The men’s and women’s NCAA Basketball tournaments are always some of the most exciting sporting events of the year. Naperville area athletes and coaches will be competing in the 2025 tournaments, in hopes of being a part of March Madness history.
Porter Moser returns to the Big Dance as the Oklahoma head coach
Naperville native Porter Moser was part of one of the biggest Cinderella stories in NCAA history, leading Loyola on a run to the Final Four in 2018. Now the head coach at the University of Oklahoma, the Benet Academy alum has the Sooners playing as the nine seed in the West region. His team will face a tough challenge in the first round, facing two-time defending national champion UConn as the eight seed. The matchup is scheduled for 8:25 pm on Friday night on TNT.
John Poulakidas and the Yale Bulldogs are dancing again
Speaking of Cinderella, Neuqua Valley alum John Poulakidas and the Yale Bulldogs are back in the NCAA tournament for a third time in four seasons as the Ivy League Champions. Poulakidas helped the Bulldogs to one of the biggest upsets of last year’s tournament with a thrilling 89-87 victory over Auburn in the first round.
Poulakidas is the leading scorer for his team, pouring in an average of 19.1 points per game on 40% shooting from beyond the arc. The former Wildcat scored a game high 25 points in the Ivy League Tournament Final against Cornell. Yale enters this year’s bracket as the 13 seed in the South region against the four seed, Texas A&M. The game will played on TBS at 6:25 pm on Thursday evening.
Kyle Thomas makes his NCAA debut with SIU Edwardsville
2022 Benet Academy grad Kyle Thomas is playing for his third school in three seasons as a key member of the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Cougars. SIUE advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history by winning the OVC tournament championship. It will be a tall task for the 16 seed Cougars who will face number one seed Houston on Thursday at 1:00 pm on TBS.
Greta Kampschroeder looks to end her NCAA career on a high note
Greta Kampschroeder, a senior guard at the University of Michigan is hoping to make a deep run in the NCAA women’s tournament. The Naperville North alum has made three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances as a Wolverine. Michigan enters the post season as a six seed in the Birmingham 3 regional. The Wolverines will face the winner of the Princeton/Iowa State play in game at 10:30 am on Friday morning on ESPN 2.
Kendall Moriarty is back in the tourney with Nebraska
Benet Academy alum Kendall Moriarty returns to the NCAA tournament for a third time as a member of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The senior guard and the Huskers will compete as the 10 seed in the Birmingham 3 regional against Louisville at 5:00 pm on Friday night on ESPN.
Lenee Beaumont and Kenzie Hare are preparing for next season
Two other Naperville area players are out for the year following season ending surgeries, but their teams are competing in March Madness. Benet Academy graduate and 2023 Ms. Illinois Basketball Lenee Beaumont will be cheering on her Indiana Hoosiers from the sidelines as the number nine seed in the Birmingham 2 regional. Indiana will face the eight seed Utah on Friday at 12:30 pm on ESPN 2.
2022 Naperville North grad Kenzie Hare had hip surgery in December after transferring from Marquette to Iowa State over the offseason. The Cyclones will face Princeton in the Birmingham 3 regional play in game on Wednesday night at 6:00 pm on ESPNU.
