34 Canadian Men in March Madness 2026 NCAA Tournament

Every March the bracket drops and the basketball world locks into the madness that is the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Buzzer beaters, busted brackets, Cinderella runs — it’s the best chaos in sports.

For those of us following the Canadian pipeline, March also brings something else: a chance to see just how many players from north of the border are impacting the college game at the highest level.

Year after year, the number continues to climb.

From Toronto to Montreal to Edmonton, Canadians are scattered across the tournament field, contributing everywhere from Power Conference contenders to mid-major programs looking to make a run.

Based on this year’s projected field, 34 players with Canadian ties are expected to be part of the men’s NCAA Tournament.

Here’s the full breakdown.

Canadians in the 2026 NCAA Tournament

Power Conference Canadians

Aden Holloway — Alabama

Charlotte, NC | 28 GP

Holloway brings scoring punch and perimeter shooting to the Crimson Tide backcourt. While he grew up in the United States, his Canadian family ties keep him firmly on the radar for Canadian basketball fans.

Xaivian Lee — Florida

Toronto, ON | 32 GP

One of the most exciting Canadian guards in the NCAA this season. Lee has continued to elevate his profile with his ability to create offense, attack downhill, and make plays for others. The Toronto native represents the type of versatile guard Canadian basketball continues to produce.

Olivier Rioux — Florida

Montreal, QC | 10 GP

Rouix has been developing within the Gators program and gaining valuable experience within a high-major environment.

Marial Atuantok — Texas Tech

Edmonton, AB | 13 GP

The Edmonton product brings length and athleticism to the Red Raiders program and continues the growing representation of Western Canadian prospects at the Division I level.

Jeremy Foumena — UCF

Quebec City, QC | 26 GP

Foumena has carved out rotation minutes in a competitive conference and continues to represent Quebec City on the national stage.

Nginyu Ngala — Kansas

Montreal, QC | 13 GP

Ngala is living proof that where you start does not determine where you’ll finish. From Laurentian University to playing a role for Bill Self at Kansas and going dancing in March.

Canadians to Watch

Ishan Sharma — Saint Louis

Milton, ON | 33 GP

Sharma has been one of the most productive Canadians in college basketball this season. The Milton native has provided consistent scoring and offensive production while continuing to raise his stock.

Elijah Mahi — Santa Clara

Toronto, ON | 34 GP

Mahi has played a major role for Santa Clara this year. The Toronto wing has been a reliable contributor throughout the season and enters March with plenty of experience.

Ismael Diouf — Northern Iowa

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC | 34 GP

A physical presence inside, Diouf has been a steady contributor and continues the strong representation coming out of Quebec.

Canadians Across the Mid-Major Landscape

Oliver Faubert — Saint Mary’s

Ottawa, ON | 10 GP

Faubert joins a Saint Mary’s program that has built a reputation for developing international talent and disciplined basketball.

Dominic Pangonis — Wright State

Toronto, ON | 33 GP

A consistent contributor throughout the season and another Toronto product making an impact in March.

San Alamutu — Wright State

Ajax, ON | 33 GP

Alamutu shares the Wright State roster with Pangonis, giving the program a pair of Canadian guards.

Thomas Ndong — Cal Baptist

Montreal, QC | 30 GP

Ndong has been a regular contributor this season and continues Montreal’s strong pipeline of college talent.

Tim Eze — UMBC

Kleinburg, ON | 15 GP

Eze has been developing within the program while continuing to gain Division I experience.

The LIU Canadian Pipeline

Long Island University quietly features one of the largest Canadian contingents in the tournament field.

Jamal Fuller — LIU

Toronto, ON | 33 GP

Malachi Davis — LIU

Scarborough, ON | 34 GP

Shadrick Lasu — LIU

Winnipeg, MB | 32 GP

Caleb Johnson — LIU

North Preston, NS | 22 GP

Max Fraser — LIU

North Vancouver, BC | 6 GP

Five Canadians on one roster highlights just how strong the Canadian recruiting pipeline has become across NCAA basketball.

Canadians Developing Within Tournament Programs

J.C. Brooks — Tennessee State

Calgary, AB | 18 GP

Maban Jabriel — Queens

Waterloo, ON | 34 GP

Jimma James — Queens

Windsor, ON | Redshirt

Javier Glasgow — Troy

Toronto, ON | Redshirt

Chris Tadjo — Santa Clara

Montreal, QC | Redshirt

These players continue to develop within their programs while gaining valuable experience being part of tournament-level teams.

South Florida’s Canadian Connection

University of South Florida features another program with multiple Canadians on the roster.

Adrial Nyorha — South Florida

Ottawa, ON | 25 GP

Josh Omojafo — South Florida

Hamilton, ON | 31 GP

Onyx Nnani — South Florida

Edmonton, AB | 1 GP

Tristan Beckford — South Florida

Maple, ON | 20 GP

Four Canadians on one roster further illustrates the growing presence of Canadian talent throughout Division I basketball.

Canadians Rounding Out the Field

Edouard Benoit — Lehigh

Montreal, QC | 23 GP

Andrew Urosevic — Lehigh

Kitchener, ON | 28 GP

Jordan Dumont — VCU

Quebec City, QC | 7 GP

Ewan Steele — Idaho

Alton, ON | 14 GP

Ose Okojie — Howard

Brampton, ON | 33 GP

Canadian Ties in the Tournament

Emmanuel Sharp — Houston

American with Canadian ties

Sharp has emerged as an important piece for one of the country’s top programs at University of Houston. The sharpshooting guard brings scoring punch and perimeter shooting to a team with legitimate Final Four aspirations.

The Maple Minute Take 🇨🇦

The Canadian presence in the NCAA Tournament continues to grow every year.

This season’s projected field includes 34 players with Canadian ties, representing six different provinces and dozens of programs across Division I basketball.

Ontario once again leads the way, followed by strong representation from Quebec and Alberta, while programs like LIU and South Florida showcase just how common it’s becoming to see multiple Canadians sharing the same roster.

March Madness will always belong to the chaos — the upsets, the Cinderella stories, the buzzer beaters.

But every year the same thing becomes clearer:

Canada isn’t just sending players south anymore.

It’s becoming one of the most important pipelines in college basketball. 🇨🇦🏀

Full Canadian tournament coverage and recruiting analysis available at TheMapleMinute.com.