Stars emerged in the Sweet 16, as Cinderellas marched on and perceived favorites fell by the wayside on the quest for the national title.
Yet, still, when you look back on their high school standing, projection had little to do with how they produced in Round 3.
To that end, we analyzed a group of Sweet 16 stars and looked back on where they stood during their high school playing days before breaking down how they were able to steal the spotlight.
March Madness: Previewing the Sweet 16 | Ranking the Sweet 16 games | Ten likely stars of the second weekend of the NCAA tournament | Where the first-round stars were ranked in high school | Second round | Yahoo's March Madness coverage
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2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
2026 Rankings: Top 100
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Chase Hunter, Clemson
HS ranking: 105
Hunter was a solidified scorer at the point in high school, using the combination of his athleticism and efficient trigger from deep to keep the defense off-balance for Westlake High School. That led to his four-star rating in 2019, and him, ultimately, picking the Tigers over Auburn.
On Thursday, Hunter posted 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists to lead the No. 7 Tigers past No. 2 Arizona, 77-72.
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Grant Nelson, Alabama
HS ranking: N/A
Don’t look for Nelson in the Rivals150 during his senior year in 2020, the versatile forward flew well below the radar during his high school playing days. Nelson dominated the competition at North Dakota State and transferred to Alabama last spring.
On Thursday, he dropped 24 points and 12 rebounds to help the No. 4 Crimson Tide pull off the 89-87 upset over No. 1 North Carolina.
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Terrence Shannon, Illinois
HS ranking: 62
The uber-athletic southpaw used his high-wire act and unrelenting motor to dominate the competition in high school, finishing as a four-star prospect and committing to Texas Tech over Illinois before coming back to Champaign in 2022.
On Thursday, Shannon scored 29 points and snagged five rebounds to lead the No. 3 Fighting Illini past No. 2 Iowa State, 72-69.
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DJ Horne, N.C. State
HS ranking: N/A
Horne always had a knack for scoring the ball, back in his playing days at Trinity Christian in high school. Still, that didn’t earn him a spot in the Rivals150 during his senior season in 2019. The three-star prospect committed to Illinois State before transferring to the Wolfpack last year.
On Friday, he scored 19 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead No. 11 N.C. State past No. 2 Marquette, 67-58.
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Zach Edey, Purdue
HS ranking: N/A
The Canadian big man fell below the radar in high school, but emerged as a force at IMG Academy during his senior season, culminating in his three-star rating in 2020. Edey picked Purdue over Baylor and Santa Clara.
Edey totaled 27 points and 14 rebounds in Purdue's rout of Gonzaga in the Sweet 16.
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Jeremy Roach, Duke
HS ranking: 25
Roach was a dominant floor general in high school, earning his stripes on the hardwood as a five-star prospect who used his speed, quickness and three-level scoring ability to overwhelm the opposition. In the end, he picked Duke over Villanova. On Friday, Roach scored 14 points in the second half to help No. 4 Duke pull off the 54-51 upset of No. 11 N.C. State.
