On the latest episode of the March Madness 365 podcast (#MM365), March Madness correspondent Andy Katz breaks down the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament field and he is joined by NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee chairman Tom Burnett.
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During the weekly Katz Ranks segment, Katz ranked his top 10 players who play for a double-digit seed in the NCAA tournament.
1. Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
"I mean, he's an All-American-type player," Katz said, "and certainly can lead Indiana a couple rounds in this tournament."
Jackson-Davis averages 18.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.9 assists per game as the Hoosiers' leading scorer and rebounder.
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2. Hunter Dickinson, Michigan
"Certainly he's one of the best bigs in the country," Katz said.
Michigan's 7-foot-1 center averages 18.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 blocks per game, while making 18 3-pointers, after not making any last season.
3. Ron Harper Jr., Rutgers
Harper, whose game-winning 3-pointers sank both Purdue and Indiana this season, is Rutgers' leading scorer at 15.6 points per game, to go along with 5.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
He has helped the Scarlet Knights reach back-to-back NCAA tournaments after the program hadn't made it since 1991, prior to the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
4. Izaiah Brockington, Iowa State
Brockington, who started his college career at St. Bonaventure before transferring to Penn State and later Iowa State, helped the Cyclones improve from a 2-22 season in 2021 to making the NCAA tournament in 2022. He's averaging a team-best 17.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, an improvement of 4.6 points per game from last season at Penn State.
5. Keve Aluma, Virginia Tech
"He was the preseason ACC Player of the Year," Katz said.
Aluma helped Virginia Tech win the ACC championship as he scored between 18 and 20 points in all four of the Hokies' ACC tournament games, capped off with a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double against Duke in which he also had seven assists.
6. Blake Wesley, Notre Dame
"He's an outstanding guard who can make plays," Katz said.
Wesley is the lone underclassman in Notre Dame's rotation and the 6-foot-5 guard is the team's leading scorer at 14.6 points per game.
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7. Jamaree Bouyea, San Francisco
"Great scorer," Katz said. "Plays off Khalil Shabazz in the backcourt."
Bouyea leads the Dons in scoring at 16.7 points per game, while shooting 37 percent from 3-point range and just shy of 54 percent inside the arc.
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8. Kameron McGusty, Miami (FL)
McGusty leads Miami in scoring at 17.6 points per game, the best mark of his career. He's a 37.3-percent 3-point shooter and a 81.4-percent free throw shooter.
9. Jacob Gilyard, Richmond
"He is arguably the best perimeter hawker, if you will, outside of (Rutgers') Caleb McConnell, because he's the leading steals-getter in the country," Katz said.
The 5-foot-9 guard averages 3.1 steals per game, plus 13.3 points, 5.4 assists and 3.4 rebounds.
10. Ryan Davis, Vermont
Vermont won the America East tournament by marching through three opponents with an average margin of victory of 36.7 points and Davis averaged 17.3 points per game in the wins.
