No. 5 Temple
vs. No. 12 Cornell
Where » Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Fla.
When » Friday, 12:30 p.m.
Temple coach Fran Dunphy knows Cornell well from his days in the Ivy League at Penn. Plus, his former top assistant, Steve Donahue, is the Big Red coach. The Owls (29-5) are 7-3 against the RPI top 50. Cornell (27-4) gave itself a national profile in January when it almost beat tournament top seed Kansas on the road in a 71-66 loss.
No. 5 Texas A&M
vs. No. 12 Utah State
Where » Spokane Arena, Spokane, Wash.
When » Friday, 4:45 p.m.
It’s the Aggies vs. the Aggies. Texas A&M (23-9) is making its fifth straight NCAA appearance. It got here despite the loss of senior guard — and team leader — Derrick Roland, who suffered a gruesome leg injury at Washington in December. Utah State (27-7) is back after a first-round loss last season. Junior forward Tai Wesley leads them at 13.6 ppg.
No. 8 Gonzaga
vs. No. 9 Florida State
Where » HSBC Arena, Buffalo, N.Y.
When » Friday, 7:10 p.m.
One of those classic 50-50 first-round games. Gonzaga (26-6) has reached the tournament 12 straight years and has wins over Wisconsin and St. Mary’s. The Bulldogs must deal with a long, athletic frontcourt for Florida State (22-9). The Seminoles are the best defensive team in the country. But can they score enough? Solomon Alabi leads them at just 11.6 ppg.
No. 7 Oklahoma State
vs. No. 10 Georgia Tech
Where » Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisc.
When » Friday, 7:15 p.m.
Oklahoma State (22-10) fought its way through a rugged Big 12, playing 11 games against RPI top-50 competition. Conference scoring leader James Anderson leads the Cowboys at 22.6 ppg. Few teams in the country can match Georgia Tech (22-12) up front. Forward Derrick Favors, the ACC freshman of the year at 12.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg, and Gani Lawal (13.1 ppg) both could be high NBA draft picks.
