Western New York connections to this year's NCAA tournament

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Western New York might not have any teams playing in March Madness this year, but there are still some local connections you can root for.

Here are some players, coaches and staffers who have ties to Western New York involved in both the men's and women's tournament this year:

Men's NCAA tournament

One of the biggest connections is Alabama head coach Nate Oats, who was previously the head coach at Buffalo from 2015-2019. Alabama reached the Final Four for the first time in program history one year ago and is the No. 2 seed in the East Region this year. It will play Robert Morris at 12:40 p.m. on Friday.

Michigan guard Roddy Gayle is a Niagara Falls native who played at Lew-Port. He averages 9.6 points per game for the Wolverines after transferring from Ohio State. Michigan, in the tournament for the first time since 2022, will face UC San Diego at 10 p.m. Thursday.

Former UB guard Curtis Jones has blossomed into a star at Iowa State and is the team's leading scorer at 16.7 PPG in his second season in Ames. Iowa State, the No. 3 seed in the South Region, will play Lipscomb at 1:30 p.m. Friday.

A pair of Western New Yorkers are on the staff at Florida. Associate head coach Carlin Hartman is a graduate of Grand Island and director of basketball strategy and analytics Jonathan Safir is a Williamsville North grad. Florida, the No. 1 seed in the West Region, will go up against Norfolk State at 6:50 p.m. Friday. Speaking of Norfolk State, former Buffalo forward Kuluel Mading averages 7.4 points per game for the MEAC champs.

Xavier associate head coach Adam Cohen is a Williamsville North grad and was a captain for the Spartans. Xavier will begin their tournament run in the First Four, playing Texas at 9:10 p.m. on Wednesday.

Oregon assistant coach Mike Mennenga is no stranger to Western New York. He spent five seasons as an assistant at Buffalo and spent two seasons on staff at Canisius. He also once served as an assistant coach at Nichols. The Ducks, the No. 5 seed in the East Region, will face Liberty at 10:10 p.m. Friday.

Louisville forward Noah Waterman began his college career at Niagara back in the 2019-20 season. He averages 5.7 PPG for the Cardinals, who earned the No. 8 seed in the South Region and will play Creighton at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday.

Another former Purple Eagle, Harlan Obioha, has started 22 games for UNC Wilmington this season. The CAA champs are the No. 14 seed in the West Region and play Texas Tech at 10:10 p.m. Thursday. Obioha spent three seasons on Monteagle Ridge.

Bryant head coach Phil Martelli Jr. was an assistant coach at Niagara from 2006-2011, an assistant on Niagara's most recent tournament team in 2007. Bryant will try to pull off an upset against Michigan State at 10 p.m. Friday.

Akron native Noah Diebel is the director of basketball operations at High Point and helped the Panthers get to the tournament for the first time in program history. They will play Purdue at 12:40 p.m. Thursday.

Finally, VCU director of analytics Matt Hart spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant at Daemen. VCU will play BYU at 4:05 p.m. Thursday.

Women's NCAA tournament

Several players in the women's tournament are from Western New York.

Formerly nationally ranked recruit Amari DeBerry is a graduate of Williamsville South. She began her college career at UConn but has since transferred to Maryland, where she has appeared in 20 games this season and has averaged 2.6 points per game. Maryland, the No. 4 seed in the Birmingham region, will play Norfolk State at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Hamburg grad Clara Strack has become a star for the Kentucky Wildcats this season after transferring from Virginia Tech. She is second on the team with 15.2 points per game, to go along with a team-leading 9.7 rebounds per contest. In 2023, Strack was selected as the state Class A player of the year and was selected as a McDonald’s All-American. Kentucky will face Liberty at 12 p.m. on Friday.

Illinois head coach Shauna Green is a Canisius graduate who still holds the Golden Griffins' all-time point record with 2,012, playing from 1998 to 2002. She was inducted into the school's athletics hall of fame in 2012. She has the Fighting Illini in the tournament for the second time in her three-year tenure. Illini guard Gretchen Dolan is a Williamsville South grad, but suffered a season-ending injury in December. She averaged 10.5 PPG in eight games before being shut down for the year. Illinois, a No. 8 seed, will play Creighton at 7:15 p.m. on Friday.

Indiana guard Shay Ciezki holds the St. Mary's all-time record in several categories, including points, assists, steals and three-pointers made. She led the Lancers to the Class A state title in 2022. She began her career at Penn State but has since moved to Indiana, where she averages 11.6 points per game for the Hoosiers. Indiana, a No. 9 seed, will face Utah at 1:30 p.m. on Friday.

Did we miss someone? Email digitalteam@wivb.com with suggestions.