8 Of The Oldest Players In This Year’s NCAA Tournament Field

The 2025-26 March Madness field is set. Some of college basketball’s oldest players will compete in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

The Round of 64 begins on Thursday following the conclusion of the First Four. Experience will be a key factor for national title contenders.

In the current era of college sports, student athletes are getting older. NCAA eligibility waivers have extended careers. NIL and the transfer portal have created exceptions to the rule book.

This year’s senior class should be one of the last benefitting from the 2020 COVID rule, which granted every athlete an extra season no matter participation.

Many are also leaning on recent legal cases, which have made it possible for players to seek other avenues of sticking in school. JUCO seasons have been deemed meaningless in some instances. The introduction of NIL has provided incentive to remain a student for as long as possible.

As a result, this year’s eldest players are older than your typical seniors.

8 oldest players in the NCAA Tournament.

We took a look at the sport’s oldest players before the start of the year. A few of those players helped their teams make the Big Dance.

Here, we’ll list those hoopers and more in order from youngest to oldest, starting with a pair of mid-majors.

Drake Allen (Utah State)

Allen is a 24-year-old guard at Utah State, having been born at the start of 2002. He spent two years at JUCO before moving onto Division I.

Prior to transferring to the Aggies as a junior, he played one season at Southern Utah and another at Utah Valley. In both, he averaged double-figure scoring totals.

His offensive production has dipped a bit with Utah State, although he is the Ags’ leading assist man at 4.7 dimes per game.

Utah State will play Villanova in the 8-9 game in the West Region.

Chris Ashby (Queens)

Queens is making its first ever appearance in the Big Dance. It will have one of the oldest players in the NCAA Tournament field.

Ashby is a 24-year-old guard that was born in 2002 and last played high school basketball in 2021. He’s now in his fourth year at Queens after starting his career at Paris Junior College.

The veteran has averaged double figures in points per game each of his last two seasons. He’ll now try to help the Royals secure their first ever March Madness win.

Queens plays Purdue in the opening round as a 15-seed.

Rashaun Agee (Texas A&M)

Agee is with his fifth school in seven seasons. The 25-year-old started with New Mexico before bouncing to JUCO, Bowling Green, USC, and now Texas A&M.

He was born on November 2, 2000. He was a member of the 2019 recruiting class.

The forward sued the NCAA to get a waiver ahead of the season. He’s since become a top contributor for the Aggies, averaging 14.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per night.

The 10th-seeded Ags will face No. 7 Saint Mary’s in the opening round.

Henri Adiassa (Lehigh)

Adiassa is an international player from Cameroon. He was born on April 3, 2000, making him 25 years old.

A 6-11 center, he brings size to the Lehigh frontcourt. Unfortunately, he’s seen playing time slip as he works his way back from injury.

Adiassa averaged 13.4 minutes per game as a freshman. He missed his entire junior season.

The big man came to the US five years ago and played at Crossroads School in Santa Monica. He’s now in his fourth year with the Mountain Hawks.

Lehigh will face Prairie View A&M in a play-in game for the opportunity to earn a 16-seed in the South Region.

Tyon Grant-Foster (Gonzaga)

Grant-Foster is 26 years old. His birth date is March 5, 2000. His story is much different than most on this list.

Grant-Foster joined the Gonzaga roster this offseason after a transfer from Grand Canyon University. It took lengthy a battle with the NCAA to have his 2025 eligibility granted.

That eligibility fight was triggered by a major health scare. The guard collapsed during halftime of his first game as a DePaul Blue Demon. His heart needed to be shocked into rhythm three times. It cost him his entire season, and the next.

Grant-Foster won his battle. He was ruled eligible to play at Gonzaga in 2025-26, where he’s averaged 11.2 points per night. He’s also previously suited up for DePaul, Kansas, and Grand Canyon.

The Zags are a three-seed in the West Region. They’ll face Kennesaw State in the Round of 64.

Lassina Traore (Texas)

Traore is 26 years old, born on February 5, 2000. He is our second international player on this list.

The Texas big is a graduate transfer from Korhogo, Ivory Coast. He briefly moved to Canada as a teenager before attending prep school in Florida.

That gave him a late start on college, which started at Saint Louis. He later transferred to Long Beach State, and then to Xavier.

Last offseason, Traore followed former Musketeers head coach Sean Miller to Texas. Injuries have slowed his senior season and may keep him off the floor for the NCAA Tournament.

He averaged 3.4 points and 5.1 boards across his 23 appearances. Texas will face BYU after beating NC State in a play-in game.

Devin Haid (USF)

Haid is a senior guard at USF, a team that’s experienced a massive turnaround under first-year head coach Bryan Hodgson. Last season, the Bulls won 13 games. This year, they went 25-8 to win the American.

Haid played a role off the bench, making 23 appearances with no starts. The veteran averaged 3.3 points per game in that time.

He saw more success last season with Central Connecticut State (14.2 ppg), one of his four schools attended. Haid is 26 years old, having been born on August 22, 1999.

USF is an 11-seed facing Louisville in the opening round.

Nginyu Ngala (Kansas)

Ngala is the oldest player in the NCAA Tournament. He has played sparingly, averaging 3.3 minutes across 12 contests with the Jayhawks. Kansas is the third school in the 26-year-old’s college career.

Born on April 3, 1999, he played four seasons in Canada before transferring to KU. Those came after a year of prep school. He was highly productive outside the US, averaging 14.9 points per game in his last international season.

The point guard was a last-minute addition by Bill Self, providing depth to a loaded backcourt.

Kansas is a four-seed in the East Region. It will take on Cal Baptist in the first round of play.