The field of 68 is set.
The 2025 NCAA Tournament will begin on Tuesday with a pair of First Four matchups in Dayton, Ohio, and end with the NCAA championship game on April 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
To celebrate March Madness, the Daily News ranked Nets players based on how the Selection Committee ranked the entire tournament field on Selection Sunday.
Cam Johnson and Day’Ron Sharpe’s North Carolina Tar Heels made it into the Big Dance by the skin of their teeth after posting a 1-12 record against Quad 1 opponents this season. More than 77% of bracketologists had their alma mater on the outside looking in, according to NBC Sports.
“There’s a chance. They just needed to get in,” Johnson said. “Everybody has the same chance now. Everybody has to win the same number of games, except for us, we have to win one extra, but there’s a chance.
UNRANKED
Unfortunately for these players, their schools failed to qualify for the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Better luck next year, guys.
Reece Beekman (Virginia), Tyson Etienne (Wichita State), Tosan Evbuomwan (Princeton), Maxwell Lewis (Pepperdine), D’Angelo Russell (Ohio State), Cam Thomas and Trendon Watford (LSU), Ziaire Williams (Stanford)
7. Johnson & Sharpe, North Carolina
Program rankings: No. 46 overall, No. 11 seed
After transferring from Pittsburgh to UNC, Johnson appeared in 62 games for the Tar Heels across two seasons and averaged 15 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He went 143-for-348 from 3-point range (41.1%), which ranks sixth in school history.
Sharpe appeared in 29 games in his lone season on Chapel Hill and averaged 9.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He led the country in offensive rebound percentage (.183), the ACC in offensive rebounds per game (3.4) and tied for the team lead in total blocks (26). He was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and finished second in voting for ACC Freshman of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year.
6. Nic Claxton, Georgia
Program rankings: No. 34 overall, No. 9 seed
Claxton appeared in 65 games for the Bulldogs across two seasons and averaged 8.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. He was named to the All-SEC Second Team as a sophomore before becoming Georgia’s 36th NBA Draft pick in program history.
5. Tyrese Martin, UConn
Program rankings: No. 31 overall, No. 8 seed
Martin appeared in 51 games for the Huskies across two seasons and averaged 12.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 39.3% from 3-point range. He shot 43% from deep as a senior, which ranked ninth in program history at the time.
4. Jalen Wilson, Kansas
Program rankings: No. 28 overall, No. 7 seed
The only NCAA national champion on this list, Wilson appeared in 104 career games for the Jayhawks across four seasons and averaged 14.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and two assists per game while shooting 43.4% from the field. He’s just the 10th player in program history to record 1,400 career points and 800 career rebounds.
3. Noah Clowney, Alabama
Program rankings: No. 6 overall, No. 2 seed
Clowney appeared in 36 games in his lone season at Alabama and averaged 9.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. He was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team and helped the Crimson Tide to SEC regular season and tournament titles.
2. Keon Johnson, Tennessee
Program rankings: No. 5 overall, No. 2 seed
Johnson appeared in 27 games in his lone season at Tennessee and averaged 11.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 44.9% from the field. He was the Volunteer’s second-leading scorer that season and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.
1. Dariq Whitehead, Duke
Program rankings: No. 2 overall, No. 1 seed
Whitehead appeared in 28 games in his lone season at Duke and averaged 8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and one assists per game. He shot 42.9% from deep, the fifth-best 3-point shooting percentage by a Blue Devils freshman all-time.