightest on the best and most exciting players.
Placed in three tiers, here are 10 players in the women’s and men’s Final Four you must keep your eyes on.
Capable of going off at any time
Paige Bueckers | UConn guard
With Bueckers leading the way, UConn (35-3) is arguably the team to beat. Bueckers has scored 105 points in UConn’s past three tournament games, the most in any three-game span in program history. She scored a career-high 40 points in the Sweet 16 against three-seed Oklahoma. Playing in her fourth Final Four, Bueckers is in position to win her first national championship with the Huskies. One of the best players in UConn’s illustrious history, she will be a handful for one-seed UCLA.
Walter Clayton Jr. | Florida guard
Clayton Jr. made two late threes and scored 30 points to rally the Gators (34-4) past three-seed Texas Tech in the Elite Eight. He is as lethal from long range as any player in the Final Four. Clayton Jr. hit the eighth-most threes (288) this season. That could be a problem for SEC foe Auburn in the Final Four on Saturday.
Madison Booker | Texas forward
On a team that has excelled on defense but failed to score more than 67 points in its past three tournament games, Booker has been a consistent option for Texas (35-3). In this tournament alone, she has scored at least 17 points in each game and contributed to the Longhorns’ stellar defense with six steals. That could prove valuable because Texas lost to South Carolina 64-45 in the SEC tournament title game after splitting two games with the Gamecocks during the regular season.
LJ Cryer | Houston guard
The senior is the go-to option on offense for a team that plays stellar defense (top-ranked in country, 58.3 PPG). His shot-making was on full display in Houston’s 81-76 Round-of-32 win over the eight-seed Gonzaga (30 points on 6-of-11 from deep). Houston’s defense will be important, but Cryer’s success against Duke’s length will be a huge factor in the game.
