March Madness: Tosan Evbuomwan – the British college talent shines
Tosan Evbuomwan only started playing basketball at 14, got into Newcastle’s soccer academy…and wears pink shoes to honor his mother: meet the 6ft 8in Brit who stars in March Madness’ Cinderella team
Princeton stunned the No. 2 seed to provide the first, and probably not the last, March Madness upset.
College basketball’s relentless pendulum is in full swing and the whole concept is pretty foreign to fans of British sports.
It was most likely a completely new concept for the Thursday night star when he made the move across the pond.
Hailing from Newcastle, England, the 6-foot-8, 22-year-old Tosan Evbuomwan has impressed throughout this college season before shining on the big stage at the Golden 1 Center.
He scored 15 points to eliminate Pac-12 champion Arizona in the first round this week after taking up the game at the age of 14.
Princeton college basketball player Tosan Evbuomwan is from England and represented GB
The 6-foot-8 player switched from the UK to the United States after taking up the sport at the age of 14.
Evbuomwan played virtually every other sport as a child, revealing that “rugby and football dominated my life” in a princeton athletics interview. He even played for the Premier League’s Newcastle United youth academy.
Cricket, athletics and tennis were also on the agenda before the American hardwood took over.
It was his father Isaac who brought basketball to the fore. “He used to play in Nigeria and then also when he came here,” Evbuomwan told the official team website.
“He introduced me to the sport, we’ve always had the hoop in the outfield because of him.”
Evbuomwan formed a high school basketball team with a friend and his talents meant he was on a fast track to America.
A couple of Newcastle teams, England camps and appearances for Great Britain were added to the resume before the jump to New Jersey.
Newcastle Eagles head coach Ian MacLeod discovered Evbuomwan’s ability and sent an email with the accompanying highlights to several American universities in October 2018. Princeton was the one who locked him up.
“He was always a super smart kid, very coachable, very sensible and taking the next step is half the battle,” Eagles managing director Paul Blake said. the chronic.
He has impressed this college season before delivering on the big stage at Golden 1 Center
‘You have to have that mindset and from what I know Tosan has that mindset, absolutely. He is a very impressive young man.
Evbuomwan lost his mother when he was just 11 years old and admitted that he works hard to “make her proud”.
The young star instantly turns heads before kicking off with a pair of light pink sneakers in honor of her mom Michelle. Her jersey with her number 20 on it is also her way of paying homage to her.
After starring in the Ivy League and now March Madness, more and more are aware of their unique shoes but ultimately their burgeoning talent.