The end of the 2025 NCAA tournament is close, and every year, a number of college players become superstars during March Madness. So, who are the players that became legends with one tournament run?
Top 10 Players Who Became March Madness Legends
The NCAA tournament is an annual event, which means hundreds of players get to showcase their abilities every year, but only a handful manage to steal the spotlight. Some players have gone on to have impressive careers in the NBA, others became viral sensations, and some wrote their names in the history of college basketball.
We take a look at 10 players who became legends during March Madness.
Steph Curry, Davidson
The name Steph Curry wasn’t particularly popular before the 2008 NCAA tournament, but Curry was the star of the tournament. He led the Wildcats on a Cinderella run to the elite 8. Davidson entered the NCAA Tournament as the No.10 seed and beat No.7 seed Gonzaga in the Round of 64 with a 40-point performance from Curry.
Curry would later drop 30 against Georgetown and 33 against Wisconsin before falling to Kansas in the elite 8. Curry’s elite shooting ability was the talking point of the tournament.
His March Madness breakout boosted his draft stocks, and he was drafted seventh overall in the 2009 NBA draft.
Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse
Carmelo Anthony only played one year of college basketball for Syracuse, but he made sure it was one for the books. He put up one of the best March Madness runs ever in 2003. Anthony averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds and never lost a game in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. He was named Most Outstanding Player as a freshman.
He was a lottery pick as he was drafted third overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2003 NBA draft.
Christian Laettner, Duke
Laettner delivered an all-time performance in the NCAA tournament. He recorded 407 points in the 1992 edition. He is the only player with over 400 March Madness points and the second-best scorer with 49 points.
He led Duke to back-to-back national titles and four straight Final Fours. His tournament run earned him the third overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft and a spot on the Dream Team.
Kemba Walker, UConn
Kemba Walker is considered one of the most clutch and best shot-makers in college basketball history. He delivered one of the greatest postseason runs in college basketball history, carrying UConn to the national championship in 2011.
Walker averaged 23.5 points per game while making elite and clutch shots as UConn won six straight to claim the title. He was a lottery pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and went on to have a successful NBA career.
KEEP READING: Legends of March Madness
Danny Manning, Kansas
In 1988, Manning led a 6-seed Jayhawks squad with limited depth to the national championship title. He dominated throughout the tournament and dropped 31 points and 18 rebounds against favorites Oklahoma in the national championship game.
Manning was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award and selected first overall in the 1988 NBA Draft.
Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Anthony Davis had one of the greatest one-and-done seasons in recent history, leading Kentucky to the national championship. Davis recorded double-digit rebounds in five of the six games he played, registering three double-doubles. He had 16 rebounds and 6 blocks in the title game. His total of 29 blocks is tied for the second-most in a single tournament.
Davis was selected as the number one overall pick in the NBA draft, and he won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2012 Olympics before he had any NBA experience.
Glen Rice, Michigan
Glen Rice holds the record for a single-tournament scoring record. In 1989, he scored 184 points as Michigan went on to lift the championship title. He had a total of 308 points during his March Madness career, which is the sixth most all-time.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, UCLA
Abdul-Jabbar is second all-time on the NBA scoring list, but it was during his college years that UCLA established itself as a dynasty. UCLA won the championship in all the three years Abdul-Jabbar spent on the team, and He was the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player all three years that he played in March Madness.
He averaged 23.5 points per game and scored 304 total points in March Madness.
Donte DiVincenzo, Villanova
DiVincenzo was a role player for Villanova in 2018, but he made himself a household name in the championship game, where he delivered one of the most dominant performances in NCAA championship history.
He came off the bench in the title game against Michigan to score 31 points, the most in a championship game in nearly 40 years. He won the Most Outstanding Player award as Villanova won its second title in three years.
KEEP READING: March Madness Fun Facts: Surprising Stats and Records You Need To Know
Bryce Drew, Valparaiso
Drew was a solid guard who became popular following his buzzer-beater in the 1998 NCAA tournament. In the first round against Ole Miss, 13th-seeded Valparaiso trailed by two with seconds left. Drew drilled a game-winning three-point shot as time expired.
“The Shot” sent Valpo to the second round and made Drew a national sensation. He would eventually return to Valparaiso as head coach.
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