Preview Roundups
March 18, 2015
Robert Morris at North Florida 6:40 PM ET
North Florida had never finished higher than fourth in the Atlantic Sun since joining Division I in 2005-06, but broke through this season. The Ospreys fly north to Dayton, Ohio Wednesday when they meet fellow No. 16 seed Robert Morris in NCAA Tournament first-round action in the South region. North Florida, which held off Florida Gulf Coast for the regular-season crown, made its way to its first Big Dance by avenging its only two league losses in the title game versus South Carolina Upstate.
Bucknell at Temple 7:00 PM ET
Temple, the No. 1 seed in its region of the NIT, hosts eighth-seeded Bucknell on Wednesday in the first round of the 32-team tournament. The Owls likely could have locked up a berth in the NCAA Tournament with a win over SMU in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference tourney. However, they dropped a 69-56 decision in that one as the offensive issues that have plagued them all season haunted Fran Dunphy's team yet again.
Arizona St. at Connecticut 7:00 PM ET
The defending NCAA Tournament champions fell short of a second straight March miracle in the American Athletic Conference tournament and will not get the chance to defend their title. Instead, No. 4 seed Connecticut will begin its march to an NIT title when it hosts No. 5 seed Arizona State in an opening round matchup on Wednesday. The Sun Devils only managed two road wins during the regular season.
Vanderbilt at St. Mary's 9:00 PM ET
The NIT is never any team's first choice for the postseason, but you won’t hear any complaints from Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings. The fifth-seeded Commodores enter Wednesday’s first-round matchup against No. 4 seed Saint Mary’s in Moraga, Calif., just happy to extend their season. “For this young team, this is very meaningful and a very good experience moving forward,” Stallings told The Tennessean. “This will give our young team invaluable practice time and tournament experience."
Gardner-Webb at Colorado 9:00 PM ET
Colorado senior Askia Booker's decision not to play in the College Basketball Invitational was met with widespread criticism in social media circles, but just the opposite in the locker room. "I respect his decision," junior guard Xavier Talton told the Denver Post as the Buffaloes prepare to host Gardner-Webb on Wednesday in the first round. "I think he felt best that it was for us to get ready for next year. I'm not shocked."
Dayton at Boise St. 9:10 PM ET
Dayton was one of the NCAA Tournament’s most surprising teams last season, playing its way into the Elite Eight for the first time since 1983-84. The Flyers begin their quest for another deep run with a rare tournament home game Wednesday against fellow No. 11 seed Boise State in first-round action in the East region. Dayton, which was also an 11-seed a year ago, knocked off in-state rival Ohio State, Syracuse and Stanford before falling to top overall seed Florida in the regional finals.
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