Starting Lineup: Devils & angels
The NCAA tournament is a phenomenon, and it stretches to the far corners of the globe. This year, there are 103 players born outside the United States competing in the DI Men's Basketball Championship.
Twenty-nine teams -- 43 percent of the field -- have at least two international players on the roster. Fourteen teams have one (20 percent). Twenty-five teams (37 percent) do not have a player born outside the U.S., including No. 1 overall seed Kentucky.
For the 103 international players, the position breakdown is forward (47), center (24) and guard (32). The tallest player is 7-foot-6 Mamadou Ndiaye of UC Irvine; the shortest is Michigan State's Lourawls Nairn Jr. at 5-10.
If you're looking to recruit while on vacation, head Down Under. Eight players are from Sydney, Australia; four others are from Melbourne and one is from Adelaide. Other hot spots include Montreal, Quebec (5) and Toronto, Ontario (5).
New Mexico State has the most international players -- nine, 60 percent of its 15-man roster.
| 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS WITH INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NO. | PLAYER | POS. | HGT. | WGT. | CLASS | HOMETOWN / HIGH SCHOOL |
| Albany Great Danes (5) | ||||||
| 10 | Mike Rowley | F | 6-8 | 230 | So. | Sydney, Australia / Knox Grammar School |
| 12 | Peter Hooley | G | 6-4 | 200 | Jr. | Adelaide, Australia / Concordia College |
| 14 | Sam Rowley | F | 6-6 | 230 | Sr. | Sydney, Australia / Knox Grammar School |
| 22 | Richard Peters | C | 6-11 | 275 | So. | Pickering, Ontario / Westwind Prep Academy |
| 33 | Geremy McKay | F | 6-7 | 225 | Fr. | Melbourne, Australia / Caulfield Grammar School |
| Arizona Wildcats (1) | ||||||
| 14 | Dusan Ristic | C | 7-0 | 245 | Fr. | Novi Sad, Serbia / Sunrise Christian Academy |
| Arkansas Razorbacks (1) | ||||||
| 33 | Moses Kingsley | F | 6-10 | 230 | So. | Abuja, Nigeria / Huntington Prep |
| Baylor Bears (2) | ||||||
| 1 | Kenny Chery | G | 5-11 | 180 | Sr. | Montreal, Quebec / Archbishop Carroll HS |
| 45 | Deng Deng | F | 6-8 | 205 | Jr. | Melbourne, Australia / Box Hill Secondary College |
| Buffalo Bulls (2) | ||||||
| 10 | Jarryn Skeete | G | 6-3 | 175 | Jr. | Brompton, Ontario / Wasatch Academy |
| 20 | Rodell Wigginton | F | 6-5 | 215 | Jr. | Dartmouth, Nova Scotia / Lee Academy |
| Butler Bulldogs (1) | ||||||
| 11 | Jackson Aldridge | G | 6-0 | 187 | Sr. | Sydney, Australia /Australia Inst. of Sport |
| Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (4) | ||||||
| 12 | Michel Enanga | F | 6-6 | 215 | Jr. | Yaounde, Cameroon / Montverde Academy |
| 13 | Uros Ljeskovic | F | 6-8 | 240 | Jr. | Niksic, Montenegro / Nelson HS |
| 21 | Tristian Curtis | F | 6-7 | 220 | Jr. | Nassau, Bahamas / Lamar HS |
| 23 | Badou Diagne | F | 6-7 | 220 | Jr. | Dakar, Senegal / Impact Basketball Academy |
| Davidson Wildcats (4) | ||||||
| 1 | Nathan Ekwu | F | 6-7 | 235 | Fr. | Enugu, Nigeria / Cardinal Hayes HS |
| 15 | Oskar Michelsen | F | 6-9 | 210 | Fr. | Helsinki, Finland / Makelanrinne Sports HS |
| 22 | Ali Mackay | F | 6-11 | 215 | Sr. | North Berwick, Scotland / North Berwick HS |
| 31 | Manu Giamoukis | G | 6-1 | 180 | So. | Thessaloniki, Greece / Anatolia College |
| Dayton Flyers (1) | ||||||
| 21 | Dyshawn Pierre | F | 6-6 | 230 | Jr. | Whitby, Ontario / Anderson CVI |
| Eastern Washington Eagles (6) | ||||||
| 0 | Ognjen Miljkovic | F | 6-7 | 220 | So. | Belgrade, Serbia / Bishop Montgomery HS |
| 2 | Daniel Hill | G | 5-9 | 165 | Jr. | Sydney, Australia / Newington College HS |
| 21 | Frederik Jorg | C | 7-1 | 295 | So. | Korschenbroich, Germany / Gym. Eversten HS |
| 32 | Bogdan Bliznyuk | F | 6-6 | 215 | Fr. | Lutsk, Ukraine / Todd Beamer HS |
| 44 | Felix Von Hofe | F | 6-5 | 200 | So. | Melbourne, Australia / Aust Inst. of Sport |
| 55 | Venky Jois | F | 6-8 | 230 | Jr. | Boronia, Australia / Box Hill HS |
| Georgia Bulldogs (3) | ||||||
| 15 | Osahen Iduwe | F | 6-9 | 235 | Fr. | Benin City, Nigeria / St. John's NW Mil Academy |
| 20 | Dusan Langura | G | 6-4 | 215 | So. | Romont, Switzerland / Furtah Prep |
| 42 | Nemanja Djurisic | F | 6-8 | 230 | Sr. | Podgorica, Montenegro / South Kent HS |
| Gonzaga Bulldogs (3) | ||||||
| 4 | Kevin Pangos | G | 6-2 | 182 | Sr. | Holland Landing, Ontario/Denison Secondary School |
| 24 | Przemek Karnowski | C | 7-1 | 288 | Jr. | Torun, Poland / Nocolaus Copernicus HS |
| 55 | Dustin Triano | G | 6-3 | 178 | Fr. | Vancouver, British Columbia / New Hampton HS |
| Harvard Crimson (4) | ||||||
| 10 | Patrick Steeves | F | 6-7 | 220 | Jr. | Montreal, Quebec / The Hotchkiss School |
| 11 | Chris Egi | F | 6-9 | 215 | Fr. | Markham, Ontario / Montverde Academy |
| 14 | Steve Moundou-Missi | F | 6-7 | 225 | Sr. | Yaounde, Cameroon / Montverde Academy |
| 35 | Agunwa Okolie | F | 6-8 | 205 | Jr. | Ajax, Ontario / Archbishop O'Connor HS |
| Indiana Hoosiers (1) | ||||||
| 12 | Hanner Mosquera-Perea | F | 6-9 | 225 | Jr. | Istmina, Colombia / La Lumiere HS |
| Iowa Hawkeyes (2) | ||||||
| 0 | Gabriel Olaseni | C | 6-10 | 237 | Sr. | London, England / Sunrise Christian Academy |
| 25 | Dom Uhl | F | 6-8 | 195 | Fr. | Frankfurt, Germany/ Point Pleasant Beach HS |
| Iowa State Cyclones (2) | ||||||
| 15 | Naz Long | G | 6-4 | 210 | Jr. | Mississauga, Ontario / St. Martin HS |
| 34 | Georgios Tsalmpouris | C | 7-1 | 227 | Fr. | Katerini, Greece / 3rd HS of Katerini |
| Kansas Jayhawks (1) | ||||||
| 10 | Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk | G | 6-8 | 195 | Fr. | Cherkasy, Ukraine/ Cherkasy First City Gymnasia |
| Lafayette Leopards (2) | ||||||
| 20 | Dan Trist | F | 6-9 | 234 | Sr. | Sydney, Australia / North Sydney Boys HS |
| 54 | Nathaniel Musters | C | 6-10 | 253 | Jr. | Sydney, Australia / Sydney Tech |
| Louisville Cardinals (3) | ||||||
| 5 | Matz Stockman | C | 7-0 | 240 | Fr. | Oslo, Norway / Canarias Basketball Academy |
| 12 | Mangok Mathiang | C | 6-10 | 220 | So. | Melbourne, Australia / IMG Academy |
| 14 | Anas Mahmoud | F | 7-0 | 200 | Fr. | Cairo, Egypt / West Oaks Academy |
| LSU Tigers (2) | ||||||
| 22 | Darcy Malone | C | 7-0 | 245 | So. | Canberra, Australia / ACT Academy of Sport |
| 31 | John Odo | F | 6-10 | 245 | Sr. | Lagos, Nigeria / Faloma HS |
| Manhattan Jaspers (2) | ||||||
| 3 | Samson Usilo | G | 6-4 | 205 | Fr. | Lagos, Nigeria / Nazareth HS |
| 15 | Samson Akilo | F | 6-8 | 210 | Fr. | Lagos, Nigeria / Nazareth HS |
| Maryland Terrapins (2) | ||||||
| 13 | Ivan Bender | F | 6-9 | 230 | Fr. | Caplijina, Bosnia-Herzegovina / Elektrotehnicka Skola |
| 15 | Michal Cekovsky | F | 7-1 | 235 | Fr. | Kosice, Slovakia / Canarias Academy |
| Michigan State Spartans (1) | ||||||
| 11 | Lourawls Nairn Jr. | G | 5-10 | 170 | Fr. | Nassau, Bahamas / Sunrise Christian Academy |
| New Mexico State Aggies (9) | ||||||
| 3 | Remi Barry | F | 6-8 | 225 | Sr. | Paris, France / Del Oro HS |
| 5 | Matt Taylor | G | 6-5 | 180 | Fr. | Toronto, Ontario / Future College Prep |
| 10 | Rashawn Browne | G | 6-1 | 170 | Fr. | Toronto, Ontario / Bill Crothers Secondary |
| 11 | Johnathon Wilkins | F | 6-10 | 225 | Fr. | Paris, France / La Lumiere HS |
| 15 | Tshilidzi Nephawe | C | 6-10 | 268 | Sr. | Johannesburg, S. Africa / Stoneridge Prep |
| 21 | Tanveer Bhullar | C | 7-3 | 335 | Fr. | Toronto, Ontario / Father Henry Carr HS |
| 23 | Daniel Mullings | G | 6-2 | 170 | Sr. | Toronto, Ontario / Laurier HS |
| 35 | Jalyn Pennie | G | 6-7 | 180 | Fr. | Toronto, Ontario / Christian Faith Center |
| 43 | Pascal Siakam | F | 6-9 | 230 | Fr. | Douala, Cameroon / God's Academy |
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2) | ||||||
| 15 | Eric Katenda | F | 6-9 | 236 | Jr. | Paris, France / Sunrise Christian Academy |
| 23 | Martinas Geben | F | 6-9 | 255 | Fr. | Vilnius, Lithuania / St. Maria Goretti HS |
| Oklahoma Sooners (2) | ||||||
| 2 | Dinjiyl Walker | G | 6-1 | 197 | Jr. | Vaughan, Ontario / Vaughan Secondary School |
| 24 | Buddy Hield | G | 6-4 | 212 | Jr. | Freeport, Bahamas / Sunrise Christian Academy |
| Oklahoma State Cowboys (2) | ||||||
| 14 | Marek Soucek | C | 7-0 | 240 | Sr. | Brno, Czech Republic / Canarias Basketball Academy |
| 32 | Anthony Allen Jr. | C | 7-0 | 240 | Jr. | Kingston, Jamaica / Bassick HS |
| Ole Miss Rebels (4) | ||||||
| 11 | Sebastian Saiz | F | 6-9 | 233 | So. | Madrid, Spain / Sunrise Christian Academy |
| 13 | Anthony Perez | F | 6-9 | 205 | Jr. | Cumana, Venezuela / Word of Life Trad |
| 20 | John Crnogorac | C | 6-11 | 216 | Fr. | Sydney, Australia / Marshall Academy |
| 23 | Dwight Coleby | C | 6-9 | 240 | So. | Nassau, Bahamas / Piney Woods HS |
| Oregon Ducks (1) | ||||||
| 41 | Roman Sorkin | F | 6-10 | 225 | Fr. | Ashdod, Israel / Hof HaSharon HS |
| Providence Friars (2) | ||||||
| 14 | Tyree Chambers | G | 6-2 | 182 | Fr. | Bayreuth, Germany / Graf-Munster-Gymnasium |
| 32 | Junior Lomomba | G | 6-5 | 200 | So. | Montreal, Quebec / Madison Memorial HS |
| Robert Morris Colonials (1) | ||||||
| 1 | Lionel Gomis | F | 6-9 | 230 | Jr. | Dakar, Senegal / Blair Academy |
| San Diego State Aztecs (1) | ||||||
| 2 | Kevin Zabo | G | 6-2 | 185 | Fr. | Gatineau, Quebec / Brewster Academy |
| SMU Mustangs (1) | ||||||
| 2 | Yanick Moreira | C | 6-11 | 220 | Sr. | Luanda, Angola / Colegio Heminalia |
| St. John’s Red Storm (3) | ||||||
| 10 | Felix Balamou | G | 6-4 | 192 | Jr. | Conakry, Guinea/Our Savior New American HS |
| 12 | Chris Obekpa | C | 6-10 | 236 | Jr. | Makurdi, Nigeria/Our Savior New American HS |
| 14 | Amar Alibegovic | F | 6-9 | 230 | Fr. | Rome, Italy / Instituto Tecnico Minerva |
| UC Irvine Anteaters (4) | ||||||
| 10 | Luke Nelson | G | 6-3 | 185 | So. | Worthing, England / The Henley College |
| 11 | Haroldas Saprykinas | G | 6-1 | 170 | Fr. | Klaipeda, Lithuania / West Oaks Academy |
| 12 | Ioannis Dimakopoulos | C | 7-2 | 257 | So. | Patra, Greece / Cathedral HS |
| 34 | Mamadou Ndiaye | C | 7-6 | 300 | So. | Dakar, Senegal / Brethren Christian HS |
| UCLA Bruins (2) | ||||||
| 14 | Gyorgy Goloman | F | 6-10 | 210 | Fr. | Kormend, Hungary / The Sagemont School |
| 43 | Jonah Bolden | F | 6-10 | 215 | Fr. | Sydney, Australia / Brewster Academy |
| Utah Runnin’ Utes (3) | ||||||
| 25 | Kenneth Ogbe | G | 6-6 | 190 | So. | Ehingen, Germany / Urspring HS |
| 31 | Dallin Bachynski | C | 7-0 | 265 | Sr. | Calgary, Alberta / Sir Winston Churchill HS |
| 42 | Jakob Poeltl | F | 7-0 | 235 | Fr. | Vienna, Austria / Arkadia Traiskirchen |
| Valparaiso Crusaders (4) | ||||||
| 2 | Tevonn Walker | G | 6-1 | 195 | Fr. | Montreal, Quebec / Vanier College |
| 3 | Max Joseph | G | 6-1 | 205 | Fr. | Montreal, Quebec / Vanier College |
| 10 | David Skara | F | 6-8 | 215 | Fr. | Zadar, Croatia / Ekonomsko Skola Zadar |
| 14 | Vashil Fernandez | F | 6-10 | 245 | Sr. | Kingston, Jamaica / Princeton Day Academy |
| Villanova Wildcats (1) | ||||||
| 31 | Dylan Ennis | G | 6-2 | 182 | Jr. | Brampton, Ontario/Chicago Lake Forest Academy |
| Virginia Cavaliers (2) | ||||||
| 4 | Marial Shayok | G | 6-5 | 207 | Fr. | Ottawa, Ontario / Blair Academy |
| 33 | Jack Salt | C | 6-11 | 235 | Fr. | Auckland, New Zealand / Westlake HS |
| West Virginia Mountaineers (1) | ||||||
| 14 | Gary Browne | G | 6-1 | 195 | Sr. | Cupey, Puerto Rico / Arlington Country Day School |
| Wichita State Shockers (2) | ||||||
| 20 | Rauno Nurger | C | 6-10 | 242 | Fr. | n/a, Estonia / Sunrise Christian Academy |
| 21 | Tom Wamukota | C | 6-11 | 232 | Jr. | n/a, Kenya / Maseno HS |
| Wyoming Cowboys (1) | ||||||
| 3 | Alexander Aka Gorski | G | 6-5 | 210 | Fr. | Lund, Sweden / Sunrise Christian Academy |
| 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS WITH ZERO INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Belmont Bruins | North Carolina Tar Heels | Texas Longhorns |
| Boise State Broncos | NC State Wolfpack | Texas Southern Tigers |
| BYU Cougars | North Dakota State Bison | UAB Blazers |
| Cincinnati Bearcats | North Florida Ospreys | UNI Panthers |
| Duke Blue Devils | Northeastern Huskies | VCU Rams |
| Georgetown Hoyas | Ohio State Buckeyes | Wisconsin Badgers |
| Georgia State Panthers | Purdue Boilermakers | Wofford Terriers |
| Hampton Pirates | Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks | Xavier Musketeers |
| Kentucky Willdcats | ||
