Maryland basketball players and March Madness are a match made in heaven. The stars and stories that make March a basketball lover’s dream and bracket nightmare are abundant. From Carmelo Anthony winning Syracuse’s first National Championship title in 2003 to Angel Reese’s historic run for the 2023 National Championship with LSU, hometown hoopers make waves on every stage. Last year, University of Maryland’s center Derik Queen won America’s hearts when his floater against Colorado led the men’s team to the Sweet 16. His emphatic one-liner, “I’m from Baltimore,” showcases the brazen attitude that takes Maryland hoopers far.
As a shameless champion of Baltimoreans and Marylanders who ball, watching the world fall in love with a hometown kid is what the NCAA tournament is all about for me. I’m not a bracket fanatic, but I prioritize my monthlong loyalty based on which teams have the biggest hometown factor. My guiding question: Who do the Marylanders hoop for, and how big a chance do they have to be champions? With the help of lifelong hooper and local stats guru Alycia “Web” Webster, I dove into the statistics that back up the stories that keep me locked in during the endless supply of hoops.
For March Madness, statisticians use a variety of factors and data to predict which teams have the biggest odds to hoist the trophy. For our research, Web and I decided to focus on net rating to show which teams have the best chance of advancing throughout the NCAA tournaments. In basketball analytics, net rating is the number we get when subtracting the points a team allowed their opponent to score, known as defensive efficiency, from the points that team scores for themselves, known as offensive efficiency. Then, using a basketball stat database, you calculate the net rating to determine which teams have both elements of a winning formula: a solid defense and an explosive offense. The teams with an elite net rating, and therefore the best chance of winning the tournament, sit in the upper right quadrant of our graphs.
From there, once we understand a team’s net rating, then we take a closer look at individual player stats; the fact is teams win championships, so no matter how talented one individual player is, winning the title of NCAA Division I champion takes more than just one player.
Before tip-off on the First Four for both tournaments, there were 13 Marylanders in the men’s tournament and 28 in the women’s. With UMBC’s nail-biter loss to Howard and then NC State’s loss to Texas on March 17 in the men’s First Four, the total Marylanders in the men’s tournament fell to 6. With Nebraska’s win over Richmond and Southern’s win over Samford on the 19th, the women’s hooper count fell to 26. Our roundup of Maryland hoopers to watch in March (and hopefully to continue watching after the championship) combines stats and stories to offer an overview of some Marylanders to watch as both tournaments continue.
Men’s Tournament
Last year, all eyes were on UMD’s “Crab Five” as the Terps charged toward the Sweet 16. The starting lineup featured Julian Reese, now a new pickup for the Washington Wizards, and Queen, a rookie setting records with the New Orleans Pelicans. With a narrow field of Maryland hoopers in this year’s men’s tournament, our sample size for who to watch this year is smaller. The benefit, on the other hand, is the chance to focus on a few teams and players outside of the UMD roster with Maryland roots. Despite UMD’s absence and UMBC’s early exit, the men’s tournament this year has been full of unexpected wins by lower seeds showing how mad March really gets.
Case in point: VCU and Barry Evans
The senior forward from Baltimore played two minutes during the win over the North Carolina Tar Heels, but the 6-foot-8 starter shouldn’t be written off. Evans is an impressive player with 900 minutes of playing time for a reason, and that showed in the 33 minutes he played during VCU’s game against Illinois, despite the Rams’ loss. Evans in the passing lane is a problem for his opponents. His quick eyes and fast break are a recipe for crucial steals like he had in the middle of the first half, making Keaton Wagler pay for underestimating his physicality. His on-court presence as a teammate with an average 7.2 points a game and 4.9 rebounds makes him a sneaky piece of VCU’s playbook. The 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals he had versus Illinois give a peek at what Evans can do with more time to work. He’s a player doing all the little things, and as a former piece of the Poly basketball legacy, this hometown kid deserves attention beyond March.
Next Up: Villanova and Bryce Lindsay
Villanova might have been another early-round knockout, but sophomore guard Bryce Lindsay is another Baltimore hooper to watch in years to come. The 6-foot-3 St. Frances alum is a combo guard averaging 12.3 points a game with 2.1 rebounds. The good thing is he’s a sophomore with room to grow and already getting NCAA tournament experience. When he hits his spots outside the arc, Lindsay looks comfortable and confident, even as a younger player. Time will tell how Lindsay strengthens his game and grows into his role.
Don’t Sleep: Michigan State and Maryland All-Time Leading Scorer Cam Ward
Michigan State, a team falling just within our elite quadrant, punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 with a win over Louisville. The 77-69 win came with 17 minutes from freshman Cam Ward, a player who makes opponents pay inside the low post. The first-year player out of Largo High School in Upper Marlboro became Maryland’s all-time leading scorer for public schools before heading to Michigan State. Ward averages 15.2 minutes a game with an efficiency percentage sitting pretty at 57.5% from the 2025-26 regular season. His strong block at the rim against Oakland and nonstop rebounding versus Arkansas during the regular season contest hint at the lockdown defense he’s capable of. Offensively, he’s an attentive forward, and assists from guard Jeremy Fears Jr. ending with an explosive slam at the rim show Ward’s offensive flourishes are cash money in a system hungry for high-low action. Ward and No. 3 seed Michigan State face No. 2 seed UConn on Friday, March 27, at Capital One Arena in D.C. for the Sweet 16. Fans of Ward won’t have to travel far to see the Largo star and cheer on a hometown fave!
Honorable Mention: Virginia and Odom Family Values
Owen Odom is a walk-on at Virginia who brings something to the team that no one else can: his dad. The freshman guard from Annapolis got a chance to experience March Madness with his father, head coach Ryan Odom, before being eliminated in the second round by Tennessee. Locals may recall that Ryan Odom was head coach for UMBC when the 2018 Retrievers upset UVA and made history in the Round of 64. To add to the family lore, Owen’s grandfather, Dave Owens, was head coach at Wake Forest and South Carolina. With a family pedigree this storied, Owen’s future in sports is all but written.
Women’s Tournament
Maryland may be the women’s hoop capital of the world at all levels. From Poly’s recent win at the 3A Maryland State Championships to UMD’s recurring presence in the NCAAW tournament with head coach Brenda Frese (who recently went viral online for her fiercely affirmative coaching style), there’s ball waiting around every corner of America in miniature. As the field dwindles, the Sweet 16 brings some great matchups featuring Maryland hoopers.
One game I won’t miss, and suggest you don’t either, is Duke versus LSU. Duke’s net rating places them outside of the decidedly elite quadrant statistically, but their overtime ACC championship win makes me curious about what the Blue Devils (complete with Maryland hoopers Olivia Martin and Riley Nelson) can do under pressure. LSU’s speed, guard rotation, and elite net rating will make this a battle worth watching on Friday, March 27. Plus, it’ll be a clipboard showdown between two seasoned head coaches. Duke head coach Kara Lawson, now Olympic head coach for Team USA women’s basketball, is leading her Blue Devils against Angel Reese’s alma mater, LSU, and head coach Kim Mulkey.
Let’s dive into some other players to watch as the tournament plays on.
The Champs Are Here: UConn’s Dominance and Kelis Fisher
Kelis Fisher’s road to UConn and head coach Geno Auriemma started years ago when Fisher, a Baltimore native, committed to the women’s basketball behemoth as a sophomore in high school. The 5-foot-9 point guard (affectionately known as “Guppy” to her teammates), KK Arnold, and projected No. 1 WNBA draft pick Azzi Fudd led IMG Academy to a National Championship last year before joining the reigning NCAAW Championship squad. As a first-year player, Fisher’s minutes are limited, but with 2.7 ppg, the Baltimore hooper is already shaping up to carry the “floor general” mantle when compared to the 7.5 ppg average Arnold holds as starting PG. Fisher’s story in college hoops is just getting started, and I’m welcoming everyone to join me on her bandwagon now before it’s full.
Mouse in the House: South Carolina and Maddy McDaniel
Maddy McDaniel does it all defensively, and as a sophomore combo guard from Upper Marlboro, hometown fans can hope to watch her get better and better under the tutelage of hoop legend Dawn Staley. Stats tell stories, but McDaniel’s 4.8 ppg on the stat sheet might eclipse what’s clear from watching her play: how pesky Maddy “Mouse” McDaniel is for an offense. The quick-footed guard isn’t afraid of a switch, a screen, or substitutions. She’s got motor and skill from beyond the arc, where she’s not shy about hitting a 3-pointer. Now in her second season, McDaniel has experience with the pace and pressure of playing in the tournament after going all the way to the Championship game last year vs UConn. I’m eager to see how she rises to the occasion this year as the Gamecocks prove why we should never count them out.
She’s No. 1, Literally: UCLA Bruins and Kiki Rice
“Kiki Rice lays it in and extends the UCLA lead” is a phrase that’s been on repeat throughout the season. Bethesda native and UCLA loyalist Rice has been a core part of the Bruins’ system every year, and with 15.4 ppg, 6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in the regular season, the numbers don’t lie; she’s a star! I predict this year’s tournament run will prove why Rice needs to be in the top 10 on everyone’s WNBA mock draft boards. In a 2026 class full of talented guards, her play still stands out. Plus, postgame pressers show how committed she is to her teammates and the system at UCLA. She’s talented, coachable, and a collaborative guard who I have no doubt is going to stun in pro play. With CBA negotiations in the final stages, if I’m the front office for the Seattle Storm (with the No. 3 pick) or the Chicago Sky (with the No. 5 pick), I’m keeping an eye on Rice this March as I daydream about guard play potential.
Honorable Mention: Southern Makes History With Three Hometown Hoopers
For the second straight year, the Southern Jaguars punched their ticket to the Round of 64. Despite losing to the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first round, their roster flexed three hometown hoopers in D’Shantae Edwards (Baltimore), Aniya Gourdine (Baltimore), and Taniya Lawson (Capitol Heights). In a moment where big athletic budgets rule the tournament, stories of HBCUs, many of which are state schools in the South with smaller budgets, joining the tournament showcase what athletes can do against the odds. Watching the defensive strength of Southern as they forced turnover after turnover against Samford shows why Southern, and other HBCUs, can’t be left out of March Madness conversations. No matter what, it’s March, a month where magic happens.
When it’s all said and done, only one team in each tournament can lift the trophy. But, if you’re rooting for the Maryland local legends like I am, then it’s a good time to tune in.