Pennsylvania
Who’s playing in the NCAA Men’s Tournament from Pennsylvania and New Jersey?
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
/ 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.
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.
David Berding / Getty Images
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.
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.
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.
Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Pennsylvania
Top Pennsylvania Lawmaker Says Democrats Are Ready To Pass Marijuana Legalization Bill, But ‘We Will Need Republican Support’
A top Pennsylvania House lawmaker says Democrats are ready to pass a marijuana legalization bill this session, but that the party “will need Republican support” to get the job done—adding that it will be a “heavy lift.”
At an event organized by the progressive non-profit Represent PA on Tuesday, House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D) said that legalizing and regulating cannabis sales is one way the state can raise revenue, as well as imposing a tax on certain gambling games.
“Most House Democrats support [marijuana legalization], though we will need Republican support for passing a bill this massive,” she said. “It’s going to be a heavy lift.”
She added that the reform “could be a new economic opportunity—from farmers to [dispensaries] and those who put together edibles.”
While Democrats narrowly control the Pennsylvania House, there’s a GOP majority in the Senate, so McClinton stressed that there’s an open question about whether that chamber will go along with the reform, which Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) also included in his latest budget proposal.
“Nearly half of U.S. states have already legalized recreational marijuana, including nearly all of our neighbors,” McClinton separately told The Daily Pennsylvanian. “Right now, many Pennsylvanians are simply driving to New Jersey or Maryland to purchase marijuana legally.”
While polls have shown bipartisan support for legalization among voters, the policy change has consistently stalled in the legislature, owing in large part to GOP opposition. But not all Republican members are against the reform—and one recently said she felt her party should seize the “opportunity to snatch” the issue from Democrats.
Rep. Rick Krajewski (D)—who announced in December his intent to file a legalization measure alongside House Health Committee Chair Dan Frankel (D)—said the policy would provide for “more responsible usage” of cannabis, compared to the status quo that’s left adults either buying from the illicit market or traveling across state lines to get regulated products.
“In terms of public health, when people buy stuff on the street or from smoke shops, they don’t know what else is in the product or the potency amount,” he said. “Legalization allows us to have protections over products.”
Krajewski also defended his and Frankel’s proposal to enact legalization through a state-run retailers—a novel regulatory model for marijuana that departs from what other lawmakers and the governor have called for in the past.
“With the model of state stores, we would get hundreds of millions of dollars more in state revenue because we would have proceeds from tax revenue and sales revenue,” he said.
“This is a clearly polarized issue and Pennsylvania is currently a purple state,” he added. “Getting any kind of legislative process moving has been difficult because some people aren’t even willing to engage on it.”
Rep. Jordan Harris (D) separately made the case in an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian that legalization would benefit the states farmers, arguing that Pennsylvania’s agriculture community “should be growing and processing and reaping the benefits here within the state.”
“If we get this to the governor’s desk, I think surrounding states will see a decrease in their revenue because that money will be staying in Pennsylvania,” he said.
“What folks need to understand is that we have had medical marijuana in Pennsylvania for quite some time now and we have not seen a steep increase in the need for police or anything like that,” he added said. “So people’s mindset shouldn’t be ‘We’re flipping a switch from a dry state to a legalized state.’”
Frankel, for his part, said recently that he feels it’s feasible that the legislature could advance a legalization bill as part of the budget reconciliation process that must wrap up by the end of June.
The governor has similarly indicated that the reform could advance on that timeline. But there are still open questions about what, if any, cannabis legislation could garner the necessary consensus for enactment.
Meanwhile last month, the Pennsylvania House approved a separate bill sponsored by Frankel that’s meant to strengthen safety standards and oversight of the state’s medical marijuana program as lawmakers work to advance adult-use legalization.
While Pennsylvania’s medical cannabis program was enacted nearly a decade ago, lawmakers say the new measure, which now heads to the Senate, is necessary to improve testing compliance, product audits and lab inspections, among other aspects of the industry.
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Separately, in a video interview released last month, the governor emphasized that the state is “losing out” to others that have already enacted adult-use legalization, while maintaining a policy that’s enriched the illicit market.
“I think it’s an issue of freedom and liberty. I mean, if folks want to smoke, they should be able to do so in a safe and legal way,” he said. “We should shut down the black market—and, by the way, every state around us is doing it. Pennsylvanians are driving to those other states and paying taxes in those other states.”
Pennsylvania’s Republican attorney general recently said he wants to be a “voice for potential public safety risks” of enacting the governor’s proposal—though he said his office would be ready to enforce the new law if lawmakers did vote to pass it.
The state’s agriculture secretary separately told lawmakers that he’s fully confident that his department is in a “really good” position to oversee an adult-use marijuana program if lawmakers act.
Meanwhile, in February, top Pennsylvania police and health officials told lawmakers they are prepared to implement marijuana legalization if the legislature moves forward with the reform—and that they stand ready to work together as the details of legislation to achieve it are crafted.
Amid the growing calls for marijuana legalization in Pennsylvania, a GOP state senator said prohibition has been a “disaster,” and a regulated sales model for cannabis—similar to how alcohol and tobacco are handled—could serve as an effective alternative.
Voters are ready to see that policy change, according to a poll released last month.
The survey, commissioned by the advocacy group ResponsiblePA, found that nearly 7 in 10 voters in the state support the reform—including a majority of Republicans. And 63 percent want to see the legislature enact the reform this year, rather than delaying it.
A Republican Pennsylvania senator also recently defended the push to legalize and regulate marijuana, calling it “the most conservative stance” on the issue.
Maryland Bill To Let Adults Make Marijuana Edibles And Concentrates At Home Heads To The Governor
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