Final Four 2016: Ranking every starter from No. 20 to No. 1

The Final Four is always going to be filled with talented players. That's an undeniable fact.

At the top end, this Final Four feels no different in that regard. There are two first-team All-Americans, plus a few other top-50 players within the sport. However, one only has to take a look at last year's rankings to realize that this Final Four is a bit more team-oriented than individually so.

A year ago, future lottery pick Trey Lyles was ninth. Denzel Valentine, a first-team All-American this season, was 13th. Branden Dawson, another draft pick last year, was 15th. Simply put, it was a loaded year talent-wise that could see 15 of the 20 players involved play in the NBA someday.

This time around, I think we'll be lucky to see 10 of these guys reach the highest level. And really, that's a perfect microcosm of this college basketball season. Overall, talent is down around the country, but the team play has been superb. One only has to look at Oklahoma and Villanova to see how far ball movement and defense can get you. Syracuse has shown that heart and tough-nosed zone defense can get you to the promised land. And finally, North Carolina has five players averaging between nine and 12 points per game next to Brice Johnson.

Still, it's an interesting exercise to rank the starters for each team. Here, you'll see that Villanova and Oklahoma particularly have some depth in the starting lineup. You'll also note Syracuse coming up relatively low, but remember that Tyler Lydon is arguably the team's second-best player and he comes off the bench. Isaiah Hicks is another guy better than some of these starters for North Carolina.

So without further ado, here is how I'm ranking the starters going forward heading into Saturday's double-header.

20. DaJuan Coleman | F | Syracuse

Coleman's the clear last-place guy in these units, but his story is pretty terrific given how many injuries he has had to come back from to get to this point. Still, Coleman only plays 17 minutes per game and Tyler Lydon is often the guy the Orange use in crunch time. Still, it's nice that Coleman has gotten through a full season without missing a game due to injury.

19. Tyler Roberson | F | Syracuse

Roberson has been a really strong rebounder and solid defender in the zone for Syracuse, and it speaks more to the level of those above him than his own play that he's 19th. He's averaging nine points and eight rebounds per game, and is just about as good a role player as you'll find for a team that could use his activity, especially on the offensive glass.

18. Kennedy Meeks | F | North Carolina

Meeks has never fully developed at North Carolina, in large part due to injuries. He's still a really good passing big man with a solid low-post game, and that certainly has value for the Tar Heels. However, the team often looks better with backup Isaiah Hicks out there, and that limits him to 20 minutes per game. Certainly a solid collegiate starter, but definitely the fifth cog in North Carolina's machine.

17. Trevor Cooney | G Syracuse

Cooney has been one of the most maligned players in Syracuse history, but he and Coleman are now the only two Cuse players to play in two Final Fours. That's a pretty remarkable achievement. The 6-foot-4 guard averages 12.7 points while playing solid defense, but his inefficient shooting knocks him down on this list a bit.

16. Jalen Brunson | G | Villanova

Following Brunson's MVP performance at the FIBA U19s last summer, it was expected that he would come in and become one of the most important players on the Wildcats. Well, that hasn't exactly happened, but he's still an efficient, smart second point guard for Jay Wright's team that is averaging nearly 10 points and three assists per game with efficient shooting.

15. Khadeem Lattin | F | Oklahoma

Lattin's a really interesting player. His grandfather started at center on the famous Texas Western team from 50 years ago that became the first team with an all-black starting five to win the national title. Now it's Khadeem's turn to take a run at it. He's an athletic center who really protects the heck out of the rim and defends well in space. The 6-foot-9 center is also an efficient, above-the-rim finisher.

14. Malachi Richardson | G | Syracuse

Richardson arguably is the reason the Orange are in this position right now. If he doesn't go on his massive run in the second half against Virginia on Sunday, it's hard to see how the Orange were going to get enough offense to come back and beat the Cavaliers. He's the Orange's second-leading scorer at 13.3 points per game, but it's worth noting that he's still shooting just 36.5 percent from the field. He's capable of getting on a heater and beating anyone, but the real scary thing is going forward that he might be a year away from really dominating the college game.

13. Justin Jackson | G/F | North Carolina

Jackson hasn't really developed quite as rapidly as anticipated, but he's a super-smart player who gets into the middle range and hits shots. It wouldn't surprise me if he's the weapon the Tar Heels try to employ in the middle of the Syracuse zone with his solid decision-making and passing. If he sticks around next season, he could be the guy for Roy Williams' team after it loses a couple of the above players.

12. Jordan Woodard | G | Oklahoma

Woodard has had a tremendous improvement over last season, upping his scoring while also becoming an extremely efficient player. He's the team's second-leading scorer at 13 points while also dishing out nearly four assists and sharing point duties with Isaiah Cousins. The biggest improvement in his game has come with his jump-shooting, as he's now hitting 46 percent of his 3s. Woodard is one of those guys who can win you a game if he gets hot, just like he did against Texas A&M.

11. Kris Jenkins | F | Villanova

Jenkins is the Wildcats' second-leading scorer, averaging 13.8 points per game. The 6-6 forward has become an excellent floor-spacing 4-man for Jay Wright's offense, hitting 38 percent of his nearly 250 3-point attempts this season. He has been extremely consistent for the Wildcats, and could be higher on this list, but in the end the players listed from No. 6 through 12 are so bunched together that it's hard to have a wrong order.

10. Joel Berry | G | North Carolina

Berry had something of a disappointing freshman campaign last season but he has been anything but that as a sophomore. He has been arguably the most consistent performer on the Tar Heels, providing a steadying presence at the point with his ability to slash and shoot offensively as well as provide solid defense. In a lot of ways, he has held together the Tar Heels' backcourt while the rest of the guys there struggled to find their roles.

9. Ryan Spangler | F | Oklahoma

A tough, rugged forward who has seemingly been in college forever, Spangler will finally get to play on the biggest stage. The Oklahoma native is as physical as you'll find, and he is averaging 10.3 points and 9.2 rebounds. Offensively, he also has the ability to step away and knock down 3-pointers. He's a smart, efficient player that will have his work cut out for him against Villanova's Jenkins.

8. Ryan Arcidiacono | G | Villanova

Another senior who has had an absolutely superb collegiate career. Arcidiacono is as tough as they come, routinely giving up his body to make plays and constantly making every single little play his team needs to win. He's scoring 12.3 points and dishing out 3.7 assists as a major part of Villanova's superbly efficient offense, while also playing hard-nosed defense. He'll set the tone for what is a really strong Villanova team.

7. Isaiah Cousins | G | Oklahoma

Cousins has had a great career at Oklahoma. The senior guard has transitioned more to the point role this season, averaging 12.8 points and doubling his assists per game from 2.2 in 2014-15 to 4.6 this season. He's still a terrific shooter, knocking down 42 percent of his 3s. Finally, he's Oklahoma's best perimeter defender. Basically, every team in America would love to have Cousins as the perfect complementary player next to a star, and he'll have his work cut out for him against the tough backcourt of Villanova.

6. Daniel Ochefu | F | Villanova

Ochefu is one of the most efficient players in college basketball. He defends well inside, grabs an extremely high percentage of the rebound opportunities when he's on the floor and he finishes around the rim at a 62 percent clip. The guy is just a rock inside for the Wildcats, and he'll be extremely important in the Final Four as Oklahoma's frontcourt is not only tough with the rugged Spangler, but also athletic with Lattin's ability to block shots and defend.

5. Marcus Paige | G | North Carolina

Paige is heating up at the right time for the Tar Heels. After a bit of a downturn during his senior season, Paige has had a resurgence over the month of March. He's hitting 41.3 percent of his 3-point attempts since the start of the ACC Tournament vs. only 32.4 percent before. The 6-4 point guard also looks more confident and sure of himself as he and Berry have worked a bit better together in the backcourt over the course of this month. If Paige is playing like this, the Tar Heels are the undeniable favorites to come away with the title.

4. Michael Gbinije | G | Syracuse

What a turn for the Duke transfer. Gbinije has turned into one of the better, more complete players in all of college basketball. The wing-turned-point-guard is averaging 17.6 points and 4.4 assists to go with 4.1 rebounds. He's one of 14 players nationally to put up such numbers and the only player remaining in the field to provided such diverse statistical contribution. Throw in the fact that he has also become a terror at the top of that Syracuse zone for Jim Boeheim, and there's a lot to like about Gbinije's game.

3. Josh Hart | G | Villanova

Hart is Villanova's best player on both ends of the floor. Simply put, the 6-5 guard just plays hard. He attacks you on offense with solid ball-handling ability and strength for his size. Hart will also attack you on defense and on the glass as hard as any guard in the country after the first shot. He has been a terrific shooter over the latter part of the season, and he finishes well inside. Basically, Hart is as complete a player as you'll find in college basketball.

2. Brice Johnson | F | North Carolina

Johnson was named a first-team CBS Sports All-American after a season where he averaged 17.1 points and 10.5 rebounds while shooting over 60 percent from the field. The Tar Heels big man has placed himself firmly back on the map of NBA scouts with his terrific play, and could be a first-round pick in the 2016 draft. More important, beyond his offensive production, Johnson has been far better defensively over the past month, becoming a terror as a weak-side shot-blocker and doing a better job of shutting down penetration in screen-and-roll situations. Against Syracuse, his rebounding ability could be a massive boon against the 2-3 zone.

1. Buddy Hield | G | Oklahoma

Who else can be in the No. 1 spot other than Buddy? The Oklahoma sharp-shooter is averaging 25.4 points on the season and he has upped that to 29.3 in the NCAA Tournament. Hield was named the CBS Sports Player of the Year for his terrific contributions this season in leading the Sooners to the Final Four. Not only has Hield consistently been awesome this season, but he has stepped up in the biggest spots. I would expect no different from the nation's best remaining player in the field in the Final Four, even against a tough defensive team like Villanova.