With this year’s NCAA Championship set to come to a close, with clashes between Houston and Florida and UConn and South Carolina, some players have also been building their brand off the court.
Including the likes of NBA Draft prospects Paige Bueckers and Cooper Flagg, these are five of the most followed players following this year’s March Madness Tournament.
The Top 5 Most Followed Players Playing in March Madness
Cooper Flagg – 1.1M Followers
Flagg’s NCAA Career came to a disappointing end, following a shock comeback from the Houston Cougars to beat his Duke side 70-67, but on the Social Media side of things, this tournament has been a huge success.
The NBA Draft Prospect, who’s projected to go as the Number 1 pick, currently has 1.1 million followers on Instagram, the most of any male NCAA star in March Madness this year.
Cooper Flagg has been named as the 2025 Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year 👏🔥 pic.twitter.com/KvwQr5Ffcm
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 6, 2025
The Duke star mostly uses his social media in order to pedal his NIL Deals and Sponsorships, including Uber Eats, New Balance, and CAA Sports.
Juju Watkins – 1.1M Followers
Juju Watkins’s sophomore season came to a devastating end following an ACL injury in the second round of the tournament.
The 19-year-old has established herself as a powerhouse on social media, with over 1.1 million followers. Some have called her the NCAA’s answer to the void made by Caitlin Clarke.
Hailey Van Lith – 1.2 million
Prior to this year’s March Madness tournament, TCU’s Hailey Van Lith actually collaborated with the official Instagram account ahead of the tournament, showcasing her fashion and shoe collection.
Outside of being one of the NCAA’s best players, after winning the Big 12 Tournament, the TCU Guard also has a connection to Kobe Bryant, which has endeared her to fans following his passing.
The TCU star was one of the last people to be mentored by Kobe Bryant, with the NBA All-Time Great attending one of her high school games in Wassington just two weeks prior to his passing.
Van Lith is also sponsored by the likes of Adidas, Billonare Girls Club, Gatorade, and a host of other NIL Deals.
Flau’jae Johnson – 2.1 million
Outside of being one of LSU’s best players, averaging 18.6 points this season for Kim Mulkey, Johnson is also known for her career in the music industry, showcasing her two talents on her Instagram.
Flau’jae regularly posts about her budding music career on her social media, also breaking the internet as she collaborated with rap star Lil Wayne in a video that reached over 2.8 million views.
The LSU star also posts about her many NIL Deals on her social media, including sponsorships from the likes of PUMA, JBL, and Samsung, including a recent post where she showcased how much of a marketing star she is.
Paige Bueckers – 2.2 million
At the top of the list, similar to Flagg, is the top-ranked prospect for next year’s NBA Draft, Bueckers, who is set to face South Carolina in this year’s NCAA Championship Final.
According to Opendorse, Bueckers is the most marketable player in the NCAA, with a post from the UConn star being worth over $62,000.
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Averaging 20 points per game this season, being the top player in all the NCAA has earned the UConn player some lucrative sponsorship deals, including a custom shoe designed by Nike.
Meanwhile, in the NBA, Bueckers will have a lot of work to do if she wants to catch Woman’s Basketball’s Top Star in Angel Reese, at 4.8 million followers.
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