NCAA March Madness Canadian Preview: Trey Lyles and Kentucky are the team to beat

Here are the 28 Canadians taking part in this year's NCAA March Madness tournament and their chances at cutting down the nets in Indianapolis less than three weeks from now.

THE TEAM TO BEAT

No. 1 Kentucky – Trey Lyles (Saskatoon, SK)

In college hoops this year there’s Kentucky and there’s everybody else. Big Blue comes into the tournament as the No. 1 overall seed and with a perfect 34-0 record. They're looking to become the first undefeated team to win the national championship since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers.

Lyles is a versatile member of Kentucky's squad, averaging 8.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in just over 22 minutes per game. Should he declare for the upcoming NBA draft, he’s a safe bet to be picked in the first round.

First game: Thursday, March 19 vs. No. 16 Hampton, 9:40 p.m. ET

WE'RE GOOD TOO

No. 1 Villanova – Dylan Ennis (Brampton, ON)

Ennis has been Villanova's engine, bringing passion and physical play to their backcourt, and played a big part in powering them to the Big East title and a No. 1 seed.

They don't match up particularly well with Kentucky, but they're poised to make a deep run and could meet them in the final.

First game: Thursday, March 19 vs. No. 16 Lafayette, 6:50 p.m. ET

No. 2 Gonzaga – Kevin Pangos (Holland Landing, ON), Kyle Wiltjer (Portland, OR), Dustin Triano (Vancouver, BC)

Can Gonzaga finally break through? The Bulldogs have made 17 consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament but have failed to make it out of the first weekend of games since 2009.

Pangos, the creative point guard, and Wiltjer, the stretch power forward, have a good chance of changing that this year. The Zags' Canadian duo are both nominees for the Naismith college player of the year award. Triano is in his freshman year.

First game: Friday, March 20 vs. No. 15 North Dakota State, 9:50 p.m. ET

No. 2 Virginia – Marial Shayok (Ottawa, ON)

Virginia's style of play isn't pretty but it's effective. They're a grind-it-out defensive team that gave up an NCAA-best 85.4 points per 100 possessions, just edging out Kentucky.

Shayok, a freshman guard, comes off the bench for the Cavaliers and adds to that tough defensive presence.

First game: Friday, March 20 vs. No. 15 Belmont, 3:10 p.m. ET

DON’T OVERLOOK US

No. 3 Iowa State – Naz Long (Mississauga, ON)

A key cog on a balanced team, Long is one of five Cyclones averaging more than 10 points per game. The junior guard prefers to do his attacking from deep, hitting over two threes per game.

It makes him a dangerous player on an Iowa State squad that could surprise some over the next few weeks.

First game: Thursday, March 19 vs. No. 14 UAB, 12:40 p.m. ET

No. 3 Baylor – Kenny Chery (Montreal, QC)

Everything in the Bears' offence goes through their point guard Chery. He leads Baylor in minutes per game at 32.4, dishing out a team-best four assists and scoring 11.4 points.

They're not quite as scary as they've been over the past couple years, but don't sleep on the Bears at this time of year.

First game: Thursday, March 19 vs. No. 14 Georgia State, 1:40 p.m. ET

No. 3 Oklahoma – Dinjiyl Walker (Thornhill, ON)

With a great defence, the Sooners are in a good position to advance past the tournament's opening weekend. Walker sees time as the backup point guard for OU, and though he won't put up flashy numbers, he can push the ball with the best of them.

First game: Friday, March 20 vs. No. 14 Albany, 7:27 p.m. ET

SO YOU’RE SAYING THERE’S A CHANCE

No. 5 Utah – Dallin Bachynski (Calgary, AB)

Bachynski gives the Utes a big man off the bench that can alter shots in the paint, adding to their already stout defence. They've got a great shot at making it to the Sweet Sixteen.

First game: Thursday, March 20 vs. No. 12 Stephen F. Austin, 7:27 p.m. ET

No. 6 Providence – Junior Lomomba (Montreal, QC)

Lomomba has seen his role for the Friars increase throughout the season. He's played more than 10 minutes in 15 of the last 18 games and made an impact at both ends of the floor.

The 22-year-old guard had to sit out the 2013-14 season at Providence after transferring from Cleveland State.

First game: Friday, March 20 vs. No. 11 Dayton/Boise State, 9:57 p.m. ET

No. 8 Oregon – Dillon Brooks (Mississauga, ON)

The Ducks leaned on freshman guard Brooks a lot this season, and he's come through in a big way. With averages of 11.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 28.2 minutes per game, Brooks is making a name for himself in Eugene.

First game: Friday, March 20 vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State, 6:50 p.m. ET

No. 8 San Diego State – Kevin Zabo (Gatineau, QC)

Zabo is in his first year with the Aztecs, who are in the tournament for a sixth straight year. He likely won't play much but this will be a good learning experience for the young guard as San Diego State has become a March Madness regular.

First game: Friday, March 20 vs. No. 9 St. John's, 9:45 p.m. ET

No. 11 Dayton – Dyshawn Pierre (Whitby, ON)

Dayton was the darling of last season’s tournament, making a run to the Elite Eight as a No. 11 seed. Pierre has gone from key reserve on that team to valuable starter on this one.

He's averaging 12.7 points per game, leads the Flyers with 8.2 rebounds and also contributes 2.9 assists.

First game: Wednesday, March 17 vs. No. 11 Boise State, 9:10 p.m. ET

JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE

No. 12 Buffalo – Jarryn Skeete (Brampton, ON), Rodell Wigginton (Dartmouth, NS)

Skeete, a starter, and Wigginton, a key bench player, helped earn Buffalo their first ever trip to March Madness. They're both gritty defensive-minded players that work hard when they're on the court.

The Bulls have emerged as a popular choice to succeed in the infamous No. 12 vs. No. 5 upset we seem to see every year.

First game: Friday, March 20 vs. No. 5 West Virginia, 2:10 p.m. ET

No. 13 Harvard – Agunwa Okolie (Ajax, ON), Chris Egi (Markham, ON), Patrick Steeves (Montreal, QC)

Not only are Okolie, Egi, and Steeves smart, but they can ball. Okolie is the one to watch, playing 29 minutes in the Crimson's Ivy League championship game victory over Yale and helping Harvard book their fourth straight trip to the Big Dance.

First game: Thursday, March 19 vs. No. 4 North Carolina, 7:20 p.m. ET

No. 13 Valparaiso – Tevonn Walker (Montreal, QC), Max Joseph (Montreal, QC)

The Horizon League champions are back in the tournament after a two-year absence. Walker, a freshman, starts in the backcourt for the Crusaders but he has been slowed recently by a knee injury.

According to Valparaiso head coach Bryce Drew, Walker has been praticising at full-speed and should be ready for their first game.

First game: Friday, March 20 vs. No. 4 Maryland, 4:40 p.m. ET

No. 14 Albany – Richard Peters (Pickering, ON)

The 6-foot-11 Peters comes off the bench for the Great Danes when they need a big body to protect the rim. It'll be tough for Albany to get past Oklahoma, but they'll make the Sooners work for the win.

First game: Friday, March 20 vs. No. 3 Oklahoma, 7:27 p.m. ET

No. 15 New Mexico State – Daniel Mullings (Toronto, ON), Jalyn Pennie (Ajax, ON), Tanveer Bhullar (Toronto, ON), Matt Taylor (Brampton, ON), Rashawn Browne (Toronto, ON)

Once again no team is bringing the Canadian flavour to March Madness more than the New Mexico State Aggies. They have five on the roster this time around.

Mullings is the leader of the pack. He was the Western Athletic Conference player of the year in 2013-14 and put up 12.6 points a game this season while also contributing five rebounds, close to three assists, and two steals.

First game: Friday, March 20 vs. No. 2 Kansas, 12:15 p.m. ET

No. 16 Lafayette – Jake Newman (Surrey, BC)

Newman is a sophomore guard for the Patriot League champions who sees limited time off the bench. A No. 16 seed has never knocked off a No. 1 in the history of the NCAA tournament.

First game: Thursday, March 19 vs. No. 1 Villanova, 6:50 p.m. ET

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Israel Fehr is a writer for Yahoo Canada Sports. Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr