NCAA Tournament Bracket
The selection was no surprise, but the seeding was a thrill, as the Portland State Vikings learned their NCAA Tournament fate on Sunday afternoon. The Vikings received a number 13 seed and will face fourth-seeded Xavier in a first round game on Friday in Boise. Game time has been set for 5:25 MT/4:25 PT.
Getting a 13-seed was particularly sweet for the Vikings, Big Sky Conference Champions two years in a row, after they were seeded 16th last year and had to face eventual national champion Kansas in the first round.
The Vikings have exactly the same record as last year entering the tournament, 23-9, but perhaps a more impressive resume. Although they did not win the Big Sky Conference regular season, they won the Big Sky Tournament on the road, and picked up other wins over number four-seed Gonzaga, beat 2008 conference champion and tournament teams Boise State and Cal State Fullerton, and lost by a single point at fourth-seeded Washington in December.
Viking Head Coach Ken Bone, who has led the Vikings to 46 wins over the past two seasons feels Portland State was definitely well thought of in the seeding process. "I think we got maybe more respect. I didn't expect a 13 seed. I thought maybe 15 or even 14, so 13 is great. I really thought we would be a 14 or 15 seed."
"It couldn't be any better because we knew we weren't going to be in Portland (for a first-round game), so Boise is the next best thing."
The Vikings go to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year, and with a better seeding and a little experience, hope for big things in Friday's East Regional game in Boise.
"I think last year it was so new being the first time, I think the guys handled it well, but they were a little more giddy about it," said Bone. "I think this year the advantage we have is we've been there, and the media attention and everything else that surrounds it that will happen here over the next week, our guys have been through it. Hopefully, they will be able to handle their time better and focus a little better."
Portland State has a better seeding, but a formidable opponent. Xavier enters the NCAA Tournament as a number-four seed with a record of 25-7. The Musketeers won the Atlantic 10 Conference with a 12-4 record, but were upset in an A-10 semifinal game by Temple, 55-53, on Friday.
However, Xavier has a remarkable resume of wins over NCAA teams this year, including Memphis, Missouri, LSU, Temple, Dayton and Robert Morris. Overall, the Musketeers are 6-4 against teams in the NCAA Tournament. Portland State is 1-1 against NCAA Tournament teams (defeated Gonzaga and lost to Washington).
Portland State has never played Xavier, nor has it played a team that is a current member of the Atlantic 10.
The winner of the Portland State/Xavier contest will face the winner of (5) Florida State/(12) Wisconsin on Sunday. The winner of the Boise Regional will advance to the East Regional in Boston on Mar. 28.
