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Twelfth-seeded VCU will take on fifth-seeded St. Mary’s (Calif.) in the first round of the 2023 Ncaa Tournament on Friday, March 17 at MVP Arena in Albany, N.Y. The Gaels are ranked 16th in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the Coaches Poll.
The Rams (27-7) will be making their 19th all-time tournament appearance and return to the field of 68 following a one-year absence.
VCU punched its ticket via a 68-56 win over Dayton in the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship Game Sunday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Rams have won nine straight games.
Led by 22nd-year Head Coach Randy Bennett, the Gaels (26-7) tied for first in the West Coast Conference with Gonzaga. St. Mary’s fell in the WCC title game to the Bulldogs 77-51 on March 7. The Gaels boast WCC Defensive Player of the Year Logan Johnson, who averaged 14.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
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