The Most Impressive Individual Performers of the First Weekend of March Madness
After another competitive and dramatic college basketball season, March Madness 2025 finally kicked off last Thursday. While a lack of upsets left fans craving more parity, there was no shortage of impressive individual performances from the first weekend. Not only did these players help their teams advance to the next round, but they helped set the tone for the rest of March. From breakout stars to seasoned, established veterans, these players delivered on the biggest stages of their careers.
While all eyes this March were on the Duke Blue Devils and Wooden Award candidate freshmen Cooper Flagg, junior guard Tyrese Proctor was the most impressive individual performer. Proctor led the Blue Devils in scoring in both matches, with 19 points against the 16-seeded Mount Saint Mary’s and a monstrous 25-point outing against nine-seeded Baylor. Proctor was red-hot shooting the rock this weekend, shooting 81% from beyond the arc, knocking down 13 out of his 16 threes. Whether catch-and-shoot or off-the-bounce, Proctor was hitting shots left and right. Additionally, the Aussie guard played very cerebrally, collapsing defenses and delivering crisp kick-outs while playing strong with the ball, only committing one turnover. If Proctor continues to play at this level, Duke will be a brutal beat down the stretch.
The six-seeded Brigham Young University was considered to have one of the toughest paths to the Sweet 16. In the first weekend, it faced a tough 11th seed in VCU and the battle-tested three-seeded Wisconsin Badgers. BYU prevailed, squeezing past both its opponents, thanks to the impressive performance of wing Richie Saunders. The junior has been on fire recently, recording ten-plus points in 20 out of his past 21 games. Saunders scored 16 points against VCU, but his defining performance was against the Badgers. In a back-and-forth battle that came down to the wire, Saunders put up 25 points, with 13 in the second half and two crucial free throws with 1:25 left to extend BYU’s lead. Perhaps the most impactful play from Saunders was his work on the offensive board, snagging six out of his seven rebounds on that end.
Nearly a week after Sean Pedulla sank a game-winner to beat Arkansas in the SEC Tournament, the Ole Miss guard continued his impressive performance, leading the Rebels to their second all-time Sweet 16. Pedulla put up 20 points in both of Ole Miss’s games against North Carolina and Iowa State. A late UNC comeback effort put Ole Miss on the ropes in round one, but thanks to Pedulla scoring seven out of Ole Miss’s last eight points, including a clutch three to make it a three-possession game, the Rebels pulled away. Not only did the senior lead the Rebels in scoring, but assists as well, with 13 total. The scrappy guard was massive in the Rebels’ upset win over the three-seed Iowa State, especially on the defensive side of the ball, effectively pressuring Iowa State’s ball handlers, Tamin Lipsey and Curtis Jones. With a tough matchup against a strong Michigan State team composed of high-level guards, Pedulla will certainly need to perform for Ole Miss to advance.
