Thursday morning marked the tip off of March Madness, the annual NCAA basketball tournament where 68 teams will face off in 67 single-elimination games.
Across the country, worker productivity drops and the word “bracket” peaks in google searches as we are all sucked into the, for lack of a better word, madness.
In this year’s tournament, five men from our neighborhood will be vying for the biggest win in college basketball.
Here is how to follow along with our hometown heroes’ progress.
The first team with Plano ties to take to the tournament court will be the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The Rajun’ Cajuns have freshman Guard Vinny Sigona on the roster.
A Prestonwood Christian Academy alum, Sigona has played in several games throughout his inaugural collegiate season, and throughout his senior season at Prestonwood averaged 17 points a game and clinched the district title.
No. 13 seed Lafayette is facing No. 4 seed Tennessee at 8:40 p.m. Thursday.
Shortly after the Cajuns tip off, No. 7 seed A&M will face No. 9 seed Pennsylvania State University at 8:55 p.m.
On the roster for the Aggies is Manny Obaseki. The sophomore Guard was born in Allen, but helped lead John Paul II to a state semifinal appearance where he scored 19 points.
Obaseki has played in 19 games this season, but missed 15 due to a hand injury. He was back on the court against Ole Miss at the end of February, but it remains to be seen if he will see playtime during Thursday night’s game.
No. 2 Marquette will play No. 15 Vermont on Friday at 1:45 p.m. with two men with Plano ties on the roster.
Chase Ross is a freshman Guard, and while he graduated from Cushing Academy in Mass., he is originally from Dallas and spent time on Plano West’s team.
While in high school, Ross was named a Top-100 prep prospect. He scored 11 points against Central Michigan earlier this season.
John Paul II alum Cameron Brown is also listed on Marquette’s roster, although he does not have stats posted for the 2022-23 season. Brown is a sophomore Guard for the Golden Eagles.
At John Paul II, Brown served as team captain and co-captain.
A final Plano-ite will take to the court Friday as a member of the Iona Gaels.
Iona is a No. 13 seed facing No. 4 seed UConn. The game will tip off at 3:30 p.m.
Cruz Davis, a freshman Guard, was born in Plano but went to high school at Huntington Prep in West Virginia.
In a game at Marist College earlier this season, Davis put up 16 points.
