Who's coming to Buffalo for the NCAA tournament?
Niagara Falls' Roddy Gayle Jr. and his No. 1 seeded Michigan Wolverines are headed to Buffalo for the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. See the rest of Buffalo's March Madness field.
hen the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament opens in Buffalo this week, Niagara Falls native Roddy Gayle Jr. will return home with his nationally-ranked Michigan Wolverines.
Michigan guard Roddy Gayle Jr. shoots a 3-point basket against UCLA on Feb. 14 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The former Lew-Port star is averaging 7.0 points per game this season. Associated Press
Michigan, one of eight teams headed to Western New York, earned the top seed of the Midwest Region when the NCAA Tournament was revealed during CBS' "Selection Sunday" show.
The Wolverines are ranked No. 3 in the nation. On Sunday, Michigan lost to Purdue 80-72 in the Big 10 Tournament final.
South Florida coach Bryan Hodgson of Jamestown also is headed back to WNY as the No. 11 seed in the East Region.
Canisius University and Niagara University of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference serve as the hosts of first- and second-round NCAA Tournament games Thursday and Saturday at KeyBank Center.
Each game will be televised. On Thursday, the East Region games will air on CBS while the Midwest Region games will air on TNT.
So, how soon until your March Madness bracket gets busted this year? Here are the games slated to take place at KeyBank Center on Thursday:
East Region
Thursday gamesNo. 6 Louisville (23-10) vs. No. 11 South Florida (25-8), 1:30 p.m.
No. 3 Michigan State (25-7) vs. No. 14 North Dakota State (27-7), 4:05 p.m.
Thursday's winners will play each other in the NCAA second round Saturday at KeyBank Center.
Midwest Region
Thursday gamesNo. 1 Michigan (31-3) vs. No. 16 UMBC (24-8)/Howard (23-10), 7:10 p.m.
No. 8 Georgia (22-10) vs. No. 9 Saint Louis (28-5), 9:45 p.m.
Thursday's winners will play each other in the NCAA second round Saturday at KeyBank Center.
Now, here's a look at the individual teams:
No. 1 Michigan
Coach: Dusty May.Record: 31-3, 19-1 Big 10.
NET ranking: No. 2.
Leading scorer: Yaxel Lendeborg, 14.6 ppg avg.
Leading rebounder: Morez Johnson Jr., 7.2 rpg avg.
The skinny: Fresh off of a loss to Purdue in the Big 10 Tournament title game, Michigan, ranked No. 3 in the latest Associated Press poll, hopes to take its program-record number of wins and turn them into a national title run. The Big 10 regular-season champion features senior guard Roddy Gayle Jr., a former Niagara Falls and Lewiston-Porter star, who is averaging 7.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game as a reserve. Forward Yaxel Lendeborg is a 6-foot-9 grad student who was named Big 10 Player of the Year. Aday Mara, a 7-3 junior center averaging 2.6 blocks per game, was named Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year.
No. 16 UMBC
Coach: Jim Ferry.Record: 24-8, 14-2 America East.
NET ranking: No. 196.
Leading scorer: Jah'Likai King, 13.9 ppg avg.
Leading rebounder: Jose Roberto Tanchyn, 5.7 rpg avg.
The skinny: Ferry's America East regular-season and conference tournament champion Retrievers will have to play in a First Four game against Howard in Dayton, Ohio, for the right to meet Michigan in Buffalo. UMBC is riding a 12-game win streak into its first NCAA Tournament since 2018. D.J. Armstrong Jr. is coming off of a career-high 33-point performance in the conference final. The 6-4 guard scored the most points by a UMBC player in a single game in 10 years. Armstrong is averaging 13.2 points per game and is an America East second-team selection. Jah'Likai King is a first-teamer. Ferry was named Coach of the Year.
No. 16 Howard
Coach: Kenneth Blakeney.Record: 23-10, 11-3 MEAC.
NET ranking: No. 203.
Leading scorer: Bryce Harris, 17.1 ppg avg.
Leading rebounder: Bryce Harris, 6.9 rpg avg.
The skinny: Howard's men's and women's teams both championed the MEAC tournaments to clinch berths into their respective NCAA tournaments. The Bison will play UMBC in Tuesday's First Four with a trip to Buffalo to play Michigan on the line. Bryce Harris, a 6-4 grad guard, was named conference Player of the Year and tournament MVP after recording 14 points and 10 rebounds in the final. Harris even made the MEAC's All-Defensive Team alongside Cedric Taylor III and Ose Okojie.
No. 8 Georgia
Coach: Mike White.Record: 22-10, 10-8 SEC.
NET ranking: No. 33.
Leading scorer: Jeremiah Wilkinson, 17.0 ppg avg.
Leading rebounder: Somto Cyril, 5.7 rpg avg.
The skinny: The Georgia Bulldogs entered the SEC tournament as the No. 7 seed, their highest seeding since 2016, before falling to Ole Miss in the second round. Somto Cyril, a 6-11 sophomore center from Enugu, Nigeria, made the SEC's All-Defensive Team after averaging 2.3 blocks per game. Sophomore guard Jeremiah Wilkinson (17.0), Blue Cain (13.3), Kanon Catchings (12.0) and Smurf Millender (11.9) each average over 10 points per game.
No. 9 Saint Louis
Coach: Josh Schertz.Record: 28-5, 15-3 Atlantic 10.
NET ranking: No. 30.
Leading scorer: Robbie Avila, 12.9 ppg avg.
Leading rebounder: Dion Brown, 5.5 rpg avg.
The skinny: Western New York basketball fans may have caught Saint Louis in person when the No. 24 Billikens defeated St. Bonaventure at the Reilly Center in January. They're led by 6-10 senior center Robbie Avila, the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year who has a unique skillset as a scorer and passer on the offensive end. Trey Green has made 90 3-pointers on 46% shooting. Green is an A-10 third-teamer with teammates Amari McCottry and Kellen Thames. Dion Brown is an A-10 All-Defensive Team selection.
No. 6 Louisville
Coach: Pat Kelsey.Record: 23-10, 11-7 ACC.
NET ranking: No. 16.
Leading scorer: Ryan Conwell, 18.7 ppg avg.
Leading rebounds: Sananda Fru, 6.0 rpg avg.
The skinny: Louisville enters as an at-large after beating SMU in the ACC Tournament opener then losing to Miami. Ryan Conwell is a 6-4 marksmen who's made 105 3-pointers this season. Conwell made the ACC second team. Mikel Brown Jr., a 6-5 freshman guard averaging 18.2 points per game, made the ACC third team.
No. 11 South Florida
Coach: Bryan Hodgson.Record: 25-8, 15-3 American Conference.
NET ranking: No. 45.
Leading scorer: Wes Enis, 16.8 ppg avg.
Leading rebounder: Izaiyah Nelson, 9.6 rpg avg.
The skinny: Jamestown's Bryan Hodgson has led the Bulls to the NCAA tournament in his first year at the helm. He was named American East Coach of the Year. Hodgson was previously Arkansas State's coach for two seasons after assistant coaching stints at Alabama and UB. South Florida captured the American Conference's regular-season and postseason championships. Izaiyah Nelson is a 6-10 senior forward who was named American Conference Player of the Year.
No. 3 Michigan State
Coach: Tom Izzo.Record: 25-7, 15-5 Big 10.
NET ranking: No. 11.
Leading scorer: Jeremy Fears Jr., 15.7 ppg avg.
Leading rebounder: Jaxon Kohler, 9.1 rpg avg.
The skinny: Michigan State arrives to Buffalo as a strong No. 3 seed. The Spartans lost their Big 10 Tournament opener to UCLA, but punched a ticket to the Big Dance with an at-large bid. Jeremy Fears Jr. made the Big 10 first team, while Jaxon Kohler was an honorable mention selection by conference coaches.
No. 14 North Dakota State
Coach: David Richman.Record: 27-7, 14-2 Summit League.
NET ranking: No. 114.
Leading scorer: Damari Wheeler-Thomas, 14.4 ppg avg.
Leading rebounder: Trevian Carson 6.4 rpg avg.
The skinny: The Bisons won the program's first Summit League Tournament title since 2020 to clinch an NCAA berth. Their 27 wins are a program record. Trevian Carson represented North Dakota State as a Summit League first-team pick. Damari Wheeler-Thomas is a 1,000-point scorer and Summit League second-teamer with Andy Stefonowicz as an honorable mention.