What Canadians Showed Out in the First Weekend of March Madness?
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.
Canadians at Oregon, in March. They just go well together. @NphScouting
— Armaan Ahluwalia (@Armaan_NPH) March 22, 2021
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.
9 Canadians advance to #MarchMadness Sweet Sixteen:
Keon Ambrose-Hylton (Alabama)
Joshua Primo (Alabama)
Nathanael Jack (Florida St)
Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga)
Aher Uguak (Loyola)
Chris Durate (Oregon)
Eugene Omoruyi (Oregon)
Maurice Calloo (Oregon St)
Quincy Guerrier (Syracuse)— Brian Swane (@BrianSwane) March 23, 2021
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 |
