Sports
Nine African players to watch at March Madness on ESPN in Africa and Disney+
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.
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The Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever’s opening game is only days away from tipping off and the superstar WNBA player received a message from LeBron James.
The Lakers star hyped up Clark after she posted a message on Instagram, “Year 3!!! See you all soon.”
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark stands on the court before the game against the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
“LFG!!!!!!!!” James in the comments section of the post.
James appeared to be a big fan of Clark as he posted about the Fever sharpshooter before the beginning of her second season in the WNBA.
“Good luck and DO YOU per usual this season!!!”
Year 2 didn’t exactly work out for Clark. She started off the season hot, finishing in double figures in scoring in eight straight games before she was held to just six points in 31 minutes against the Seattle Storm.
Clark reached at least 12 points in the final three games she appeared in. On July 15, Clark suffered a hamstring injury before the All-Star break and she wouldn’t return to the floor for the rest of the year.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers compete during an inbounds play in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
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She said last month she was “100% healthy” going into the 2026 season.
“I’m a person that doesn’t want to sit out a single rep, like I want to be in there every single time,” Clark told reporters in April. “But I think just being a little bit smarter with my body…whether that’s recovery, whether that’s pre-court treatment, whatever it is.”
She proved it as much so far during the preseason.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark shoots the ball in the second half against the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
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The Fever will begin the season on Saturday against the Dallas Wings.
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The most likely NBA Finals matchup this season? The defending champs and a team that hasn’t seen the Finals in nearly three decades.
Let’s check out the odds for which squads will advance to the NBA Finals as of May 5 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
NBA Eastern Conference winner
Knicks: +110 (bet $10 to win $21 total)
Pistons: +270 (bet $10 to win $37 total)
Cavaliers: +340 (bet $10 to win $44 total)
76ers: +950 (bet $10 to win $105 total)
NBA Western Conference winner
Thunder: -260 (bet $10 to win $14.35 total)
Spurs: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Wolves: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Lakers: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Here’s what to know about this oddsboard:
Finals Favorites: The Thunder won it all last season, and the season before that, the Celtics reached the top of the mountain. So, entering the postseason, the two squads were favored to meet in a seven-game series with the title on the line, meaning one of the two franchises could have been approaching dynasty territory if the odds had rung true. However, the Celtics suffered a shocking first-round defeat at the hands of the Sixers, despite leading the series 3-1. Now, Boston is at home, while the Thunder will face the Lakers after sweeping the Suns in Round 1. The new favorite to come out the East? The New York Knicks, who haven’t been to the Finals since falling 4-1 to San Antonio at the conclusion of the 1998-99 season. N.Y. beat Atlanta in six games in the first round and is up 1-0 on Philly in the second round.
The Challengers: The Spurs are next in the mix from the West. Keep in mind, San Antonio and OKC faced off five times this season, and the Spurs won four of those matchups, including the first three. In terms of the East, after New York, things are up in the air, with the Pistons, Cavs and Sixers all in the mix. Detroit, after being one of three teams to win 60 games in the regular season and the only East team to accomplish the feat, has not been getting much respect on the oddsboards, including this one. However, it could have something to do with the Pistons trailing 3-1 to Orlando in the first round, and having to overcome a 60-38 halftime deficit in Game 6 in order to force a Game 7, which they ultimately won.
KARACHI:
Clear your dues or face termination of contracts” the Pakistan Cricket Board has launched a recovery campaign against defaulters. Notices have been issued to all concerned parties, directing them to make payments within the stipulated deadline.
According to details, the 11th edition of the PSL has now concluded, and the PCB had already begun its recovery drive during the tournament. Sources revealed that billions of rupees are currently outstanding from various stakeholders. After repeated reminders failed, officials adopted a stricter stance.
Recently, notices were sent to several entities, including early PSL franchises, clearly stating that contracts would be terminated if payments were not made by April 29. Following this, several franchises cleared their full dues.
When officials were questioned about the unpaid PKR 400 million owed to each franchise, they responded that payment of franchise fees is mandatory under the agreement. They added:
“How can we pay you until we receive payments from other stakeholders?”
In the past, the practice was that after partial payment of fees, the remaining amount would be adjusted from the central revenue pool. However, a different approach has been adopted this time.
For the 10th PSL edition, each franchise was supposed to receive PKR 975 million (97.5 crore) as its share. However, a key stakeholder owes the PCB PKR 4.7 billion, a major portion of which is related to the PSL. This stakeholder has been avoiding payment, citing financial losses, preventing the finalization of accounts.
Due to this issue, the PCB did not allow two TV channels to participate in bidding for the current edition’s media rights. However, surprisingly, the new company that acquired the broadcasting rights permitted those same channels to air the matches.
Learning from past experience, the PCB has now secured a bank guarantee from the new media rights holder, which can be cashed in case of non-payment.
Meanwhile, sources stated that both new teams and the new owner of Multan Sultans had already paid their full franchise fees in advance. Since this is their first year, they are not entitled to any share from previous central revenue pools.
Owners who purchased teams at high prices had already been assured a minimum of PKR 850 million (85 crore) annually from the central pool for the first five years. However, the final amount will only be determined once the accounts are fully settled.
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