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Day 2 of the NCAA tournament arrives with another set of potential of upsets. North Dakota State can dream. Xavier can hope it's not a headline.

College sports editors give us a view of the madness from campus.

Scouting Reports on XU's early NCAA opponents
By Doug Tifft, Newswire sports editor

The NCAA Tournament is all about matchups, and the Xavier Musketeers seem to have gotten a favorable one in the first round. Xaviera team that struggles to match up with quicker, longer guards that like to penetratewill get to face the the three point bombing Vikings from Portland State.

If they are fortunate enough to advance to the round of 32, Xavier would figure to have a tougher matchup with Florida State if the Seminoles are to advance past Wisconsin -- an easier pairing for Xavier.
Read full post | Newswire, Xavier student paper

Stopping penetration, hot start are key for XU
By Doug Tifft, Newswire sports editor
If Xavier is to have success in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Boise, Idaho, on Friday night, the Musketeers will have to avoid a case of deja vu.

The Musketeers take on an undersized, guard-oriented team in Portland State, and as senior shooting guard B.J. Raymond pointed out Thursday in the team's pregame press conference, the Vikings are similar to the Duquesne and Butler teams that tripped up the Musketeers earlier this season.
Read full post | Newswire, Xavier student paper

One Shining Moment
By Adam Sprengeler, NDSU Spectrum sports editor

For the North Dakota State men's basketball team the group of four seniors including Brett Winkelman, Mike Nelson, Lucas Moorman, and Ben Woodside truly did start something great and made good on their goals all while epitomizing the one shining moment that makes college basketball great. ...

What most do not know is that each of the four seniors mentioned earlier had their choice to either redshirt their freshman year or play. Most freshman their first years in college simply are given the option to sit the bench and wait their turn. Not the case for these men. The four players were given the option to sit their freshmen year so that they would have one shot to make the NCAA tournament during their fifth year.
Read full post | NDSU Spectrum, the North Dakota State student paper

My Final Four
By Adam Sprengeler, NDSU Spectrum sports editor
As much as I would love to put the North Dakota State Bison in the final four of their first NCAA tournament, I simply can't make myself. Sure I could create my dream scenario, but that still includes the Bison beating Kansas in the first round and doing that will be more than a feat.
Read full post | NDSU Spectrum, the North Dakota State student paper

USU relaxed and ready
Tim Olsen, The Utah Statesman sports editor

After arriving in Boise and receiving my press pass we ended up at the hotel where the team was staying at. We enjoyed some free Aggie ice cream, and as we were enjoying it, the team arrived back from dinner.

I visited with most of the players as they passed by and headed for their rooms, and they look relaxed and ready to go. That is a good sign as the team can't let this NCAA experience go to their heads if they wish to pull off USU's first upset in the tourney since 2001.
Comment on post | The Utah Statesman, Utah State's student newspaper

Just another night in Topper-land
By Andrew Robinson, College Heights Herald sports editor

Even one of the more inconsistent aspects of Western's team, the bench, contributed well. Junior guard Anthony Sally, sophomore forward D.J. Magley and senior forward Matt Maresca combined for ten points and ten rebounds.

Sure, Western made it way too interesting way too late in the game.

But who would want it any other way?
Read full story in Western Kentucky's student paper | More

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