By Canadian Press

Ten Canadians to watch in NCAA’s men’s and women’s March Madness

Mar 17, 2025 | 1:11 PM

March Madness is here, and with a number of Canadians looking to leave their mark.

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament begins Tuesday with the First Four, followed by 32 first-round contests on Thursday and Friday. The Final Four will be April 5, with the title game on April 7 in San Antonio, Texas.

The NCAA women’s tournament commences Wednesday with the First Four, and the first round taking place Friday and Saturday. The Final Four will be April 4 and the title game on April 6 in Tampa, Fla.

The Canadian Press takes a look at 10 Canadian players to watch in the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments.

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Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga

It’s no secret Nembhard is a high-level facilitator, but the senior from Aurora, Ont., has taken it up a notch in 2024-25. The six-foot, 180-pound guard averaged 9.8 assists for the WCC champion Bulldogs this season, leading the country by 1.1 per contest. Gonzaga, which went 25-8 on the year, is the No. 8 seed in the Midwest Region.

Will Riley, Illinois

The Kitchener, Ont., native has impressed as a freshman for Illinois, which is No. 6 in the Midwest Region. The six-foot-eight, 195-pound small forward is the Fighting Illini’s second-leading scorer at 12.5 points per game, while only starting seven of 33 games this year. He averaged 18.0 points on 55.6 per cent shooting in Illinois’ two outings in the Big Ten tournament.

Emanuel Sharp, Houston

The junior guard has continued his steady play for the Cougars in 2024-25, averaging 12.6 points while shooting 43.3 per cent from the field and 42.8 per cent from three. Sharp had 17 points in the Cougars’ Big 12 title win last Saturday. Houston is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region.

Aden Holloway, Alabama

Holloway transferred from rival Auburn to the Crimson Tide and has enjoyed a solid sophomore season. The six-foot-one, 180-pound guard is fourth on the team with 11.4 points in 21 minutes per game off the bench. He is also shooting 41.7 per cent from three-point range. The Crimson Tide are the No. 2 seed in the East Region.

Josh Omojafo, Robert Morris

The six-foot-five, 200-pound junior guard from Hamilton was playing in Division II at Gannon University just a year ago. He started 32 of 33 games for Robert Morris in 2024-25, averaging 11.4 points, good for fourth on the team. The 15th-seeded Colonials face the Crimson Tide on Friday.

Women’s

Syla Swords, Michigan

The Sudbury, Ont., native has been a bright spot for the Wolverines, averaging 16.1 points and 6.1 rebounds as a freshman. The former five-star recruit was named to the all-Big Ten second team, Big Ten all-freshman team and earned freshman all-American honours.

Toby Fournier, Duke

Fournier lived up to the hype for a strong Duke team that enters the tournament as the No. 2 seed for Regional 2 Birmingham. The six-foot-two freshman forward from Toronto, also a former five-star recruit, averaged 13.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks en route to winning ACC freshman of the year and making the all-ACC first team.

Avery Howell, USC

The six-foot freshman sharpshooter has been a consistent piece for the Trojans, who finished 28-3. Howell averaged 6.8 points in 19.5 minutes per contest but shot a sizzling 39.3 per cent from three-point range. The No. 1 seed in Regional 4 Spokane, the Trojans are expected to make a deep run after an Elite 8 appearance last season.

Cassandre Prosper, Notre Dame

The junior from Montreal entered this season coming off an injury-riddled 2023-24 from a lower-leg injury. The six-foot-two forward carries averages of 5.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 22.5 minutes as a key bench piece for the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame is the third seed in Regional 3 Birmingham.

Sarah Te-Biasu, Maryland

The five-foot-five graduate student from Montreal has been a steady piece for the Terrapins, who went 23-7 on the year. Te-Biasu transferred from VCU after four seasons and has averaged 9.7 points and 2.5 assists in 31.4 minutes per contest for Maryland. The Terrapins are the No. 4 seed in Regional 2 Birmingham.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2025.

Abdulhamid Ibrahim, The Canadian Press