Amid March Madness, the most recent Seton Hall Sports Poll (SHSP) revealed exciting insights into which athletes are most recognizable in the college basketball landscape. According to the poll, superstar players like JuJu Watkins, Paige Bueckers, and Cooper Flagg were the most recognizable in the sport, irrespective of gender.
The women’s college hoops era: Watkins, Bueckers top the charts
In a ranking comprising both the most recognizable male and female college basketball players, sophomore guard JuJu Watkins (USC), senior guard Paige Bueckers (UConn), and sophomore forward Madison Booker (Texas) took three of the top five spots, with junior guard Braden Smith (Purdue) and freshman forward Cooper Flagg (Duke) claiming the remaining spots.
“Women’s college basketball players stay in college longer than their male counterparts,” said Daniel Ladik, a marketing professor in the Stillman School of Business and methodologist for the SHSP.
“More seasons mean more time [for them] to build brand [identity],” Ladik said. “Beyond additional court time, they have more opportunity within the new college NIL eco-system on campus.”
As mentioned, USC Trojans ace Watkins tops the rankings for the general population (19%), among sports fans (26%), and among the male subgroup (23%). Recently receiving her third consecutive BIG EAST Player of the Year award and fresh off a BIG EAST Tournament victory, Bueckers’ popularity grew from 10% in 2024 to a 16% top-five finish in 2025. Leading the one-seeded Duke Blue Devils University in March Madness, Flagg finished third (17%) over players like Kansas center Hunter Dickinson, who is currently in his fifth year of college eligibility.
Which of the following NCAA basketball players have you ever heard of? Please select all that apply.
Young money: young college basketball fans vocal for NIL payments
Defined by courtroom battles and settlements, over half of the general population (52%) supports the payment of college athletes for their name, image, and likeness (NIL). A substantial portion of the American youth shows support, with three in four of all respondents aged 18-34 (75%) siding with their student-athlete peers in the NCAA.
“The public is apparently the most honest broker in the decades-long fight about the fair treatment of college athletes,” said Charles Grantham, director of the Center for Sport Management in the Stillman School at Seton Hall. “The next issues are the determination of the revenue and whether the athletes will have a seat at the table.”
Young fans also support many different athlete payment reforms, including alumni collectives (60%), NIL (69%), revenue sharing (51%), and equitable payment of male and female athletes per Title IX (50%). Support for college athlete payments decreased through older cohorts, with the lowest support for policy changes being in the 55+ subgroup across the board.
The “Caitlin Clark effect”: filling the void in women’s college hoops
With former Iowa guard Caitlin Clark moving on to stardom in the WNBA with the Indiana Fever, the NCAA seeks to fill the void left in women’s college basketball without her. From 2023 to 2024, interest in women’s March Madness saw an eight-point surge from 2023 to the apex of Clark’s college career in 2024. Without Clark, interest fell six points to 42% in 2025.
Men’s college basketball has seen slow growth, with a 2% increase each year since 2023, totaling 55% right before this year’s tournament. March Madness continues to captivate young fans, with nearly three in four (72%) of respondents aged 18-34 intending to watch the tournament.
In the evolving NCAA landscape, the SHSP continues to look for key trends in collegiate sports. To find complete results, insights, questions, and statistics, visit the Seton Hall Sports Poll Blog. You can find the full press release here.
Christian Hui is a writer for The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at christian.hui@student.shu.edu.
