A year after four traditional college basketball powers gathered for the Final Four with each bringing their own collection of former top-100 prospects and at least one former McDonald's All-American, the contrast could not be more striking in 2023. Between No. 4 seed UConn, No. 5 seed Miami, No. 5 seed San Diego State and No. 9 seed FAU, there is not a single former McDonald's All-American who will be suiting up in Houston this weekend for the national semifinals.
It marks the first time that's happened since the NCAA began seeding the tournament in 1979, and it's just one way to define the under-the-radar group of players who will be competing on the sport's grandest stage for a national title. The highest ranking any of the rotation players in this season's Final Four received as a high school prospect in the 247Sports Composite was Jordan Hawkins' No. 51 ranking in the Class of 2021. The UConn shooting guard is one of just eight former top-100 prospects receiving regular playing time on a Final Four team this season, and six of them play for the Huskies.
By comparison, all five of Duke's starters in last year's Final Four were ranked better in their respective recruiting classes than even the most highly touted player in this year's Final Four. In fact, there are more rotation players who were unranked as high school prospects in the 2023 Final Four (12) than players who were considered top-100 prospects.
"What's separated them is their work ethic and their drive to be successful," FAU coach Dusty May said last week of his team, which features no former top-100 prospects. "And probably being a little bit under recruited, it contributes to that. But it's just a really special group where they like each other, they compete against each other like it's life and death, and then they're in the locker room hanging out for several hours. So it's a really unique blend of personalities and characters, but the one commonality is they're a very competitive and hardworking group."
Here is a look at how each 2023 Final Four team's rotation players ranked as high school prospects in the 247Sports Composite. None were considered five-star prospects.
No. 4 seed UConn
Average ranking: 152.5
Unranked players: 1
Starters
- Tristen Newton | N/A
- Jordan Hawkins | No. 51
- Alex Karaban | No. 95
- Andre Jackson | No. 53
- Adama Sanogo | No. 85
Bench
- Nahiem Alleyne | No. 366
- Donovan Clingan | No. 56
- Joey Calcaterra | No. 432
- Hassan Diarra | No. 82
No. 5 seed Miami
Average ranking: 120.8
Unranked players: 2
Starters
- Isaiah Wong | No. 88
- Nijel Pack | No. 126
- Wooga Poplar | No. 123
- Jordan Miller | N/A
- Norchad Omier | N/A
Bench
- Bensley Joseph | No. 106
- Harlond Beverley | No. 54
- Anthony Walker | No. 228
No. 5 seed San Diego State
Average ranking: 232.5
Unranked players: 3
Starters
- Darrion Trammell | N/A
- Lamont Butler | No. 243
- Matt Bradley | No. 112
- Keshad Johnson | No. 300
- Nathan Mensah | No. 287
Bench
- Jaedon LeDee | No. 103
- Micah Parrish | N/A
- Aguek Arop | N/A
- Adam Seiko | No. 350
No. 9 seed FAU
Average ranking: 261
Unranked players: 6
Starters
- Alijah Martin | N/A
- Johnell Davis | N/A
- Bryan Greenlee | No. 467
- Nick Boyd | N/A
- Vladislav Goldin | No. 211
Bench
- Gianacarlo Rosado | N/A
- Jalen Gaffney | No. 105
- Brandon Weatherspoon | N/A
- Michael Forrest | N/A