ORLANDO, Fla. – The Sunshine State is a hotbed for talent on the hardwood, and Central Florida will once again be well represented in the NCAA tournament.
If you’re looking for someone to root for, local players are competing to win it all on 15 of the 68 teams in the Big Dance.
UCF
The Knights return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019, when they won their first tournament game in program history.
A pair of Central Floridians are playing for their hometown team.
Riley Kugel returns to the Sunshine State after a stint with Mississippi State, following two years at Florida. The Dr. Phillips alum has been a standout for the Knights, leading the team in points per game with 14.4.
Elijah Hulsewe takes a trip down I-4, transferring to UCF from Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach. The Windermere Prep alum has appeared in just 16 games for the Knights.
No. 10 seed UCF looks to add to its tournament win total when they play No. 7 seed UCLA Friday at 7:25 P.M.
UMBC
DJ Armstrong Jr. (Orlando): The senior product of Windermere High School started in all 32 games for the Retrievers this year, scoring 13.2 points per game. Armstrong spent the last two seasons at Permian, where he finished fourth in school history in three-pointers made.
No. 16 seed UMBC faces No. 16 seed Howard Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. The winner plays No. 1 seed Michigan on Thursday at 7:10 p.m.
NC State
Ven-Allen Lubin (Orlando): After graduating from Orlando Christian, Lubin played at North Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Notre Dame. He’s starred for the Wolfpack this year, leading the team in rebounds per game (7.2), blocks per game (.9), and field goal percentage (67.6).
No. 11 seed NC State faces No. 11 seed Texas on Tuesday at 9:15 p.m. The winner faces BYU on March 19 at 7:25 p.m.
SMU
Sam Walters (The Villages): The junior made stops at Michigan and Alabama after graduating from Villages Charter School. He’s played sparingly this year, averaging just nine minutes per game in 23 of the Mustangs’ 33 games.
No. 11 seed SMU faces No. 11 seed Miami-Ohio on Wednesday at 9:15 p.m. The winner faces No. 6 seed Tennessee on Friday at 4:25 p.m.
Louisville
Mikel Brown Jr. (Orlando): The freshman out of DME Academy in Daytona Beach averaged 18.2 points per game for the Cardinals this season, across 21 out of 33 games.
No. 6 seed Louisville faces No. 11 South Florida on Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
Vanderbilt
Mike James (Orlando): The junior from Oak Ridge High School came off the bench in 22 games for the Commodores this season, averaging 10 minutes per appearance.
No. 5 seed Vanderbilt looks to escape an upset against No. 12 seed McNeese on Thursday at 3:15 p.m.
VCU
Jordan Tillery (Orlando): The freshman was a standout at Dr. Phillips and Oak Ridge High Schools before attending IMG Academy in South Florida. He’s played sparingly this year, averaging 7 minutes per game for the Rams in just 11 games, notching 4.5 points per game.
No. 11 seed VCU squares off against No. 6 seed North Carolina on Thursday at 6:50 p.m.
Georgia
Dylan James (Winter Haven): The junior suited up in every game for the Bulldogs this year, averaging 15 minutes per appearance.
No. 8 seed Georgia faces off against No. 9 seed Saint Louis on Thursday at 9:45 p.m.
Kennesaw State
Darius Washington III (Orlando): The freshman product of Edgewater High School suited up in 24 games for the Owls, averaging 15 minutes per appearance.
No. 14 seed Kennesaw State looks to upset No. 3 seed Gonzaga Thursday at 10 p.m.
Kentucky
Denzel Aberdeen (Orlando): After winning the 2025 National Championship with Florida, the Dr. Phillips High School alum joined the Wildcats. The senior appeared in every game for Kentucky, leading the team in assists per game with 3.6.
No. 7 seed Kentucky squares off against No. 10 seed Santa Clara on Friday at 12:15 p.m.
Texas Tech
Tyeree Bryan (Orlando): After stops at Santa Clara, Charleston Southern, and Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, the senior found his home in Lubbock, appearing in all but one game for the Red Raiders.
No. 5 seed Texas Tech looks to avoid the upset against No. 12 seed Akron on Friday at 12:40 p.m.
Long Island University
A.J. Neal Jr. (Orlando): The junior out of West Oaks Academy has played in 14 games for the Sharks this year, averaging eight minutes per game.
No. 16 seed Long Island University goes for the upset against No. 1 seed Arizona, Friday at 1:35 p.m.
Virginia
Jacari White (Orlando): The grad transfer joins the Cavaliers spent the last 3 seasons at North Dakota State, after a year at State College of Florida. The Olympia High School alum scored about nine points per game in 29 games this season.
No. 1 Virginia looks to avoid an upset against No. 14 Wright State on Friday at 1:50 p.m.
Florida
AJ Brown (Orlando): The Orlando Christian Prep alum returns to the Sunshine State after three successful seasons at Ohio. The junior hasn’t seen the floor for the Gators this year.
Isaiah Brown (Orlando): Like his older brother AJ, Isaiah played high school ball at Orlando Christian Prep. He’s appeared in all but three games for the Gators this year, playing an average of 12.6 minutes per game.
No. seed 1 Florida begins their quest to repeat their national title against either No. 16 seed Lehigh or No. 16 seed Prairie View on Friday at 9:25 p.m. Those teams play on Wednesday at 6:40 p.m.
Miami
Ernest Udeh Jr. (Orlando): The Dr. Phillips alum returns to Florida after stops at Kansas and TCU. The senior big man led the Hurricanes in blocks, hauling in a team-best 9.3 per game this season.
Treyvon Maddox (Orlando): The freshman from Oak Ridge High School has yet to appear on the hardwood for the Hurricanes this season.
No. 7 seed Miami faces No. 10 seed Missouri Friday at 10:10 p.m.