March 20, 2026
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
Tennessee Volunteers guard Ja'kobi Gillespie shined in Philly for the Vols in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
One of the two longest days in basketball wrapped up early Saturday morning in South Philly, as eight teams did battle in four games in two different regions in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Which five players will always have a warm spot for the city? Here's a look at our first ever All-Philadelphia team, comprised of the standout players from Virginia, Wright State, Tennessee, Miami (Ohio), UCLA, UCF, Furman and UConn, a seemingly random grouping of teams stretching from 2-to-15 overall seeds.
Jacari White, G, Virginia
Coming off the bench against the feisty Raiders, White had a monster first half, shooting 4-for-5 and 3-for-4 from three, as the heavily favored Cavaliers trailed at the half. The No. 3 seed righted the ship as the game reached it's climax, as White scored 26 points in just 24 minutes to lead all players in the first game in Philly on Friday. Virginia won 82-32 but it was closer than the score suggests. White was a blistering 6-for-8 from deep and 10-for-12 overall, as the senior scored a season high. It's hard to find bench production like that, and history suggests that players with experience tend to shine in high pressure spots in the NCAA Tournament.
Ja'Kobi Gillespie, G, Tennessee
One reason Miami of Ohio got run out of the building was because Vols guard Gillespie gave the RedHawks a taste of their own medicine, nailing shot after shot to sink Miami into submission. Gillespie, who averages 18 points per game, drained 6 of 11 from behind the arc and nailed 11 of 21 overall shots in a 29-point outburst that helped 6-seed Tennessee cruise past 11-seed Miami in the second game and into the second round.
Tarris Reed Jr., C, UConn
You don't see too many true centers anymore, but the imposing 6-foot-11, 265-pound Reed Jr. was unstoppable for UConn, both offensive and defensively, against a 15-seed Furman team that gave the Huskies problems from the perimeter. Reed abused the undersized Palladin frontcourt, using his signature baby jumper to score all over the paint and then making it hard for the Palladins to get any second-chance points. Reed nailed his first nine shots from the floor and had 17 points in the first half before finishing with 31 points and 27 rebounds as the 2-seed Huskies survived and advanced.
Xavier Booker, F, UCLA
The 7-seed Bruins needed someone to step up with leading scorer Tyler Biloudeau out with an injury, and the 6-foot-11 Booker was that guy. He provided offense and defense, with 15 points and 8 rebounds in 26 minutes, which was above his season average for minutes. UCLA needed all Booker's production to hold off a late 10-seed UCF charge that made the game too close for UCLA's comfort. Booker also blocked four shots, a true menace for UCLA.
Jordan Burks, F, Central Florida
When it looked like the 7-seeded Knights, who fought hard against UCLA, were about to pack it in, Burks nailed a couple of three-points in the final minute, including a clutch trifecta with 10 seconds left that narrowed the UCF deficit to three, putting a scare into the favored Bruins. Booker drained six total three-pointers in the third game of the night and shot 8-of-15 from the floor for a 22-point, 6-rebound effort in the loss.
Honorable mention
Peter Suder, Miami: Suder was the one RedHawk who shot lights-out from the floor, with a 27-point effort in the loss to Tennessee. He made 4 of 7 from behind the arc and nailed 9 of 10 free throws.
Alex Wilkins, Furman: The Palladin guard led his team with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting to help Furman stay upset-minded for as long as possible until finally running out of gas late against UConn.
Michael Imariagbe, Wright State: The 6-foot-7 forward had a double-double for the 14-seed Raiders with 19 points and 10 rebounds in a honest effort, but eventual loss, to Virginia.
– Geoff Mosher contributed to this story
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