The NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments, commonly called March Madness, are the annual postseason tournaments that decide the national champions of the United States’ premier college basketball competitions.

March Madness tips off on Tuesday evening in the USA (or 00:40 CAT on Wednesday morning). For African fans tuning into the action on ESPN or Disney+, there will be plenty of men’s and women’s stars in action who have much in common with them.

Some of the most impressive college basketball players are either of African descent or from Africa – with a select few even learning the game right here on the continent.

We have selected nine players to keep an eye on ahead of three exhilarating weeks of basketball action, culminating in the women’s championship game on April 5 and the men’s game the following day.

READ: How to watch March Madness in Africa

The SEC Defensive Player of the Year – a power forward/center from Nigeria who honed his skills at the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal – is already a reigning champion with the Gators.

In what is likely to be his final year in college basketball before making the jump to the NBA, Chinyelu will be looking to retain the title and play more of a starring role than last year – in which he already made an impressive contribution.

One of the top prospects for the 2026 NBA Draft – if not the top – BYU Cougars small forward Dybantsa’s father is from Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo. His mother, meanwhile, is Jamaican.

BYU are not as fancied as the likes of Florida and Duke for the Championship, but Dybantsa’s presence alone could make them a force to be reckoned with in the later stages of the tournament at the very least.

Ament, a 6-foot-10 forward, is of Rwandan descent through his mother – Godelive Mukankuranga. With a season average of 17.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and a steal per game, Ament is likely to be a lottery pick in this year’s NBA Draft. He chose Tennessee over Duke, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Louisville, and now is his time to show the world why.

Ngongba’s father moved to the US from the Central African Republic – reportedly in December 1993 – and met his mother when they were both playing basketball.

Having seen South Sudan star Khaman Maluach go 10th in last year’s NBA Draft after a year at Duke, this could be his opportunity to join his former teammate. Ngongba is struggling with a right foot injury at the time of writing, but could play a crucial role for Duke as the tournament progresses.

Born in Oderzo, Italy, to Senegalese parents, Sarr has EuroLeague experience to his name already, having played for Barcelona. He left last year under controversial circumstances as he allegedly appeared at the 2025 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon, without the club’s permission.

It has been clear for some time that Sarr was destined for opportunities at an elite level and March Madness presents him with an opportunity for the shooting guard / small forward to show the world exactly why he took a bet on himself.

South Carolina are always one of the team’s to watch in the Women’s Tournament and this year, they are likely to lean heavily on Okot – a center with a season average of a double-double (13.4 points and 10.9 rebounds per game).

Born in Kenya and of South Sudanese descent, she has deep ties to Africa and could be one of the most influential players this year from anywhere in the world.

Ole Miss will be in action on Friday against Gonzaga in the first round of the Women’s NCAA Tournament and Iwuala is likely to play an important part in their plans. She has cited her father’s resilience through the Nigerian Civil War as an inspiration to her, as per Spectrum News, and has carried the family name to new heights this season with an average of 12.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

Maryland will tip off their Women’s Tournament run against Murray State Racers on Friday. Okananwa will play a key role in leading the offense, as the 5-foot-10 guard with Nigerian roots averages 18 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while also chipping in an impressive 2.3 steals per game.

Defending women’s champions UConn have a roster packed with remarkable depth and among the players who could likely play a key role off the bench is El Alfy. The remarkably talented Egyptian center was the Girls MVP at Basketball Without Borders Africa in 2022.

It was a cruel twist of fate that both her and Boys MVP Thierry Darlan had their careers derailed by injury soon afterwards, but both are on the up again. El Alfy had an important part to play in last season’s championship run and will be eager to go back-to-back and make her family – one well-known across generations in Egyptian basketball – tremendously proud.

How to watch March Madness

Disney+ subscribers in South Africa can join their peers in Europe, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand by streaming games on the platform. Select games will also air on ESPN channels.