UConn begins tournament with Big East title in hand

Associated Press

Kemba Walker and his Connecticut teammates won’t get much time to catch their breath before traveling to Washington, D.C., for their first NCAA tournament game against Bucknell.

The Huskies (26-9), a No. 3 seed, will play the Patriot League-champion Bison (24-8) on Thursday in the West Regional.

UConn enters the NCAAs fresh off one of the most incredible and grueling runs through a tournament in college basketball history.

The Huskies won their seventh Big East title Saturday night by winning five games in five days, including four against ranked opponents — No. 22 Georgetown, No. 3 Pittsburgh, No. 11 Syracuse and No. 14 Louisville.

But coach Jim Calhoun said he doesn’t think fatigue will be a factor going into the NCAA tournament. After a good night of rest Sunday, the Huskies should be ready to go, he said.

“They’re kids,” he said. “We’re not going to shorten practice. We’re going to go like we always would, preparing for an NCAA tournament.”

Xavier

Chris Mack didn’t even wait for the end of the NCAA tournament selection show to try — again — to fix a long-standing misconception.

The coach tweeted broadcaster Kenny Smith: “Hey ... Xavier is pronounced like you say the word Xylophone.”

Not Eggsavier? Nope.

The Musketeers (24-7) got the seed they expected — a No. 6 — along with an opening game against Marquette on Friday in Cleveland. They also got a reminder that not everyone pays much attention to them.

During the selection show on Sunday evening, Smith not only mispronounced the school’s name but called leading scorer Tu Holloway “Tu Holliday,” a slip that made the point guard laugh.

“It doesn’t make a difference,” he said. “As long as they get ‘Tu’ right.”

Northern Colorado

During its Selection Sunday party, Northern Colorado’s president set the tone for the school’s first NCAA tournament appearance.

“It’s been a great run for us,” Kay Norton said minutes before the Bears’ first-round opponent had been announced. “But it isn’t over.”

Northern Colorado received a No. 15 seed and will play Mountain West tournament champion and No. 2 seed San Diego State in the West Regional on Thursday in Tucson, Ariz.

Michigan State

Michigan State had to sweat it out.

“We were nervous,” senior Kalin Lucas said.

Coaches and players gathered in a lounge just outside their locker room, fidgeting while most of the 68-team field was announced before finally finding out they had been seeded 10th and matched against seventh-seeded UCLA in the Southeast Regional on Thursday in Tampa, Fla.

It was a strange feeling for the Spartans, who have reached the Final Four the past two years and six of the last 12 under coach Tom Izzo.

“I feel fortunate to be in,” Izzo said. “But if you look at the whole body of work, we probably deserve to be in.”

Boston University

BU doesn’t have varsity football, and its perennially powerful hockey team has spent most of the season looking up in the standings at archrival Boston College.

But BU can claim the city’s bragging rights in basketball, of all things, after the America East champions were the only Massachusetts team picked for the NCAA tournament.