McNeese State vs Gonzaga 7:25 ET
Cowboys (+) over Bulldogs- McNeese State (30-3) is the 12th seed in the Midwest Region in their first appearance in 22 years as they prepare to face the fifth-seeded Bulldogss (25-7), who are making their 25th consecutive appearance, in the opening round Thursday in Salt Lake City. Gonzaga's appearance streak, which is third-longest in the country, appeared in jeopardy earlier in the season after the Zags fell out of the AP Top 25 for the first time in eight years. The Zags earned this bid by winning 15 of 16 games heading into the West Coast Conference tournament, where they defeated San Francisco before losing to top-seeded Saint Mary's. The Cowboys aren't used to the NCAA Tournament by any means, but first-year head coach Will Wade is. He took VCU to the NCAA Tournament in both of his seasons there and guided LSU to three NCAA Tournaments in his five seasons. The Southland Conference regular-season and tournament champions have won 11 games in a row and lead the country in scoring margin (18.9). Take MCNEESE STATE