March Madness: Top 5 College Basketball Players
- By Declan McManus
- Mar 04, 2022
It is March, which means it is almost time for the Madness! As conference tournaments near and brackets are filled out, college basketball fans across the country anxiously await the most wonderful time of the year where it is all basketball all the time. After a tumultuous two years where the tournament was canceled in 2020 and held in a “bubble” in 2021, the NCAA is back on the road in cities across the US. The national championship game, held on April 4th in New Orleans, is sure to be one for the books. While you are looking for a keynote speaker or a guest appearance for your next event, be sure to check out the top 5 college basketball players on Engage, available to book today:
5. Joey Baker
Joey Baker is a senior and a captain for the Duke Blue Devils. His nickname amongst the fanbase, “Joey Buckets,” is well fitting considering he has been a regular contributor during his time at Duke. His first ever collegiate points came as a freshman in the 2019 NCAA Tournament when his teammate, Zion Williamson, was injured. In high school, Baker reclassified from the class of 2019 to the class of 2018, and even though he was taking on more than the normal load for a high school student, Baker remained the No. 3 prospect in North Carolina and graduated salutatorian of his high school. Baker has a friendly and warm personality, making him the perfect college basketball player to book for an appearance.
4. Jordan Hawkins
Jordan Hawkins is a freshman guard for the University of Connecticut, with what many believe to be an incredibly high ceiling in the sport. Hawkins was the 15th best shooting guard in the class of 2021, but it is well known amongst people who follow collegiate basketball recruiting that had his spring and summer AAU not been affected by COVID, he would likely have been ranked even higher. In 2020, Hawkins was named the Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year, amongst many other accolades. Make sure to consider booking Hawkins to make an appearance at your event before he blows up at the next level.
3. Rhyne Howard
Rhyne Howard is a senior women’s basketball player at the University of Kentucky. In both her sophomore and junior year, she was named the SEC Player of the Year and in her freshman year, she was named the National Freshman of the Year. There is a good chance that after this season, she is one of the first if not the first name off of the board in the 2022 WNBA Draft. In high school, Howard was the 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year and Tennessee Miss Basketball, and before she made her transition to college, Howard spent time with the USA Basketball’s U18 National Team. She led that team to a gold medal and was named the MVP. Howard is an amazingly positive force and considers herself to be creative, blessed beyond measure, and a bit of a goofy goober. What better person to book for an appearance at your next event?
2. Drew Timme
Drew Timme is an NCAA basketball player at Gonzaga University. Timme plays forward for the Bulldogs and he led his team to the NCAA Tournament championship game in 2021. Timme boasts nearly 80 thousand Instagram followers, and his big personality stole the attention of millions of Americans across the country last year. Time was a five star recruit and was nominated for the 2019 McDonald’s All-American game with scholarship offers from nearly 30 notable programs across all of collegiate basketball’s most competitive conferences. He is currently one of the five finalists for the Abdul-Jabbar Award, which is given each year to the top center in the nation. He recently was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year, and looks to make it all the way at the Tournament this year. Timme will be a hit with your guests at your next event, there is no doubt about it.
1. Haley Jones
Haley Jones is a college basketball player for the Stanford Cardinal. She was a member of the 2021 National Championship team and hit the deciding shot in both the semi-final and championship games. Jones was named the NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four Most Outstanding Player award, but her basketball talents began much before her rise to the top. In the 3rd grade, Jones competed with the 5th graders, and by the time she was a 7th grader, she was playing with a varsity club team. In high school, she won just about every award there is for a high school player to win. She was MVP at Nike Tournament of Champions and West Coast Jamboree, All-Bay Area New Group Player of the Year, USA Today All-California first team member, USA Today All-USA first team member, and Gatorade California Player of the year. Her senior year, she was named a McDonald’s All-American and won the Gatorade California Player of the year for a second time. Jones was the first ever female to announce her commitment on ESPN, and her starpower has continued to shine throughout college. Book Jones as the keynote speaker for your next event or for an appearance to ensure it will be a day your audience never forgets.
Should I book a speaker for my event?
In today’s age, our attention span is dwindling. A technological era in which we can get rushes of dopamine to our brain in a couple seconds by scrolling on a variety of social media platforms has created an atmosphere where we quickly become uninterested by something if we are not immediately curious to hear more. In an event, this means being able to grab your audience’s attention immediately and pull them in, wanting to hear more. This is where hiring a speaker for an event comes into play. The speakers that are on Engage’s website are some of the most high-class, interesting stories you will ever hear. Engage has the stories and speakers that will hold your audience captive with interest.
To learn more about Engage, its talent, and how to book your next speaker contact us at info@letsengage.com or visit https://www.letsengage.com/.
