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NCAA

What Canadians Showed Out in the First Weekend of March Madness?

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Boy oh boy was it nice to have March Madness back this weekend. Can we all collectively agree to never cancel this tournament again? 

Anyways, Canadians made a big impact all weekend long for a series of teams up and down the bracket.

After his game against #10 VCU was cancelled due to COVID-19, #7 Oregon’s Chris Duarte continued to be the class of Canadian NCAA hoops this season in the Ducks win over #2 Iowa. Duarte poured in 23 points, 7 assists and 3 rebounds Monday afternoon. 

Not to be outdone though was his Canadian teammate, Eugene Omoruyi who added 17 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists to the Ducks’ upset win. In a running theme of recent tournaments, Canadians showed out for Dana Altman’s Ducks squad.

Speaking of the PAC-12, Maurice Calloo of #12 Oregon State put on a show this weekend from distance. In the Beaver’s two upset wins over #5 Tennessee and #4 Oklahoma State, Calloo went a combined 5-8 from behind the arc. Unfortunately though, Calloo’s dominance took out another Canadian’s team in Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe. 

This wasn’t the only matchup in the round of 32 that saw Canadians go head to head. 

Quincy Guerrier and #11 Syracuse took down Gabe Osabuohien’s #3 West Virginia squad in a hard-fought game to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Guerrier put up 12 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks while Osabuohien went down with everything he had giving the Mountaineers 19 minutes, 2 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and countless hustle plays and great screens. 

Guerrier is one of nine Canadians who will advance to next weekend. Maybe of note the most is Andrew Nembhard. 

 

The former Florida and Montverde guard is a key starter and contributor on the tournament’s lone undefeated team, #1 Gonzaga. If both Gonzaga and Oregon take care of business, Duarte and Omoruyi will matchup with Nembhard and the Zags with a bid for the Final Four on the line. 

Of course, if we learned anything in this weekend full of upsets, nothing in this tournament is achieved by looking forward. All we can do is sit back, watch and celebrate all the great things these talented young men do every time they touch the court. 

Oh, and be thankful for the fact we actually have the tournament after a year where it was taken from us.   

Congratulations to the Canadians who have competed so far, here’s to more success and good luck in the rounds to come. 

 

How’d the Canadians do this weekend?

Name School/Results Round of 64 Round of 32
Keon Ambrose-Hylton #2 Alabama (Advanced to the Sweet Sixteen) DNP in win vs #15 Iona 2 points, 1-1 FG in win vs #10 Maryland
Keeshawn Barthelemy #5 Colorado (Out in Round of 32)  6 points, 4 assists, 1-2 3FG in win vs #12 Georgetown  7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist in loss vs #4 Florida State
Jahvon Blair #12 Georgetown (Out in Round of 64) 5 points, 1 assist, 1-3 3FG in loss vs #5 Colorado Out
Maurice Calloo #12 Oregon State (Advanced to the Sweet Sixteen)  6 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound, 2-3 3FG in win vs #5 Tennessee 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3-5 3FG in win vs #4 Oklahoma State
Max Cheylov #12 UC Santa Barbara

(Out in Round of 64)

 DNP in loss vs #5 Creighton  Out
Brandon Cyrus #12 UC Santa Barbara (Out in Round of 64)  15 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2-4 FG in loss vs #5 Creighton  Out 
Okay Djamgouz #11 Drake (Out in Round of 64)  DNP in First Four win vs #11 Wichita State 1 minute, 0-1 FG in loss vs #6 USC
Chris Duarte #7 Oregon (Advanced to the Sweet Sixteen)  Game vs #10 VCU Cancelled due to COVID-19 23 points, 9-12 FG, 7 assists, 3 rebounds in win vs #2 Iowa
Zach Edey #4 Purdue (Out in Round of 64)  15 minutes, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks in loss vs #13 North Texas Out 
Quincy Guerrier #11 Syracuse (Advanced to the Sweet Sixteen)  28 minutes, 3 points, 4 rebounds in win vs #6 San Diego State 12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2-3 3FG in win vs #3 West Virginia 
Nathanael Jack #4 Florida State (Advanced to the Sweet Sixteen) DNP in win vs #13 UNC Greensboro  9 minutes, 0-3 FG in win vs #5 Colorado 
Matey Juric #16 Drexel (Out in Round of 64)  10 minutes, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1-1 FG in loss vs #1 Illinois  Out
Elijah Lufile #15 Oral Roberts (Advanced to the Sweet Sixteen)  DNP in win vs #2 Ohio State DNP in win vs #7 Florida 
Liam McChesney #11 Utah State (Out in the Round of 64)  DNP in loss vs #6 Texas Tech Out
Sean Miller-Moore #15 Grand Canyon (Out in Round of 64)  19 minutes, 4 points, 2 assists, 2-3 FG in loss vs #2 Iowa  Out 
Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe #4 Oklahoma State (Out in Round of 32)  35 minutes, 10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks in win vs #13 Liberty  25 minutes, 3 points, 6 rebounds in loss vs #12 Oregon State
Andrew Nembhard #1 Gonzaga (Advanced to the Sweet Sixteen)  27 minutes, 4 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds in win vs #16 Norfolk State  38 minutes, 7 points, 2 assists, 3-5 FG in win vs #8 Oklahoma 
Eugene Omoruyi #7 Oregon (Advanced to the Sweet Sixteen)  Game vs #10 VCU Cancelled due to COVID-19 17 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks in win vs #2 Iowa
Gabe Osabuohien #3 West Virginia (Out in Round of 32)  15 minutes, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block in win vs #14 Morehead State  19 minutes, 2 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal in loss vs #11 Syracuse 
Olivier-Maxence Prosper #7 Clemson (Out in Round of 64)  DNP in loss to #10 Rutgers  Out 
Joshua Primo #2 Alabama (Advanced to the Sweet Sixteen) DNP (Injury)  10 points, 4-6 FG, 4 rebounds in win vs #10 Maryland
Victor Radocaj #14 Eastern Washington (Out in Round of 64)  DNP in loss vs #3 Kansas Out 
Sam Thomson #14 Colgate (Out in Round of 64)  4 minutes, 1 point, 1 rebound in loss vs #3 Arkansas  Out 
Aher Uguak #8 Loyola Chicago (Advanced to the Sweet Sixteen)  19 minutes, 4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists in win vs #9 Georgia Tech 21 minutes, 0-2 FG in win vs #1 Illinois 

 

Will Baldwin

Will Baldwin

Baldwin
Born and raised in Calgary, providing coast to coast coverage on Canadian University Basketball for North Pole Hoops, supporting home grown talent each and every day. Follow me on twitter @Will_NPH for the latest information on the column and everything USPORTS! 🇨🇦🏀

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