Meet North East basketball star Tosan Evbuomwan making waves in NCAA March Madness

A rising star from the North East is competing in the latter stages of one of college basketball's most prestigious competitions.

Tosan Evbuomwan, who grew up in Newcastle, has helped lead Princeton University to the 'Sweet Sixteen' of March Madness - the sport's national championships. The sport draws in television audiences of millions every year.

Princeton University Tigers have been the surprise package of the tournament so far, with Evbuomwan playing a starring role in their success.

Since moving to the US, he has gone from strength to strength - and was named Ivy League Player of the Year.

At school, Tosan was a talented footballer and cricketer but took up basketball at the age of 14. He honed his craft with his hometown side Newcastle Eagles, where the coaches recognised his raw talent.

They ushered him towards playing in the US where he could combine his sporting abilities with his academic studies.

Ian MacLeod, who coached Tosan during his time with the Eagles, said: "It's incredible how quickly he's progressed through. We always knew he was an elite talent but his rise year after year has just been remarkable really. He had a lot of potential when he was first year at Princeton.

"He wasn't really a huge part of what they did. In his second year he just exploded. He became ivy league player of the year and then he's backed it up with another fantastic season."

In 2019, he was named a Rising Star by Sport Newcastle who helped to support supported his development.

Roger Tames, chairman of Sport Newcastle, said: "To actually do a bit of a coals to Newcastle in reverse and be sending a player back out to the States is an enormous testimony to what the Eagles have set up here."

"All this media interest out there in basketball over here is an astonishing turnaround."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know