Mathurin, Nembhard, Edey lead Canadian men into NCAA March Madness

It’s no longer a novelty to see Canadian men on the court in NCAA March Madness.

But winning a championship… that’s another story.

Just five Canadian men have captured the title, and it’s been a full decade since the last Canadian crown — Kyle Wiltjer with Kentucky in 2012.

Wiltjer didn’t play a huge role on that Wildcats team as a freshman — he made his big mark in college after transferring to Gonzaga for his final two seasons.

This year, three Canadians play major roles on teams seeded in the top three in their respective brackets — and headline a list of a record 30 Canucks on rosters in the tournament (some do not play or are injured).

Here are 10 Canadians to watch in the event:

G Andrew Nembhard, Gonzaga (No. 1 seed, West)

The senior point guard from Aurora, Ont., tied for 11th in the country in assists, averaging 5.7 per game. He also can score the basketball, leading the nation’s top-ranked team in points in its last two games. A transfer from Florida, Nembhard helped Gonzaga go unbeaten last year before the Bulldogs lost in the national final against Baylor. Led by top NBA Draft prospect Chat Holmgren (a centre), Gonzaga has real hopes of capturing its first national title.

G Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona (No. 1 seed, South)

The Montreal sophomore was the Pac-12 player of the year and is listed in the lottery in most NBA mock drafts. Mathurin averaged 17.4 points per game, including a game-high 27 in the Wildcats’ win over UCLA in the Pac-12 title game. He also is one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Men’s College Basketball Player of the Year. Mathurin led Canada to a bronze medal at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup.

C Zach Edey, Purdue (No. 3 seed, East)

The seven-foot-four sophomore centre from Toronto is very productive (averaging 14.6 points, 7.8 rebounds) despite averaging just over 19 minutes. Edey, who is second in the country in field-goal percentage (65.5 per cent), has played some of his best basketball recently with double-doubles in three of his past four games. He plays on a Boilermakers team with a top NBA Draft prospect in Jaden Ivey and a fellow top big man in Trevion Williams.

G Marcus Carr, Texas (No. 6 seed, East)

The Toronto guard was considered one of the top players in the transfer portals before picking Texas after two years with Minnesota and one with Pittsburgh. Carr’s scoring numbers are down in Texas (10.9 points per game after averaging 19.4 in his final year in Minnesota), but he also doesn’t play as many minutes. Carr isn’t the first prominent player from the Toronto area to call Texas home – the Longhorns featured Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson early last decade.

G Emmanuel Akot, F Abu Kigab, Boise State (No. 8 seed, West)

If Boise State can knock off No. 9 Memphis and Gonzaga does the expected and beats Georgia State, a great round-of-32 matchup is in store for Canadian fans in Portland. Kigab, from St. Catharines, Ont., was the Mountain West tournament MVP as Boise State won its first conference crown since 2008. Kigab (an Oregon transfer) leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.7 points, while fellow senior Akot of Winnipeg (an Arizona transfer) is third with 10.7. The Broncos are 0-7 all-time in NCAA tournament action.

F Aher Uguak, Loyola Chicago (No. 10 seed, South)

The Edmonton forward had to sit out in 2018 when Loyola Chicago made its shocking run to the Final Four after transferring from New Mexico. Cheered on by the now famous 102-year-old Sister Jean and coached by 30-year-old Drew Valentine, the Ramblers figure to have no shortage of support. Uguak averaged a career-high 9.1 points and 4.5 rebounds this season.

G Caleb Houstan, Michigan (No. 11 seed, South)

The five-star recruit from Mississauga, Ont., had some ups and downs in his freshman season (he averaged just 4.5 points in his last two games) for a Michigan team (17-14) that experienced much of the same (coach Juwan Howard was suspended five games for punching a Wisconsin assistant in the handshake line). But the Wolverines survived the bubble and got in – so Houstan has a chance to shine. His two top scoring games this season (21 points) were against tournament teams in Rutgers and Illinois.

F Nathan Cayo, F Matt Grace, Richmond (No. 12 seed, Midwest)

Grace’s drive and ensuing foul shot for a three-point play with less than 20 seconds left gave Richmond an upset win over Davidson in the Atlantic 10 final on Sunday, earning the Spiders a surprise tournament berth. It’s Richmond’s first tourney appearance since 2011 and, what’s more, Hamilton’s Grace gets a game near home in Buffalo against Iowa to start. Cayo, from Montreal, is fourth on the Spiders in scoring.

Other Canadians on tournament rosters

G Shaedon Sharpe (London, Ont.), Kentucky
G Jahcobi Neath (Toronto), Wisconsin
G Matteus Case (Pickering, Ont.), Providence
F Keon Ambrose-Hylton (Toronto), Alabama
C Charles Bediako (Brampton, Ont.), Alabama
F Tyrese Samuel (Montreal), Seton Hall
G Ryan Nembhard (Aurora, Ont.), Craighton
F Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Montreal), Marquette
F Emanuel Miller (Toronto), TCU
G Clayton Henry (Calgary), New Mexico State
G Sam Alamutu (Ajax, Ont), Vermont
G Eric Beckett (Ajax, Ont.), Vermont
F Georges Lefebvre (Montreal), Vermont
G Malcolm Bailey (Stratford, Ont.), Colgate
F Sam Thomson (Kitchener, Ont.), Colgate
F Abdul Mohammed (Ottawa), Montana State
G Kellen Tynes (Dartmouth, N.S.), Montana State
G Eze Dike (Montreal), Yale
G Adham Eleeda (Toronto), Bryant
F/C Jasman Sangha (Brampton, Ont.), Texas A&M CC