Brits In The NCAA: Who’s Off To The Big Dance?

By Matt Clear | @mattclear

For college basketball fans, March means only one thing: it’s NCAA Tournament time. America’s top 68 basketball universities come together every spring for a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion, with the result being more last-second heroics and stunning upsets than any other basketball event in the world.

With the increasing presence of Brits on NCAA teams, there should be at least a couple of players for UK fans to root for at the Big Dance this year. No teams have booked their place yet, but here are the British players you’re most likely to see at the NCAA tournament and their teams’ prospects as conference tournaments get underway:

Ovie Soko, UAB (21-7 overall, 1^st in Conference USA with 11-4 record, RPI: 28)

In a normally strong league like Conference USA, finishing top or joint-top would normally be enough to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. But this year, UAB isn’t a sure thing – they’re 0-4 against the RPI top 50, including two losses to conference rivals Memphis, who are also vying for an at-large bid. Still, victory in their final regular-season game and a decent showing in the C-USA tournament should be enough to secure them a spot. And the good news is that Soko seems to have peaked at just the right time, scoring in double figures for five straight games. UAB is 4-1 over that span.

Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Washington (20-9, 11-6, 3^rd in Pac-10, RPI: 35)

Washington were hot favourites to win the Pac-10, but bad losses to Stanford, Washington State (twice), Oregon and Oregon State put their tournament hopes in doubt. Victory over UCLA last night helped enormously, and a win at home to USC tomorrow should seal an at-large bid. But you can’t count on anything with Huskies, one of the country’s most inconsistent teams. Part of that has been down to Bryan-Amaning, who has mostly been excellent and will deservedly earn All-Pac-10 honours for his 17.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, but is still prone to missing easy shots and occasional mental lapses.

Andrew Lawrence, Charleston (22-9, 14-4, 1^st in Southern Conference, RPI: 74)

Charleston’s experienced squad looked the class of the Southern Conference, going 14-2 to seal the regular-season title with two games to spare. But sloppy losses in those last two games, plus the loss of forward Jeremy Simmons to illness, give cause for concern. Winning the SoCon tournament – three games in three days – will be a tall order for a team with a six-man rotation. The Cougars’ talent – Andrew Goudelock is an All-America candidate, and Lawrence has been a key contributor in a sixth-man role – will give them a good chance, but they’ve got a way to go yet.

Justin Robinson and Tom Pereira, Rider (22-9, 13-5, 3^rd in MAAC, RPI: 106)

Rider has been much better on the road than at home this year, so perhaps playing at a neutral site for the MAAC tournament will help them. The Broncs are strong enough to take the three games required to win the tournament, but unfortunately so are at least four other teams in what’s a wide-open league. Robinson has done a superb job leading the team – averaging 15.3 points and 3.9 assists, he leads the MAAC in three-pointers made and free-throw percentage – and he’ll be keen to end his college career on a high. Pereira can provide extra shooting off the bench if required.

Devan Bailey, Central Connecticut State (19-11, 12-7, 4^th in NEC, RPI: 150)

The Blue Devils built up a great rhythm with seven straight NEC wins earlier in the season, but couldn’t maintain that when they faced the league’s better teams. Two losses each to Long Island and Quinnipac suggest that CCSU are a level below the NEC’s elite. But they’ve already advanced to the semi-finals of the conference tournament, putting them just two wins away from an NCAA berth. If Bailey can hit some shots – he’s made just 36.5% of them this year – while providing his usual defense and playmaking, the Blue Devils will have a decent chance to take the NEC title.

Raheem May-Thompson, Quinnipiac (22-8, 13-5, 2^nd in NEC, RPI: 134)

Quinnipiac also advanced to the NEC tournament semi-finals, and have been on a roll since the end of January, winning ten of their last eleven. The Bobcats will face last year’s conference champion Robert Morris on Sunday, with a win giving them a spot in the final against either CCSU or Long Island. Thompson has been averaging 9.3 minutes per game, so even if the Bobcats do make it to the Big Dance, we might not see much of the GB U20 forward.

Ben Eaves, Rhode Island (18-11, 5^th in the Atlantic-10 at 9-6, RPI: 97)

Rhode Island didn’t help their tournament case by losing at home to George Washington, and they need to avoid a slip-up against St Bonaventure to have a shot at finishing fourth. That would give them a first-round bye in the A-10 tournament and allow them to avoid powerhouses Xavier and Temple until the final. Nothing less than winning that tournament will get the Rams to the Big Dance.

Eaves started against GW as it was the last home game of his career, but expect the senior to return to his customary role of contributing shooting and rebounding in ten minutes off the bench.

Ogo Adegboye, St Bonaventure (15-12, 7-7, 9^th in Atlantic-10, RPI: 119)

The Bonnies have two tough regular-season games to play, but even a loss to Rhode Island would probably not see them drop lower than their current ninth place. That would give them a winnable first-round matchup in the conference tournament, with victory leading to a showdown with likely league winner Xavier. An upset against a Musketeers team who are a lock to make the NCAA Tournament (and may therefore be complacent) would put the Bonnies two wins away from a tourney spot of their own.

That’s a major long shot for a side who are 0-5 against the A-10’s top four teams. Ogo has struggled in those games, averaging 10 points, 2.6 assists and 2.8 turnovers – well below his season averages – and the Bonnies will need some big performances from him if they’re to progress.

Who do you think we’ll see dancing? Looking forward to March Madness? Drop a comment and let us know!