Candace Parker on men’s and women’s March Madness brackets
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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — After a week of upsets and games down to the wire on championship week, the field for the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament is set. For the second straight year, zero men’s basketball teams from Philadelphia will be in the tournament.
In the women’s bracket, two local schools — Drexel and Princeton University — each punched their ticket to the big dance after winning their conference tournaments.
Sign up to play CBS Philadelphia’s Bracket Challenge for a chance to win $1,000.
But, there will be plenty of local players from Pennsylvania and New Jersey playing in the men’s tournament, which begins this week.
Here’s the full list by region:
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South region
No. 3 seed University of Kentucky vs. No. 14 seed Oakland University Thursday, 7:10 p.m. on CBS
Kentucky heads into its first-round matchup against Oakland with plenty of talent from the Philadelphia region.
Freshman guard Justin Edwards, a McDonald’s All-American, is a Philly native and played at Imhotep Institute Charter High School. He won two straight state titles in high school.
Freshman guard D.J. Wagner, the son of former NBA player Dajuan Wagner, and senior guard Kareem Watkins are both Camden, New Jersey, natives. Like Edwards, D.J. Wagner is also a McDonald’s All-American.
Freshman forward Aaron Bradshaw is from Roselle, New Jersey, and senior guard Tre Mitchell is from Pittsburgh.
Kentucky’s Justin Edwards (1) gestures toward his bench after scoring during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Arkansas Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Lexington, Ky. Kentucky won 111-102.
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James Crisp / AP
No. 2 seed Marquette University vs. No. 15 seed Western Kentucky University Thursday, 2 p.m. on CBS
Marquette junior guard Stevie Mitchell is a Reading, Pennsylvania, native and played at Wilson High School before college. He ranks fifth on the team in scoring and averages 8.8 points per game.
Marquette freshman forward Al Amadou is a Philly native and attended Chestnut Hill Academy. He’s played in 13 games for Marquette this season and also played at Quakertown and Bishop McDevitt High Schools before his final two seasons at Chestnut Hill Academy.
No. 8 seed Nebraska University vs. No. 9 seed Texas A&M University Friday, 6:50 p.m. on TNT
The Cornhuskers have two players on their roster who call the Garden State home.
Junior guard C.J. Wilcher and sophomore guard Jamarques Lawrence are both Plainfield, New Jersey, natives.
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No. 4 seed Duke University vs. No. 13 seed University of Vermont Friday, 7:10 p.m. on CBS
Duke has two players from New Jersey on its roster.
Graduate student center Ryan Young is from Stewartsville, New Jersey, and played at Bethlehem Catholic High School. Junior guard Jaylen Blakes is a Somerset, New Jersey, native and played at Blair Academy.
Meanwhile on Vermont’s roster, redshirt junior forward Ileri Ayo-Faleye is from Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
No. 7 seed University of Florida vs. TBD Friday, 4:30 p.m. on TBS
Florida freshman forward Thomas Hugh, who played at the Perkiomen School in Pennsburg, has played in 35 games this season and averages 3.9 points.
Gators redshirt senior guard Alex Klatsky, is a Colts Neck, New Jersey, native and attended the Ranney School.
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East region
No. 8 seed Northwestern University vs. No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic University Friday, 12:15 p.m. on CBS
The matchup between Northwestern University and Florida Atlantic University includes two players with ties to the Philly region.
FAU senior guard Jalen Gaffney is from Columbus, New Jersey, and attended the Westtown School in high school.
In 33 games for the Owls, Gaffney averages 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds.
On the Northwestern side, sophomore guard Blake Smith is from Blue Bell, Montgomery County. He attended Germantown Academy and has played nine games for the Wildcats this season.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 6: Jalen Gaffney #12 of the Florida Atlantic Owls looks to pass the ball against Nik Graves #10 of the Charlotte 49ers at Dale F. Halton Arena on January 6, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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/ Getty Images
No. 12 seed UAB vs. No. 5 seed San Diego State Friday, 1:45 p.m. on TNT
UAB junior forward Yaxel Lendeborg, a Pennsauken, New Jersey, native helped the Blazers punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament after scoring 13 points against Temple University in the American Athletic Conference championship.
In his first season at UAB, Lendeborg led the team in scoring with 13.9 points per game. After graduating from Pennsauken High School, he played at the Arizona Western College Matadors in junior college.
No. 10 seed Drake University vs. No. 7 seed Washington State University Thursday, 10:05 p.m. on truTV
Drake University graduate student forward Darnell Brodie played at Newark East Side in high school before college. He averages 11.3 points per game.
No. 11 seed Duquesne University vs. No. 6 seed BYU Thursday, 12:40 p.m. on truTV
The Duquesne University men’s basketball team is heading to their first NCAA Tournament in 47 years after winning the Atlantic 10 championship over Virginia Commonwealth University.
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Freshman guard Seamus McDermott, who played at Holy Ghost Prep in Bucks County, played two games for the Dukes this season.
West region
No. 9 seed Michigan State University vs No. 8 seed Mississippi State University Thursday, 12:15 p.m. on CBS
Michigan State senior guard A.J. Hoggard is a Coatesville, Pennsylvania, native who played at Archbishop Carroll in Philly’s Catholic League before finishing his high school career at Huntington Prep in West Virginia.
Hoggard ranks third on the Spartans in points per game at 11 and leads the team in assists.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – MARCH 14: A.J. Hoggard #11 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates his three-point basket against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the second half in the Second Round of the Big Ten Tournament at Target Center on March 14, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Spartans defeated the Golden Gophers 77-67.
David Berding / Getty Images
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No. 13 seed College of Charleston vs. No. 4 seed University of Alabama Friday, 7:35 p.m. on truTV
Two players with New Jersey roots play for Charleston and Bama.
Crimson Tide graduate student guard Aaron Estrada, a Woodbury, New Jersey, native ranks second on the team in points with 13.4 per game.
Charleston junior guard Jack Miller is from Ocean Township, New Jersey, and played seven games in the 2023-24 season. Charleston graduate student guard Bryce Butler is a Latrobe, Pennsylvania, native, which is just outside Pittsburgh.
No. 11 seed New Mexico vs. No. 6 seed Clemson University Friday, 3:10 p.m. on truTV
Clemson graduate student forward Jack Clark, who previously played at La Salle and N.C. State, appeared in 20 games for the Tigers and averages 4.2 points per game.
Clark is a Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, native.
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New Mexico junior forward Deraje Agbaosi is from Union, New Jersey.
No. 14 seed Colgate University vs. No. 3 seed Baylor University Friday at 12:40 p.m. on truTV
Colgate, winners of the Patriot League, has several players from Pennsylvania on the roster.
Junior forward Jeff Woodward, who scored 1,450 points at Methacton High School in Eagleville, is from Audubon, Pennsylvania.
Senior Colgate guard Alex Capitano played at Malvern Prep in high school and fifth-year forward Ryan Moffatt is from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
No. 1 seed University of North Carolina vs. TBD Thursday, 2:45 p.m. on CBS
North Carolina’s talented roster features freshman guard Elliot Cadeau, who is from West Orange, New Jersey.
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Midwest region
No. 1 seed Purdue University vs. TBD Friday, 7:25 p.m. on TBS
Purdue senior forward Ethan Morton is from Butler, Pennsylvania, which is just outside Pittsburgh. He’s played in 32 games this season for the Boilermakers.
No. 9 seed Texas Christian University vs. No. 8 seed Utah State University Friday, 9:55 p.m. on TBS
Hoops fans across the Delaware Valley will recognize the name of one of TCU’s best players.
Jameer Nelson Jr., the son of the former St. Joseph’s Hawk great and NBA player Jameer Nelson, is a senior guard for the Horned Frogs. The older Nelson knows a thing or two about making a deep tourney run.
Nelson Jr., a Haverford, Pennsylvania, native, ranks second on TCU in scoring and averages 11.3 points per game.
KANSAS CITY, MO – MARCH 14: TCU Horned Frogs guard Jameer Nelson Jr. (4) in the second half of a Big 12 tournament quarterfinal game between the TCU Horned Frogs and Houston Cougars on Mar 14, 2024 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO.
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No. 4 seed University of Kansas vs. No. 13 seed Samford University Thursday, 9:55 p.m. on TBS
Jayhawks freshman guard Elmarko Jackson, a Marlton, New Jersey, native has made an immediate impact for Kansas this season.
Jackson has played in 32 games, including 17 starts, averaging 4.2 points per game. He was a McDonald’s All-American at the South Kent School in Connecticut before college.
No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s University vs. No. 2 seed University of Tennessee Thursday, 9:20 p.m. on TNT
Several players from New Jersey currently play at Saint Peter’s, which is looking to upset Tennessee.
Junior guard Marcus Randolph played at Willingboro and Archbishop Wood High Schools. He was a former two-time All-Catholic League selection during his time at Wood. He’s a Willingboro native.
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Like Randolph, senior guard Latrell Reid is also a Willingboro native.
Sophomore guard Elijah Perkins is a Middletown, New Jersey, native and played at Camden High School. Junior guard Jaheim Tanskley is from Edison, New Jersey.
NEWARK, NJ – NOVEMBER 6: Marcus Randolph #2 of the St. Peter’s Peacocks dribbles the ball during a game against the Seton Hall Pirates at Prudential Center on November 6, 2023 in Newark, NJ.
Porter Binks / Getty Images
First Four
No. 10 seed University of Virginia vs. No. 10 seed Colorado State University Tuesday, 9:10 p.m. on truTV
Virginia freshman guard Elijah Gertrude is from Jersey City, New Jersey, and played at Hudson Catholic Regional High School.
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Virginia sophomore guard Ryan Dunn and freshman guard Christian Bliss are both from New York, but played high school basketball in Pennsylvania. Dunn played at the Perkiomen School and Bliss played at the George School.
No. 16 seed Wagner University vs. No. 16 seed Howard University Tuesday, 6:40 p.m. on truTV
Both the Seahawks and Bison’s rosters have players from Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Wagner senior guard Rahmir Moore is a Philly native and played at St. Joe’s in college. Junior guard Tyje Kelton and redshirt sophomore Di’Andre Howell-South are also both from New Jersey.
On Howard, graduate student guard Isiah Warfield is from Monaca, Pennsylvania, which is in Beaver County, and freshman guard Jordan Atkins is from South Orange, New Jersey.
NEW YORK — The first time Gov. Josh Shapiro attended the glitzy Pennsylvania Society dinner in midtown Manhattan, he was a young lawmaker invited by David L. Cohen.
Fifteen years later, Shapiro again sat front and center with Cohen, on Saturday night in New York City’s Waldorf Astoria hotel. The governor and the former U.S. ambassador to Canada celebrated Cohen’s receipt of a gold medal award, which has typically been given to the likes of former presidents, prominent philanthropists, and influential businesspeople.
“I still remember that feeling of sitting here, in this storied hotel, inspired not just by this grand, historic room, but most especially by the people in it. I just felt honored to be here,” Shapiro recalled in his remarks Saturday night to the 127th annual Pennsylvania Society dinner. “We’ve come full circle.”
The Pennsylvania Society, which began in the Waldorf Astoria in 1899 by wealthy Pennsylvania natives who were living in New York and hoping to effect change in their home state, returned Saturday to the iconic hotel for the first time in eight years to honor Cohen for his lifetime of achievement and contributions to Pennsylvania.
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The $1,000-per-plate dinner closed out the Pennsylvania Society weekend in New York City, where the state’s political elite — local lawmakers, federal officials, university presidents, and top executives — travel to party, fundraise, and schmooze across Midtown Manhattan, with the goal of making Pennsylvania better.
Each of the approximately 800 attendees at Saturday night’s dinner was served filet mignon as their entree and a cherry French pastry for dessert. The candlelit tables in the grand ballroom had an elaborate calla lily centerpiece — a flower often symbolizing resurrection or rebirth, as the society had its homecoming after years away while the hotel was closed for renovations.
Shapiro, who has delivered remarks to the Pennsylvania Society dinner each year of his first term as governor, focused on the polarization of the moment. He said the antidote that Pennsylvanians want is for top officials to work together and show the good that government can achieve to make people’s lives better.
“Let us be inspired by that spirit and take the bonds we form tonight back home to our cities, towns, and farmlands, and continue to find ways to come together, make progress, and create hope,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro also thanked the members of the society for their support after an attempt on his life by a man who later pleaded guilty to setting fires in the governor’s residence on Passover while he and his family slept inside.
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» READ MORE: Cody Balmer, who set fire to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s mansion, pleads guilty to attempted murder
Cohen was honored as a Philadelphia stalwart whose long career includes stints as an executive at Comcast, chair of the University of Pennsylvania’s board of trustees, and five years as Ed Rendell’s chief of staff during his mayorship.
He was recognized in a prerecorded video featuring praise from former U.S. Sens. Pat Toomey and Bob Casey, former U.S. Ambassador to Germany and former University of Pennsylvania president Amy Gutmann, Rendell, and others the 70-year-old Cohen has worked with throughout his career.
Rendell attended the dinner with his ex-wife and federal appellate court Judge Marjorie “Midge” Rendell. In his prerecorded remarks, Ed Rendell credited Cohen as the true governor and mayor of Philadelphia for all of his work behind the scenes.
Cohen, who continues his work to promote the relationship between the United States and Canada since his return to Philadelphia this year, began his remarks following his introduction with a joke: “It’s sort of nice to hear a preview of your obituary,” he said with a laugh.
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Cohen gave an impassioned speech defending democracy and recognizing America’s position in the world, even as polarization reaches a fever pitch in the country. He credited the society as a place where America’s founding tenets are achieved.
“These Pennsylvania Society principles represent what the United States is supposed to stand for as a country, a promoter and defender of democratic values, values that have special residence in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, where our country was born almost 250 years ago,” Cohen said.
And Cohen had a dispatch from his years as an ambassador, followed by a call to action: “From our comfortable perch in Pennsylvania, I don’t think we always appreciate what we have here in the United States and the critical role that America plays on the global stage in promoting democracy.”
(WTAJ) — A $2 million Powerball ticket was sold in Pennsylvania as the jackpot broke $1 billion, making it the 6th largest to date. A Pennsylvania player matched all five white balls drawn Saturday, Dec. 13, but missed the Powerball. They also had Power Play active, making their million-dollar ticket worth $2 million. Another three […]
A large fire ripped through an apartment building in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Saturday night.
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The fire broke out just after 8:15 p.m. at One Maryland Circle apartments in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County.
Video obtained by CBS News Philadelphia shows firefighters battling heavy flames in an apartment unit, with thick smoke pouring from the building. The footage also shows noticeable damage to the building from the fire.
Firefighters battle flames in an apartment building in Whitehall Township, Pa.
CBS News Philadelphia
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The cause of the fire is unknown, and it is unclear if anyone was displaced or injured.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
