Check out The Post’s all-area NCAA Tournament team ahead of March Madness 2023:

School: Kansas State | Hometown: Harlem 

Small in stature, Nowell plays much bigger than his 5-foot-8 frame.

He has Harlem swagger — his Twitter handle is Mr. New York City — and the game to back it up, a driving force to one of the nation’s biggest surprises. 

School: Northwestern | Hometown: Coram, N.Y. 

The Long Island native became the first Northwestern player since Pat Baldwin in 1994 to win Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors, sharing the award with Rutgers’ Caleb McConnell.

He also was a second team all-league selection, a major factor in the Wildcats’ unexpected return to the tournament. 

School: UConn | Hometown: Elizabeth, N.J. 

A bull in the post, the imposing 6-foot-9 big man spearheads the physical Huskies in the paint.

A native of Mali who moved to the U.S. for high school and ended up at the Patrick School in Elizabeth, has even shown an ability to step out and hit the 3-point shot on occasion, adding versatility to his game. 

School: Michigan State | Hometown: Westbury, N.Y. 

The former Christ the King star and Northeastern transfer blossomed in his second year at Michigan State, shooting a robust 42.3 percent from 3-point range and cutting down on his turnovers despite more minutes.

An All-Big Ten second-team selection, he was a key piece to the Spartans finishing fourth in the powerhouse conference. 

School: Miami | Hometown: Piscataway, N.J. 

A year after helping lead the Hurricanes to a surprising Elite Eight run, Wong performed even better, improving his offensive efficiency and developing as a playmaker.

He was named the ACC Player of the Year, joining Shane Larkin (2012-13) as the only Miami player to win the award. 

Sr. G Jahvon Quinerly (7.7 PPG, 3.7 APG) 

Hackensack, N.J., Alabama 

Jr. F Nae’qwan Tomlin (10.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG) 

Harlem, Kansas State 

Sr. F Jacob Toppin (12.5 PPG, 6.9 RPG) 

Brooklyn, Kentucky 

Sr. G Joe Toussaint (9.5 PPG, 2.7 APG) 

Bronx, West Virginia 

Fr. F Dariq Whitehead (8.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG) 

Newark, N.J., Duke 

Sr. F Darnell Brodie (8.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG) 

Newark, N.J., Drake 

So. G Bryce Harris (7.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG) 

Brentwood, N.Y., Howard 

Jr. F Ismael Massoud (5.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG) 

Harlem, Kansas State 

Jr. G Joe Munden Jr. (10.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG) 

Harlem, Fairleigh Dickinson 

Sr. G Demetre Roberts (16.7 PPG, 4.3 APG) 

Mount Vernon, N.Y., Fairleigh Dickinson