DYSHAWN PIERRE (Whitby, ON) Sophomore Forward- Dayton Flyers

The Whitby, ON native has been the anchor for this Dayton Flyers Cinderella run. Most had Dayton out in the first round, but the Flyers persevered through both games, and will meet Stanford in the Sweet 16. In the first match-up against Ohio State, Pierre led his team with 12 points and 8 rebounds. In next round versus Syracuse, the sophomore dropped 14 points and 6 rebounds to upset the Orange. Both games went down to the wire and needed timely late-game heroics from Pierre to seal the victories.

 NATALIE ACHONWA (Guelph, ON) Senior Forward- Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Natalie Achonwa is now the only canuck left in the big dance. Her top-ranked Fighting Irish have gone 34-0 this season, and show no signs of slowing down. The cohesion of the team is unmatched as they present a triple-threat attack with their marquee players: Achonwa, McBride and Loyd. Achonwa led the way for the Irish against Arizona State in the round of 32, scoring 25 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. The senior out of Guelph, ON is primed to reach her fourth straight Final Four and bring National Championship to Notre Dame.

 NAZ LONG (Mississauga, ON) Sophomore Guard- Iowa State Cyclones

Before this tournament began, Naz Long was a name not many Canadians knew. However after the ISU Cyclones faced the UNC Tar Heels, Long cemented himself in the Madness that is March. Coming off the bench as an offensive sparkplug, the Mississauga, ON native can shoot the lights out in big moments, and that’s what he did in the final minutes of the UNC game, shooting three huge three-pointer to seal the victory for Iowa State.

 JAMIE WEISNER (Clarkson, WA) Sophomore Guard- Oregon State Beavers

The OSU Lady Beavers were eliminated from March Madness last night in a hard-fought loss to the #1 South Carolina Gamecocks. Weisner led the way for the Beavers scoring a team-high 21 points and pulling down 7 boards. She provides the offensive boost for this OSU team that prides itself on defense, a defense anchored by Houston, BC native Ruth Hamblin. All three canucks will be back for the Lady Beavers and they will look to use this experience as a building block towards a National title next season.

 NIK STAUSKAS (Mississauga, ON) Sophomore Guard- Michigan Wolverines

Nik Stauskas has proven doubters wrong this season, winning the Big 10 Player of the Year and cementing himself as the Wolverines top offensive threat. The Mississauga, ON native has developed his game from being solely a deep-threat to an all-around player on both ends of the floor. In the round of 32, Stauskas led the Wolverines with 17 points and 8 assists against Texas. Friday night, at Lucas Oil Stadium, Michigan is set to face Tennessee where Stauskas will look to continue his dominant play in the tournament.

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