2026 NCAA Tournament: Where every team's leading scorer went to high school

Rivals breaks down the high school backgrounds of the top scorers in this year's NCAA Tournament field

Mar. 17, 2026 at 1:39am

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As the 2026 NCAA Tournament gets underway, Rivals has analyzed where the leading scorer for each of the 68 tournament teams played their high school basketball. The report covers the high school alma maters of top scorers from powerhouse programs like Duke, Arizona, and Michigan all the way down to smaller schools like McNeese State, Kennesaw State, and UMBC.

Why it matters

The high school origins of NCAA Tournament stars provide insight into the player development pipelines that feed into the top college basketball programs. This information can help fans better understand the backgrounds and pathways of the young athletes who will captivate audiences over the next few weeks of March Madness.

The details

The report covers the high school attended by the leading scorer on each of the 68 teams in the 2026 NCAA Tournament field. Some players spent all four years of high school at one institution, while others transferred schools, with the report focusing on where they played their senior season. The list spans a wide range of high school programs, from traditional basketball powerhouses like Montverde Academy and IMG Academy to smaller regional schools across the country.

  • The 2026 NCAA Tournament will begin on Tuesday, March 18 with two First Four games in Dayton.
  • The National Championship game is set for Monday, April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The players

Cameron Boozer

The leading scorer for Duke, averaging 22.5 points per game, played his high school basketball at Columbus High School in Miami, Florida.

Brayden Burries

Arizona's leading scorer at 15.9 points per game, attended Roosevelt High School in Riverside, California.

Yaxel Lendeborg

Michigan's top scorer at 14.6 points per game, played his high school basketball at Pennsauken High School in Pennsauken, New Jersey.

Thomas Haugh

Florida's leading scorer at 17.1 points per game, attended Perkiomen School in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania.

Kingston Flemings

Houston's top scorer at 16.4 points per game, played his high school basketball at William J. Brennan High School in San Antonio, Texas.

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What they’re saying

“March Madness is here. The 2026 NCAA Tournament will begin on Tuesday with two First Four games in Dayton. We'll see the 68-team field dwindle down to one across the next three weeks, with the National Championship set for Monday, April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.”

— Hunter Shelton (on3.com)

What’s next

The NCAA Tournament will continue with the First Round games on Thursday, March 21 and Friday, March 22, followed by the Second Round on Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24.

The takeaway

The diverse high school backgrounds of the leading scorers in this year's NCAA Tournament field underscores the wide-ranging talent pipelines that feed into the top college basketball programs. From traditional powerhouse prep schools to smaller regional high schools, the tournament's top scorers hail from all corners of the country, highlighting the sport's broad reach and appeal.