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Ty Jerome, a four-time varsity letterer at Iona Prep, will take center stage playing in the backcourt of the top-seeded University of Virginia, while former Dobbs Ferry High School star Eric Paschall will take the court for the sixth-seeded Villanova Wildcats in the South region.
Jerome, a New Rochelle native, is highly regarded as one of the top guards in the country. The 6-foot-5 junior finished the season averaging 13 points a game and hit nearly 40 percent of his three-pointers in the regular season, which was good enough to earn him a spot on the all-ACC third team.
According to several draft prognosticators, Jerome is likely a mid-to-late first-round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft if he chooses to enter early, and he can bolster his standing with an impressive showing in the NCAA Tournament.
As the 1 seed in the South region, Jerome and the Cavaliers will face 16-seeded Gardner Webb at 3:10 p.m. on Friday, March 22 on TruTV. The winner will face No. 8 seed Mississippi or No. 9 seed Oklahoma in the second round Sunday, March 24.
Paschall, a 6-foot-8 forward is hoping to make another lengthy run in the tournament with the sixth-seeded Wildcats. The 2015 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year averaged 26 points and 11 rebounds his junior year at Dobbs Ferry, where he was named the state Class B player of the year in 2013. He transferred to Villanova from Fordham.
At Villanova this season, Paschall finished second in scoring for the Wildcats with 16.5 points per game while pulling down more than six rebounds and two assists per game. Paschall was named to the Big East All-Tournament team after finishing the championship with a team-high 17 points and eight rebounds.
Villanova head coach Jay Wright said that Paschall “is an outstanding student and a dynamic offensive player whose skills are an excellent fit for our team.”
Perennial powerhouse Villanova will take on No. 11 St. Mary’s in the South region at 7:20 p.m. on Thursday, March 21 on TBS. The winner will take on the victor of No. 3 seed Purdue and No. 13 seed Old Dominion on Saturday, March 23.
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