Let Canadian talent determine who you side with during March Madness

There are 21 Canadians participating in this year’s NCAA tournament, and if you haven’t been following college basketball intensely this season, now’s the time to dive in.

Over a dozen Canadian kids earned all-star honours in their respective conferences, but Selection Sunday has gone and passed, and they didn’t all earn an invite to the big dance.

Whether you like to root for a team that has multiple players from north of the border or you’re all about impact, here’s a guide to help choose which Canadians to cheer for throughout March Madness based on five different criteria.

Most Canadians on a roster:

Everybody loves a good ol’ hometown story. This season, the largest Canadian contingent on an NCAA roster was with the University of Vermont with three (Trae Bell-Haynes, Stef Smith and Drew Urquhart) but unfortunately, the Catamounts didn’t qualify for the dance.

The Syracuse Orange (who have freshmen Oshae Brissett and Howard Washington on the roster) just made the cut on Selection Sunday as one of the eight teams competing in play-in games. Syracuse meets Arizona State on March 14 for a spot in the bracket against No. 6 Texas Christian University.

Brissett earned two Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Week honours this season, and was named to the ACC All-Rookie team after averaging 14.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Washington, on the other hand, suffered a season-ending injury in January after averaging just over one point in 18 games.

There will just be a single Canadian on the floor, but the NCAA team that carries the most Canucks remains Syracuse. So if that’s what matters most, set your alarm for 9:10 a.m. on Wednesday, throw on something Orange and get ready to cheer.

Canadian most likely to go the furthest in the tournament:

This was difficult to narrow down, but after looking back at regular season games, analyzing the seeds, and filling out a bracket, the Canadian that is most likely to go the furthest is Kyle Alexander.

The Milton native averaged 5.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season on a talented Tennessee squad. The Volunteers are ranked third in the South Division, with their first game against 14th-ranked Wright State. Should they advance, a second round match-up against wither the University of Miami (6th) or Loyola (11th) awaits.

Tennessee won some big games this season, including a 78-75 victory over second-ranked Purdue and two victories over fifth-ranked University of Kentucky. Despite not winning the SEC tournament after a five-point loss to the Wildcats, the safest bet here is to hop on the Volunteers bandwagon for the month of March.

Canadian that has the biggest impact on their team:

If you want to cheer for a team which has its offence revolve around a Canadian, and you want to watch a game with a Canadian on the floor for more than 30 minutes per game, then blue and white should be your colours this month.

Hamilton’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made an immediate impact in his freshman season with the University of Kentucky. He averaged more than 13 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game and scored in double-digits in 19 games. He earned a spot on the All-SEC second team, earned SEC All-Freshman honours, and was most recently named MVP of the SEC tournament.

The Wildcats are ranked fifth in the South division despite winning the SEC title; their first game is against 12th-ranked Davidson.

The Canadian underdog:

If you’re a fan of movies like Remember the Titans, Rudy or The Karate Kid, or just favour the underdog, then Bucknell is your team.

A tremendous challenge awaits No. 14 Bucknell immediately, as they open the tournament against third-ranked Michigan State University. But March Madness is made for upsets and Bucknell had a great season, going 16-2 to earn themselves top spot in the Patriot League. So in terms of big upsets, this might be a decent bet. And on top of that, Bucknell has done it before: back in 2005, the 14th-ranked Bisons beat the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks in the first round.

Kimbal Mackenzie is the lone Canadian on the Bisons’ roster. This season, he averaged eight points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. The Oakville native is in his junior year and plays over 25 minutes a game.

Looking forward to next year’s roster:

And finally, if you choose to invest with your fandom, go with Duke.

No, they don’t have any Canadians on the roster right now, however next year they’ll have arguably the best in the league. R.J. Barrett, the 17-year-old basketball phenom from Mississauga is finishing up a decorated high-school career before he heads to North Carolina next season.

So get to know the Duke players, coaches, offences, defences and whatever else you need to prepare yourself, because next year, this will be the team to watch as a Canadian basketball fan.

Duke will open their tournament on March 15 against 15th-ranked Iona.

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