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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A Pennsylvania man was arrested on animal cruelty charges for allegedly feeding marijuana and beer to his pet parakeet after bringing the injured feathered friend to a bar, according to reports.
Timothy Grace, 40, was busted on Feb. 21 after carrying his wounded pet budgie named “Blue Skies” in his pocket to Callaghan’s Bar in Greensburg, according to CBS Pittsburgh.
“The caller’s a bartender. She says there is a white male at the bar with a parakeet,” a dispatcher reported on the police radio transmissions obtained by the outlet.
“The patron was bragging to other people that were inside the bar that he feeds the parakeet marijuana and has it drink beer on a daily basis,” Detective Sergeant Justin Scalzo told the outlet.
Grace “appeared extremely intoxicated” when police showed up to the bar and found the pet bird in distress, according to court documents obtained by the outlet.
“Its leg appeared to be broken,” Scalzo said, according to WTAE. “Its foot was actually facing the wrong direction.”
Grave was initially arrested for public intoxication and now faces charges including aggravated cruelty to animals and transporting animals in a cruel manner, the outlet said.
The pet bird was brought to PEARL Parrot Rescue in the Pittsburgh area, which rushed him to an emergency care facility.
Blue Skies spent four days in the hospital and was later taken in to be fostered by Teri Grendzinski, the president of PEARL. The injured parakeet is still breathing hard, remains on antibiotics, and has to wear a splint on his right leg, CBS reported.
“They realized his leg was broken. He also had some respiratory issues going on,” Grendzinski told the outlet. “He was also very, very skinny.”
“The leg was broken badly enough there is a chance they’re going to have to amputate the leg if it doesn’t heal correctly,” she added.
If Blue Skies is eventually put up for adoption, he will require specialized care, the outlet said.
“When we got that call, it was horrifying. Why would you do that to a bird?” Grendzinski said.
A Pennsylvania man was found guilty of repeatedly raping his daughter’s best friend over a three-year span before fleeing with the teen to Mexico.
On Thursday, March 5, 2026, Kevin Esterly, 53, of Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, was convicted on all counts of rape, statutory sexual assault, involuntary sexual intercourse and endangering the welfare of children.
Esterly shook his head as the verdict was read but said nothing in the courtroom.
Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673.
Esterly’s trial began on Tuesday, March 3, after a judge denied his pretrial motion for the charges against him to be dismissed and for the Lehigh County District Attorney to be removed as a prosecutor in the case.
Both Esterly and his victim testified on Wednesday, March 4.
The victim — who is now 24-years-old — told the courtroom that she met Esterly and his family while attending church as a child and became best friends with one of his daughters. Esterly was a youth leader and elder at the church at the time. The victim said Esterly also coached her soccer team.
The victim said she became so close to Esterly’s family that she called his wife “mom” and eventually spent almost every weekend at their home in Lowhill Township, Pennsylvania. She also said she vacationed with them in New York state and Ocean City, Maryland.
The victim said Esterly first sexually assaulted her in August 2015 when she was 13-years-old after he gave her alcohol during a family birthday party.
“I was scared. Frozen in fear,” the woman told the courtroom on Wednesday. “I pretended I was sleeping.”
The woman accused Esterly of sexually assaulting her almost every time she slept over at his home. She told the courtroom she eventually became addicted to alcohol and drugs, which Esterly gave her in exchange for sex. According to the woman, Esterly gave her cocaine and methamphetamine to keep her awake during school because she “would be up with him all night.”
The woman said Esterly continued to sexually assault her until he was confronted by his wife in 2017. Esterly’s wife then threw him out of the house, according to the victim. She said Esterly continued to sexually assault her over the next year.
Esterly was later arrested and then sentenced to prison after federal agents found him with the victim in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in 2018. She was 16-years-old at the time.
The woman said she moved on and went to college after Esterly’s sentencing though she still struggled with drug addiction. She said she sought counseling in February 2025. She told the courtroom she received a message from Esterly on LinkedIn that same month in which he apologized for “failing you as a person I was supposed to be for you.” At that point Esterly had been released from prison.
The woman said she had not told anyone about her relationship with Esterly up to that point and replied to him, “I live with our secret every day as I promised. I would appreciate an apology.”
The woman told the courtroom that Esterly responded by writing, “I hope one day you can forgive me. Nobody knows I reached out to you. That is the best for both of us.”
On Feb. 21, 2025, Allentown Police received a report of Esterly’s sexual assaults which led to the new charges being filed against him. He was arrested in West Virginia in June 2025 after two police pursuits. He was then extradited to Pennsylvania.
The victim told the courtroom on Wednesday that she kept quiet about Esterly’s abuse for years because she “was afraid to speak,” and felt “dirty and ashamed.”
“I wasn’t ready to tell anyone,” she said. “He was a father figure in my life. I loved him.”
The woman also said she didn’t want to hurt Esterly’s daughter who was her best friend.
When the District Attorney asked her why she was “here today,” she replied by saying, “I want to tell the truth. I want to be set free.”
The woman ended her testimony by saying, “I don’t want to live with this secret anymore.”
After her testimony, Esterly took the stand for 45 minutes, denied all of the accusations against him and accused the woman of lying.
Closing arguments then took place Thursday morning. It then took an hour for the jury of seven women and five men to reach their verdict.
Two women are dead in Pennsylvania and a man is dead in Illinois after an apparent murder-suicide, police said on Wednesday.
According to a report from the Pennsylvania State Police, the investigation began in Hillside, Illinois, when police there were dispatched after a man reported two women dead in Jackson Township, Pennsylvania. Police said that when officers got to Hillside, about 15 miles west of Chicago, they found that the man had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
After identifying him, troopers said Hillside officers contacted police from Jackson Township to request a welfare check at the man’s home on Dior Drive, about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh.
Police said officers used forced entry to get into the home and found two women dead from apparent gunshot wounds. It’s believed the two women were family members of the man who died by suicide in Illinois, investigators said.
Pennsylvania State Police said they’ve assumed control of the case and are “actively investigating” what happened surrounding the three deaths.
Police didn’t release any names, saying the process of formal identification and notification of next of kin hasn’t been completed. Sources told KDKA that the victims were a husband, wife and their daughter.
“At this time, investigators believe there is no ongoing threat to the public, and law enforcement is not searching for any additional individuals in connection with this incident,” police wrote in the public information release report. “This remains an active and ongoing investigation.”
State police didn’t release any other details on Wednesday but said more information will be made public when it’s available.
“My first reaction was shocked because this is such a close-knit neighborhood, and to think something that horrible could happen here is very tragic because they were such a good family,” neighbor Danielle Sporer said on Wednesday.
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