AT ST. LOUIS

Kansas vs. Holy Cross: Sixteenth seeds are a combined 0-68 in the NCAA tournament. They’re likely to be 0-69 after this game. But the Crusaders were seeded 15th last year, and they pushed Kentucky before losing 72-68 in the East Region. Holy Cross leads the all-time series 1-0. Kansas figures to be fired up after a 64-55 loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 tournament final Sunday. That was a season-low scoring output for a team that averages more than 90 points a game. Kansas is led by Drew Gooden, who averages 20.4 points and 11.3 rebounds a game.

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Stanford vs. Western Kentucky: The Cardinal entered the season with only one returning starter, guard Casey Jacobsen, yet developed well enough to tie for second in the Pacific 10. The Hilltoppers entered the season in the top 20, lived up to expectations and open the tournament on an 18-game winning streak. Jacobsen leads the Cardinal in scoring and is clearly its key. But a telling matchup will pit Chris Marcus, the Hilltoppers’ 7-foot-1 center, against Cardinal 7-foot center Curtis Borchardt.

Chicago Tribune

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AT SACRAMENTO

Oregon vs. Montana: The run-and-gun Ducks are coming off their first outright regular-season conference championship since the 1938-39 Tall Firs, who would go on to win the NCAA title, won the Pacific Coast Conference. Oregon was picked to finish sixth in the media’s preseason poll. The Grizzlies, who were selected to finish fifth in the eight-school Big Sky, advanced to their fifth NCAA tournament by winning the conference tournament after finishing in a three-way tie for second at 7-7.

Paul Gutierrez