Texas Guard: Marcus Carr #5
The second seed Texas Longhorns pulled through to the round of 16 in the Men’s NCAA March Madness tournament after Toronto native Marcus Carr delivered two clutch free throws to secure the 71-66 victory over the tenth seed Penn State Nittany Lions.
The Texas guard finished the game with 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. The Longhorns struggled tremendously from three-point range, only making one three on 13 attempts, however they were able to call on their defensive pressure which led to Penn State’ nine turnovers.
The Longhorns will go on to play the third seeded Xavier Musketeers in the Sweet 16 on March 24.
Alabama Center: Charles Bediako #14
The number one seeded Alabama Crimson Tide advanced to the round of 16 after defeating the eighth seed Maryland Terrapins 73-51..
The Alabama center put on a decisive performance finishing the game with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds in just 28 minutes of play. Bediako was nearly perfect from close-range shooting 4/5 field goals and recorded two steals. His athleticism was key throughout the fourth quarter after recording two blocks in his team’s 22-point win.
Alabama will go on to play the fifth seed San Diego State in the Sweet 16 on March 24.
Creighton Guard: Ryan Nembhard #2
The Canadian guard led the way scoring 30 points in his team’s 85-76 victory over the third seed Baylor Bears to get his team into the Sweet 16.
Nembhard was the leader of Blue Jays offensively, shooting 8/13 from the field and 10/10 from the free throw line. The Creighton guard has scored the most points by a Canadian in the tournament this far.
Creighton had a strong game from the 3-point line, shooting almost 50% from the perimeter with Nembhard leading the way with four 3-pointers made. Creighton will go on to play the 15-seed Princeton Tigers in the Sweet 16.
Marquette Forward: Oliver-Maxence Prosper #12
The second seed Marquette Golden Eagles were upset 69-60 by the seventh seed Michigan State to send the Spartans to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.
The Marquette forward finished the game with 16 points and 4 rebounds with three 3-pointers. Despite losing, Prosper has been one of the dominant players for the Golden Eagles who have not reached the Sweet 16 since 2012.
Prosper and Marquette head home, Michigan State will go on to play the third-seed Kansas State Wildcats on March 23.
TCU Forward: Emanuel Miller #2
Emanuel and the Horned Frogs head home after losing 84-81 to the third-seed Gonzaga Bulldogs in the round of 32.
TCU shot 44.8% from the field and shot under 65% from the freethrow line in the team’s three point loss to the higher seeded Bulldogs.
Despite being eliminated, the TCU forward finished the game with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. The Gonzaga Bulldogs will advance to the sweet 16 and play second seed UCLA on March 23.
Maryland Forward: Patrick Emilien #15
Patrick Emilien and the Maryland Terrapins were eliminated from the tournament after losing 73-51 to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the round of 32.
Emilien was ruled out late in the first half after sustaining an injury that sent him to the dressing room. The Toronto native finished the game with 1 point and 3 rebounds before exiting the game.
Alabama will go on to play fifth seed San Diego State in the Sweet 16 on March 24.
