March Madness: Canadians to watch for in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

March Madness is here.

The seeds are set. Young and hopeful basketball players are preparing for the tournament of their lives. Fans are setting their brackets, hoping to miraculously predict every single outcome of the 67 games to come. A legendary coach is looking for a storybook ending to an illustrious career.

And while American sports enthusiasts get set to cheer for their alma maters or favourite schools, fans north of the border could look forward to a handful of high-profile Canadian players striving for college basketball glory.

Here are a couple of names to look out for, in case you needed a team to support or a young hooper to follow during one of the most exciting sporting events of the year.

G Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona

A sophomore from Montreal, Mathurin is having a standout season for the high-flying Arizona Wildcats, winning the PAC-12 Player of the Year award while leading his school to a No. 1 seed in the South division of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

The 19-year-old has averaged 17.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists over 34 games, while shooting 46 percent from the field. His brilliant year has been rewarded with a place among the 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Men’s College Basketball Player of the Year.

G Andrew Nembhard, Gonzaga

Nembhard is no stranger to college basketball’s biggest stage, having helped guide the Gonzaga Bulldogs to the National Championship game last year before losing to Baylor.

As a senior, the Aurora, Ont., native has taken his game to the next level this season, averaging 11.7 points and 5.7 assists per game, a figure that is tied for 11th in the country. The 22-year-old Nembhard can be a force as a scorer as well, putting up 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting to lead Gonzaga to the West Coast Conference title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

C Zach Edey, Purdue

At seven-foot-four, Edey is the tallest player in Big Ten history and has established a dominant paint presence throughout his sophomore season, averaging 14.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, while shooting at a 65.5 percent clip, good for second-best in the country.

The Toronto native has developed into a double-double machine over his past few games, and may help the Purdue Boilermakers make some waves alongside top NBA prospects Jaden Ivey and Trevion Williams.

G-F Caleb Houstan, Michigan

Despite being a highly touted five-star recruit out of high school, Houstan has struggled to get off the mark in his freshman year, averaging only 10.5 points per game and 38.8 percent from the floor in 31 games played for the Michigan Wolverines.

At six-foot-eight, Houstan has the body and instincts to impact play consistently on both ends, and will have to step up if he is going to help head coach Juwan Howard and his team make a run in the tournament.

F Abu Kigab, Boise State

A native of St. Catharines, Ont., Kigab is fresh off a Mountain West tournament MVP award after leading the Boise State Broncos to their first Mountain West championship since 2008 and a surprise berth into the Big Dance.

The six-foot-seven senior leads the team in scoring with 14.7 points per game while shooting 50.6 percent from the field. Kigab, alongside fellow Canadian Emmanuel Akot, will look to secure a first-ever win for Boise State in the NCAA Tournament.

G Marcus Carr, Texas

Coming off a high-scoring season with Minnesota in which he averaged 19.4 points per game, Carr has taken a significant step back after transferring to Texas for his senior year.

Outside of a prominent of a role in the Longhorns’ offence, the shifty six-foot-two guard from Toronto will have to rediscover his offensive touch to win Texas a few games and raise his draft stock in his final year of college eligibility.

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