Canada Basketball – TORONTO, ON (March 13, 2018) – March Madness is almost upon us and Canadian college hoops fans will have plenty to cheer about as 22 players from North of the border are set to participate in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

Coming off SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player honours, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be hoping to take a deep run with the Kentucky Wildcats. After an excellent rookie season, the Hamilton, Ont. native was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team and All-SEC Second Team. Gilgeous-Alexander will be looking to become just the sixth Canadian player to win the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament and first since Kyle Wiltjer won with Kentucky back in 2012.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, cousin of Shai, is hoping to take Virginia Tech all the way after averaging 10.5 PPG and 3.9 RPG. No. 8 seed Virginia Tech has a tough opening round matchup against No. 9 Alabama on Thursday night.

Oshae Brissett had a strong freshman year at Syracuse making the ACC All-Freshman Team, averaging 14.8 PPG with 8.8 RPG. However, the Orange find themselves in the First Four and will have to defeat Arizona State on Wednesday to secure their spot in the tournament.

Last year’s tournament also had 22 players making the tournament with one making it to the National Championship game. Dustin Triano, son of Canada Basketball head coach Jay Triano, played for the Gonzaga Bulldogs who in the end lost to the North Carolina Tarheels.

Below is the list of Canadians playing this year:

Emmanuel Akot – Arizona

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	ARIZ	10.4	0.7-1.7	.412	0.3-0.7	.409	0.2-0.4	.455	1.1	0.8	0.1	0.2	0.9	0.6	1.9

Gabriel Osabuohien – Arkansas

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	ARK	7.1	0.5-1.3	.400	0.0-0.2	.000	0.1-0.5	.200	1.5	0.4	0.2	0.2	1.1	0.6	1.2

Kimbal Mackenzie – Bucknell

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	BUCK	26.5	2.6-7.3	.353	1.7-5.0	.342	1.0-1.0	1.000	1.8	2.2	0.1	0.6	1.9	1.4	7.9

Dominic Johnson – Buffalo

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	BUFF	2.8	0.4-0.6	.800	0.1-0.2	.500	0.0-0.0	.000	0.7	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.3	0.2	1.0

Christian David – Butler

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	BUT	5.7	0.4-1.2	.357	0.1-0.6	.200	0.2-0.4	.556	0.6	0.4	0.0	0.2	0.8	0.3	1.2

Jackson Rowe – Cal State-Fullerton

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	CSF	29.9	4.4-7.6	.581	0.8-1.9	.411	2.6-3.3	.778	6.8	1.6	1.0	0.9	2.3	2.0	12.2

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Kentucky

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	UK	33.2	4.7-9.9	.479	0.6-1.5	.380	3.4-4.2	.799	3.8	5.1	0.5	1.6	1.6	2.6	13.4

Mfiondu Kabengele – Florida State

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	FSU	14.1	2.5-5.0	.500	0.3-0.8	.375	1.8-2.8	.639	4.5	0.3	0.7	0.5	2.1	1.0	7.1

Kassius Robertson – Missouri

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	MIZ	35.9	4.8-11.3	.421	3.1-7.3	.425	3.6-4.5	.799	3.0	2.4	0.1	1.0	1.7	2.3	16.2

Kalif Young – Providence

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	PROV	16.6	1.7-3.2	.536	0.0-0.0	.000	0.9-1.8	.492	4.1	0.6	0.6	0.4	2.0	0.9	4.4

Nolan Narain – San Diego State

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	SDSU	10.8	1.9-2.8	.688	0.2-0.5	.364	0.7-1.0	.652	2.0	0.3	0.1	0.2	1.6	0.8	4.7

Nelson Kaputo – St. Bonaventure

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	SBON	10.4	1.1-2.5	.418	0.6-1.7	.333	0.6-0.6	.947	0.6	1.1	0.0	0.5	0.8	0.5	3.3

Oshae Brissett – Syracuse

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	SYR	38.0	4.3-12.2	.352	1.5-4.5	.345	4.6-5.8	.800	8.8	0.9	0.7	1.2	2.3	1.8	14.7

Howard Washington – Syracuse

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	SYR	6.1	0.3-0.9	.294	0.1-0.7	.167	0.4-0.6	.700	0.8	0.6	0.1	0.3	0.3	0.4	1.1

Kyle Alexander – Tennessee

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	TENN	20.3	2.3-3.3	.686	0.0-0.0	1.000	1.1-1.5	.723	5.7	0.3	1.7	0.6	2.4	0.7	5.6

Isiah Jasey – Texas A&M

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	TAMU	3.7	0.2-0.5	.500	0.0-0.1	.000	0.0-0.0	.000	0.5	0.0	0.3	0.1	0.3	0.2	0.5

Jelani Mofford – UNC Greensboro

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	UNCG	3.0	0.0-0.0	.000	0.0-0.0	.000	0.0-0.0	.000	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

Nickeil Alexander-Walker – Virginia Tech

SEASON	TEAM	MIN	FGM-FGA	FG%	3PM-3PA	3P%	FTM-FTA	FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2017-18	VT	25.3	3.7-8.3	.451	1.7-4.4	.393	1.4-1.8	.746	3.9	1.4	0.6	0.9	1.5	1.6	10.5

While members of tournament bound teams, Canadians Elijah Mitrou-Long (Texas), Aher Uguak (Loyola-Chicago), Jalen Poyser (St. Bonaventure) Brandon Clarke (Gonzaga) will not play this year due to NCAA rules after transferring.

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Matt Walker, mwalker@basketball.ca