Printer-Friendly Format     E-mail this article     Tony Bennett addresses the crowd after WSU was selected to meet Winthrop in Denver.
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WSU No. 4 seed in East Region; will play Winthrop, Thursday, March 20. NCAA TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

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PHOTO GALLERY | Tournament Bracket

March 16, 2008

Team's NCAA Tournament Selection Reaction
Derrick Low | Tony Bennett | Kyle Weaver | Taylor Rochestie | Robbie Cowgill | Aron Baynes

PULLMAN, Wash. - For the first time in school history, the Washington State Cougars (24-8) earned a berth to the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship in consecutive seasons.

A year after advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Cougars were selected as the No. 4 seed in the East Region and will play No. 13 seed Winthrop in a first round game at Denver, Colo., Thursday, March 20 at 4:20 p.m. Pacific.

"One of the goals that is always significant for our program is to have a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament," WSU Head Coach Tony Bennett said. "That's important to accomplish.

"This team has been together for quite awhile," Bennett added. "We've done it one time and we have experienced guys, so hopefully that will help us."

The winner of the WSU- Winthrop game will play the winner of the No. 5 Notre Dame-No. 12 George Mason game, Saturday, March 22.

"They played in the tournament last year so they'll have experience," Bennett said of Winthrop. "They have been an excellent mid-major program over the last number of years."

This will mark the Cougars' sixth trip to the NCAA Tournament. In addition to last year, the program's four previous trips occurred in 1941, 1980, 1983 and 1994.

Check back to wsucougars.com to follow the Cougars throughout the NCAA Tournament.