March Madness All-Metro teams: The best players from NY area in NCAA Tournament

Three teams from the New York City area are headed to the Big Dance — St. John’s, LIU and Hofstra — and there will be plenty of standout players from the region, too. Here’s a look at the best of the bunch:

All-Area March Madness First Team 

Sr. F Tobe Awaka

(9.4 PPG, 9.5 RPG)

School: Arizona

Hometown: Hyde Park, NY 

The former Cardinal Hayes star is one of the premier glue guys in the sport, a ferocious rebounder and defender who notched career highs in points and rebounds this season for one of the top teams in college basketball.

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Sr. G Nick Boyd

(20.6 PPG, 4.2 APG)

School: Wisconsin

Hometown: Garnerville, NY 

A fifth-year senior, Boyd has made a superstar turn at Wisconsin, emerging as a scoring machine for the dangerous Badgers. His 38-point performance in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals set a program record. 

Nick Boyd (2) of Wisconsin shoots against Michigan in the Big Ten semifinals on March 14, 2026. Getty Images

Sr. F Yaxel Lendeborg

(14.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG)

School: Michigan

Hometown: Pennsauken, NJ 

From junior college to UAB and now the Big Ten Player of the Year, the versatile Lendeborg’s journey could be taking him to the NBA next as a lottery pick. He’s a two-way force, and will be a consensus first-team All-American. 

Sr. G Otega Oweh

(18.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG)

School: Kentucky

Hometown: Newark, NJ

Kentucky’s leader closed the year strong after an inconsistent start. The Wildcats depend on the physical Oweh to do a little bit of everything, from scoring to distributing to defending. 

Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (00) dunks the ball during an SEC quarterfinal game against Florida on March 13, 2026. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Fr. G Preston Edmead

(15.9 PPG, 5.4 APG)

School: Hofstra

Hometown: Deer Park, LI

The CAA Freshman of the Year made an immediate impact for the Pride, and was instrumental in them reaching their first NCAA Tournament in 25 years. His 3-pointer off the glass to win the CAA Tournament semifinals at the buzzer over Towson was a forever moment for the kid from Long Island. 

All-Area Second Team

Jr. G Elliot Cadeau, Michigan
West Orange, NJ
10.2 PPG, 5.6 APG

So. G Boogie Fland, Florida
Bronx
11.6 PPG, 3.4 APG

Sr. G Bryce Harris, Howard
Brentwood, LI
17.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG

Sr. G Jamarques Lawence, Nebraska
Plainfield, NJ
9.7 PPG, 4.0 APG

Sr. G Jayden Pierre, TCU
Elizabeth, NJ
10.5 PPG, 2.7 APG

All-Area Third Team 

Jr. F Mouhamed Dioubate, Kentucky
Queens
8.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG

So. G Ian Jackson, St. John’s
Bronx
9.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG

Sr. G Malachi Smith, Connecticut
Bronx
3.5 PPG, 2.7 APG

Jr. G DJ Wagner, Arkansas
Trenton, NJ
7.6 PPG, 2.4 APG

So. G Simeon Wilcher, Texas
Plainfield, NJ
6.2 PPG, 1.8 APG