Payton Linnehan on the dribble for Penn State against Hofstra. (Mark Selders)
When the 2019 NCAA tournament gets underway, only two teams from New England are set to feature: Brown and Central Connecticut State.
While the local contingent is small, the connections to the region don't stop there. In fact, the 64 teams that qualified are sprinkled with players from New England. If that's not enough, defending national champion Florida State is coached by Mark Krikorian (Malden, Mass.).
As that all takes shape, here are 10 locals to watch for outside of New England. They've all carved out important roles and are looking to make the College Cup from Dec. 6-8 at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif.
Of those players below, six are from Massachusetts:
