March Madness: Where the stars of the second round were ranked in HS
We’re still weeks away from hearing Luther Vandross’ version of the NCAA Tournament classic “One Shining Moment,” but that didn’t stop a handful of players from staking their claim at a cameo in the highly anticipated tournament wrap after the 2024 champion is crowned.
We analyzed a group of second-round stars and looked back on where they were ranked during their high school playing days before breaking down how they were able to steal the spotlight in round one.
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More: Where the stars of the first round were ranked in high school
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High school ranking: 32
Bradley thrived as a pass-first stat sheet filler in high school, making the McDonald’s All-American Game as a four-star point guard in the 2022 class. Bradley ended up committing to Alabama before transferring to Arizona this season.
On Saturday, he was the difference maker, posting 12 points, four rebounds, three blocks and three steals in the 78-68 win over No. 7 Dayton.
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High school ranking: 53
Watson carved out his standing in the 2019 class using his versatility, making his impact from the inside-out. Watson picked the Zags over Washington, Washington State and Idaho.
On Saturday he posted 21 points and six rebounds to lead No. 5 Gonzaga past No. 4 Kansas, 89-68.
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High school ranking: 16
Ingram earned his five-star reputation as a jack of all trades, carving out his spot as one of the top wings in the 2021 class. He committed to Stanford over Harvard, Howard, Michigan, North Carolina and Purdue in high school, but transferred to North Carolina this season.
On Saturday, he keyed No. 1 North Carolina’s run, scoring 17 points and grabbing seven rebounds to roll to an 85-69 win over No. 9 Michigan State.
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High school ranking: N/A
Lipsey was a bulldog of a point guard in high school, using his speed and quickness to get into the lane and finish through contact. Still, he sat at No. 52 at his position in the 2021 class and picked the Cyclones over Nebraska.
On Saturday, he helped No. 2 Iowa State advance, scoring 15 points, grabbing five rebounds and handing out four assists to knock off No. 7 Washington State, 67-56.
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High school ranking: N/A
Burns always thrived in his smash-mouth in the paint brand of hoops, even in high school, yet failed to make it onto the national scene in terms or rankings. Still, he was productive enough to commit to Tennessee in 2018 but transferred to Winthrop after his first season in Knoxville. Now in his second year at NC State, Burns has become one of the best bigs in the NCAA tournament.
On Saturday, he scored 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and handed out four assists to lead the No. 11 Wolfpack past No. 14 Oakland in overtime, 79-73.
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High school ranking: N/A
Knecht was largely off the national radar in high school yet managed to pump in 21 points and 6.5 rebounds a game at Prairie View High School as a senior in 2019. The fifth-year senior transferred to Tennessee after two seasons at Northern Colorado.
On Saturday, he scored 18 points and snagged nine rebounds to lead the No. 2 Vols past No. 7 Texas, 62-58.
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TYLER KOLEK
High school ranking: N/A
You won’t find Kolek in any national rankings when he was putting up numbers at St. George’s School in 2020. The 6-foot-3 point guard committed to George Mason out of high school and transferred to the Golden Eagles in 2021.
On Sunday, he had 21 points, 11 assists and five rebounds to lead No. 2 Marquette past No. 10 Colorado, 81-77.
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High school ranking: 12
McCain was known as a deadly marksman in high school, who was equally dangerous creating off the dribble. The McDonald’s All-American guard picked Duke over Gonzaga and Houston.
On Sunday, he was lights out, draining 30 points to lead No. 4 Duke past No. 12 James Madison, 93-55.
High school ranking: 105
Hunter had a solid reputation as a crafty scorer during his high school playing days at Westlake and put up solid numbers in the Under Armour Association to earn the distinction of being a four-star prospect. He picked the Tigers over Auburn and DePaul in 2019.
On Sunday he poured in 20 points to help the No. 6 Tigers get past No. 3 Baylor, 72-64.
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High school ranking: 106
Sharp was well known for his scoring prowess in high school, producing efficiently at all three levels and earning four-star prospect status as a senior in 2022.
The Cougars held off Texas Tech to land the 6-foot-4 scoring guard, a move that paid off big time on Sunday when he pumped in 30 points to lead No. 1 Houston past No. 9 Texas A&M in overtime, 100-95.