A marquee event on the sports calendar each year is NCAA ‘March Madness,’ a 68-team tournament that determines the best men’s basketball program in the United States.
The 2021 event may present some excitement for local fans with a rare northern B.C. sighting on one of the biggest stages in college basketball.
Liam McChesney is a forward at Utah State University recruited in November 2018 by the Mountain West Conference school, located roughly 135 km north of Salt Lake City.
The Prince Rupert product and Stellat'en First Nation member will suit up with his teammates when the Aggies begin their potential run to the championship on Friday (March 19).
He’s the lone Canadian on Utah State’s roster, one of six internationals, one of two B.C. players Indianapolis-bound for the tournament and one of 25 that’ll fly the maple leaf at the 19-day event.
Before graduating in 2019, McChesney was a top performer for Charles Hays Secondary (SD52).
He led the Rainmakers to the 2019 B.C. Basketball Championship, who were ranked first overall in the ‘AA’ provincials, beating George Elliot (Lake Country) by a score of 78-51.
The six-foot-10 forward led the Finals’ scoresheet with a double-double, 25 points and 13 rebounds, combining for 86 points in four total games to earn tournament MVP.
Prior to provincials, McChesney averaged 35 points and eight assists per game as a Grade 12 senior. In Grade 11, he was a member of Canada Basketball’s national Under-17 team.
McChesney was a redshirt-freshman in his first year south of the border.
While the COVID-19 pandemic changed the atmosphere for the 2020-21 campaign, McChesney’s first full freshman year, he was able to get some minutes on the court.
Thus far, the business major student has suited up in three games for Utah State, including two at home, tallying two points, three rebounds and one steal.
The Aggies went 20-8 on their season for second in the Mountain West standings and even booked a ticket to the conference final, but lost to San Diego State.
As a result, McChesney and Utah State were seeded 11th in the south bracket of the NCAA men’s basketball championship.
Now, ‘March Madness’ is going to look different this year.
While the format remains the same, every game is being played in Indianapolis, Ind., as a hub with COVID-19 health and safety protocols in place.
Fans are being allowed in each venue, but only up to a 25 per cent capacity as cited by the NCAA organizing committee.
The Elite Eight, Final Four and national championship games will be played March 29 to April 5 in Lucas Oil Stadium, home to the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts.
McChesney and the Aggies will first face sixth-ranked Texas Tech on Friday (March 19) at 10:45 a.m. Pacific time.
Utah State has not made it past the first round of ‘March Madness’ since 2001; the farthest it’s ever gone was the Elite Eight back in 1970.
- with a file from The Canadian Press
