Meet The New Englanders Competing In March Madness 2023

Welcome to March. It's the best time of the year if your idea of a great time is plastering yourself to the couch and putting a little money or pride on the line only to have your bracket busted within the first couple hours of a Thursday afternoon.

The NCAA Tournament technically starts on Tuesday and Wednesday with four play-in games in Dayton, Ohio, but the real action — especially for New England-based teams — starts on Thursday.

Whether you’re a die-hard or you’re just catching on to the season as March Madness heats up, Patch’s guide to the tournament has you covered.

In this column, we’ll touch on the teams and players from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine and Vermont that made the tournament.

With sports betting now legal in Massachusetts, we’ll also give you a brief look into the odds for your favorite teams, both in their opening-round matchup and their title chances.

Now, without further ado, let’s go dancing.

Who’s In

This section is shorter than hoops fans from New England would like it to be, but, before we look into the squads playing this week, let’s give some credit to Merrimack College.

The Warriors from North Andover, Massachusetts, won the Northeast Conference Tournament over Fairleigh Dickinson on March 7, but it’ll be FDU playing Texas Southern in the First Four on Wednesday.

Merrimack didn’t commit any NCAA violations. Rather, you can say they too greatly exceeded expectations.

The Warriors are transitioning to Division I basketball, which means that, for the first four years, they are ineligible to play in the NCAA Tournament. That’s unfortunate for the team, which has won the past two NEC regular season championships.

However, brighter days are ahead for the program that next year will enter its fifth in Division I, qualifying them for postseason play.

Now, onto the teams that will be featured in the bracket.

Connecticut

There are a number of storylines at play here, most all of them centering around the Big East and where one coach in this matchup both used to coach and may coach in the future. Yes indeed, the section about UConn is starting off with Rick Pitino.

For a quick rundown, Iona’s Rick Pitino once upon a time led the Providence Friars to the Final Four, had a brief and tumultuous run with the Boston Celtics and, now, is rumored to be taking the head job at St. John’s. All of that, of course, doesn’t mention why Pitino found himself at Iona. Most of you have probably heard that story, but for those who haven’t, feel free to enjoy the drama on your own time.

Now on to UConn which, of all the schools from New England, has the best chance to make it to Houston. In fact, UConn has solidified itself as one of the true contenders of the tournament despite a mid-season slump.

The Huskies started the year hot, rising to the top of the polls before falling down both those rankings and those of the Big East Conference. But UConn is rounding into form at just the right time on the backs of two all-conference performers and an almost supernatural chaos agent.

Adama Sonogo is a terrifying inside presence for the Huskies coming off a first-team All-Big East nod. He’s joined by teammate Jordan Hawkins on that All-Big East roster, with the team’s scoring guard averaging 16 points per game, equal to Sonogo.

You’d think the team’s two leading scorers and all-conference performers would top the must-see-TV rankings as well, but you’d be wrong.

Andre Jackson Jr. isn’t the team’s best scorer. He isn’t the team’s best rebounder, and he may not even be the best passer. But good God almighty is he good at basketball.

Jackson is the type of jack-of-all-trades prospect that NBA teams take a chance on in the draft because of his hyper-athletic traits and Tasmanian Devil energy. If you want proof, look no further than the Huskies' first-half domination of the Providence College Friars in the Big East Tournament.

Jackson was all over the floor, whipping passes to teammates for open looks and driving downhill like a Mac truck with no brakes. If the trio of Sonogo, Hawkins and Jackson are all clicking at the same time, look out.

Now, about those Friars.

Providence

If the aliens landed two weeks ago and were only given access to the Fox Sports broadcasts of Big East basketball, they make think Providence is one of the conference’s bottom feeders. That’s far from the whole story of the Friar’s season, but the last two weeks of basketball are certainly causing concern amongst the devout Providence College faithful.

Really, the Friars' woes date back to their Feb. 22 matchup with UConn in which they were run out of the gym, losing 87-69. They followed with a blowout win against Georgetown before dropping games against Xavier, Seton Hall and UConn again in the Big East Tournament.

The Seton Hall loss was especially demoralizing, coming by a margin of 24 points at home on senior night. A number of fans in attendance at Amica Mutual Pavillion didn’t even stick around long enough to hear from the seniors during postgame speeches.

Excluding the win over Georgetown, in each of those contests mentioned above Providence found itself down at least 20 points, and its once stout defense became a major pain point. However, Providence rallied back from down 26 to make the Big East Tournament matchup against UConn close, which is where we find the Friars heading into a matchup against Kentucky.

The opponent provides a little extra emphasis for the Friars.

Bryce Hopkins, the Friars’ leading scorer and unanimous All-Big East Selection joined Ed Cooley’s squad this year via the transfer portal. From Kentucky. During the selection show on CBS, Hopkins was visibly excited for the opportunity to face his old club, which could provide a spark to the Friars.

But fixes, particularly on the defensive end, must be made for Providence to right the ship and make it past the opening round.

Will the Friars look more like the team that came roaring back against UConn in the Big East Tournament, or will they resemble the team which was blown out by UConn at the beginning of this end-of-season slide?

Vermont

Most of the New England representation has come from the Big East. Though Vermont isn’t a member of that conference, this section will remain Big East heavy as the Catamounts were dealt a matchup with Marquette.

The Golden Eagles received a two-seed from the selection committee after running away with the Big East regular season and tournament championship. Led by head coach Shaka Smart and Big East player of the year — and Rhode Island native — Tyler Kolek, the Golden Eagles come into the tournament fueled by a balanced attack and a ton of victory milkshakes.

But the Catamounts have proved feisty before, and hope to play spoiler and bust a number of brackets come Friday afternoon.

UVM comes into the tournament in the midst of a 15-game winning streak and a victory in the America East Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons.

Dylan Penn will hope to continue his hot scoring stretch against Marquette. Penn, the most outstanding player in the America East Tournament, averaged over 23 points per game in three tournament appearances.

According to NCAA data, a 15-seed has beaten a 2-seed 10 times, and upstart fans of the Saint Peter’s University Peacocks will remember their 2022 victory over Kentucky as the most recent example of the feat.

One last Big East nugget to tie this all together? The head coach of the Peacocks, Shaheen Holloway, rode that magic run with the Peacocks to the head job at Seton Hall.

Locals in the Tourney

It’s not that New England is bereft of basketball talent, not by a longshot. It’s just that if one were to compile a list of players on NCAA Tournament rosters, there maybe, possibly, could be more players from the continents of Europe and Africa, respectively, that appear on that list than who hail from New England.

However, none of them were named Big East player of the year, so how’s that for basketball talent?

This year’s representatives from New England range from stars to walk-ons to role players. Here are the locals going dancing:

Tyler Kolek, Marquette

Cumberland, Rhode Island

No player on this list has made as much impact for their squad as Marquette’s lead guard. Kolek has gone from a dashing passer but reluctant scorer in year one with Marquette to the best player in the Big East as a sophomore.

The Cumberland, Rhode Island, native is second in the nation in assists per game at 7.7 and adds over 13 points a game on an efficient 48 percent from the field.

Between Kolek and guard Kam Jones, the Golden Eagles are poised to make a deep tournament run, adding to what is certainly one of the best seasons in program history to this point.

Kolek started his college career at George Mason following a storied high school career at St. George’s School in Middletown, Rhode Island, where he was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2019.

Alex Karaban, Connecticut

Southborough, Massachusetts

Southborough, Massachusetts native Alex Karaban has been a consistent contributor for Connecticut during his freshman season in Storrs.

Averaging nearly 10 points and over four rebounds a game, the 6’8” forward cracked the starting lineup in his first year with the Huskies.

Karaban didn’t spend all that much time in Massachusetts during his high school career, but did stay in New England.

He began his prep career at Algonquin Regional High before moving on to New Hampton School in New Hampton, New Hampshire, where he was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year. He finished his prep years at Florida’s IMG Academy.

Keegan Records, Colgate

South Kingstown, Rhode Island

Colgate’s leading rebounder and shot blocker is a 6’10” big man hailing from South Kingstown, Rhode Island.

Keegan Records is one of the most efficient scorers in college basketball, averaging 13 points a game on 67.5 percent from the field, good for the fourth-highest mark in the nation.

Colgate is set to face Big 12 Tournament champion Texas in the first round on Thursday as a 15-seed. But, as mentioned above, it’s not unheard of for a two-seed to go down. A big game from Records could go a long way in making that a reality for the Patriot League champions.

Records attended St. Andrews Prep School in Barrington, Rhode Island, where he was twice selected to the All-State team and finished with career averages over 17 points and 15 rebounds per game.

Donovan Clingan, UConn

Bristol, Connecticut

Clingan is a monster on the court and gives teams fits with his 7’2” frame and shot-blocking prowess.

The freshman big man is averaging nearly two blocks a game in just 13 minutes on the floor, but he can provide a real spark against teams whose primary offensive mission is getting into the lane.

For UConn, he’s averaging seven points and nearly six boards a game in limited but impactful minutes.

Clingan was a record-setting high school player at Bristol Central High School, setting a school record in points, rebounds and blocked shots. Only six players in Connecticut high school basketball history have scored more points.

Matt Veretto, Vermont

South Windsor, Connecticut

Senior big man Matt Veretto is crucial to the Catamounts, and will need to step up in a big way if they’re to upset Marquette in the first round.

Veretto provides not only protection of the basket, but also spaces the floor as a stretch big, shooting 40 percent from three this year while averaging nearly nine points a game.

The big man hails from South Windsor, Connecticut, and has one of the more interesting stories in the tournament. He played college ball at Delaware in 2019, but then transferred to UConn not as a student-athlete, but simply as a student.

Now, Veretto finds himself back on the floor and into the Big Dance in 2023.

Deven Austin, Princeton

Vernon, Connecticut

Freshman guard Deven Austin is a bench contributor for Princeton, averaging about 15 minutes a game.

However, the Vernon, Connecticut, native has seen an uptick in minutes in the month of February, which could lead to real playing time in Princeton’s first-round matchup against two-seed Arizona.

Austin, who spent his high school years at Wilbraham and Monson Academy in Massachusetts, is averaging over 5 points and two rebounds per game while shooting over 50 percent from the field.

Bensley Joseph, Miami

Arlington, Massachusetts

Joining the Hurricanes was a homecoming of sorts for Bensley Joseph, who hails from Arlington, Massachusetts but was actually born in Miami.

Joseph gives the Hurricanes' star-studded backcourt relief off the bench, averaging 20 minutes a game and chipping in with 5 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists on 43 percent shooting.

A sophomore guard at Miami, Joseph spent his first two high school seasons at Arlington High School before graduating from Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. He also attended Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, for one year.

Desmond Claude, Xavier

New Haven, Connecticut

Another Big East representative, Desmond Claude gives the Xavier Musketeers big minutes off the bench. Expect to have multiple chances to see the New Haven native in the tournament, as Xavier finds themselves as a true contender this March.

Claude doesn’t provide big scoring numbers in Xavier’s high-powered offense, but his 20 minutes a game find him doing the little things well while putting up about 2 rebounds and 2 assists a game.

Claude attended Putnam Science Academy for a post-grad year prior to heading to Xavier. While there, he led Putnam to an undefeated season and National Prep Championship. Claude clearly is at his best during tournament time, as he was named the MVP of the prep championship tournament.

Adam Seiko, San Diego State

Boston, Massachusetts

Adam Seiko may be a relative unknown to basketball fans in Massachusetts. He spent his high school years playing at Sierra Canyon in California before the hype of Lebron “Bronny” James Jr., but spent his youth in Boston.

Now, Seiko, a redshirt senior at San Diego State, is a meaningful contributor to an Aztecs team looking to make some noise as a five-seed.

Seiko is averaging 6.5 points in 20 minutes per game, and looks to provide a spark as San Diego State takes on the College of Charleston on Thursday.

Nick Fiorillo, Vermont

Scarborough, Maine

Scarborough, Maine, native Nick Fiorillo is one of two New Englanders suiting up for the Catamounts in the 2023 tournament.

Fiorillo gives Vermont over 17 minutes off the bench, contributing 4.5 points and 2 rebounds per game.

Dasonte Bowen, Iowa

Boston, Massachusetts

University of Iowa freshman Dasonte Bowen has been an occasional contributor to the Hawkeyes, but has provided a spark off the bench on numerous occasions this season.

He scored a season-high 12 points during a loss against Duke, but has seen his minutes slim as the grind of the season progressed.

Still, fans of Massachusetts high school basketball can tell you there’s a ton of potential for the 6’2” guard from Boston.

Bowen spent his high school years between Worcester Academy and Brewster Academy where he was named to the All-NEPSAC first team as both a senior and a sophomore. At Worcester Academy, he played with fellow Hawkeye Josh Ogundele, who hails from London, England.

Five other New Englanders are on NCAA Tournament rosters in 2023, but play limited minutes for their teams. They are:

• Dallion Johnson, Penn State, Haverhill, Massachusetts
• Michel Ndayishimiye, Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
• Andrew Hurley, UConn, Glastonbury, Connecticut
• Andre Johnson Jr., UConn, Bristol, Connecticut

Game Times, How To Watch

• UConn vs. Iona, Friday, 4:30 p.m. on TBS
• Providence vs. Kentucky, Friday, 7:10 p.m. on CBS
• Vermont vs. Marquette, Friday, 2:45 p.m. on CBS

Betting Lines

This year’s NCAA Tournament marks the first time that residents of the state can bet on the games without leaving the state, or the comfort of their own homes.

Sports betting began on Jan. 30 at three casinos within the state and, wouldn’t you know it, betting on mobile sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel began on March 10, just in time for conference tournament games and with more than enough time to work out the kinks before the national holiday for bookies.

If you’re looking to get into the logistics of how it all works, read Patch’s Scott Souza on the topic here: Bet On It: Mobile Sports Gambling 'Madness' Arrives In Massachusetts

For those looking to participate in this first-year experience — or hoping to guess correctly and make a quick buck — here are the betting lines for the UConn, Providence and Vermont games as of Monday night, according to Caesars Sportsbook:

Vermont vs. Marquette

• Line: Marquette -12
• Total: 145.5

Providence vs. Kentucky

• Line: Kentucky -4.5
• Total: 145

UConn vs. Iona

• Line: UConn -9.5
• Total: 143.5

Looking to place a wager on any of those three teams to win the whole thing? UConn is closest to the front of the pack at +1500, followed by Providence at +12500.