THE MINNESOTA GOPHERS ARE HEADED TO THE NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

THIS IS FROM THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE

The Gophers are going to Greensboro, N.C. They will play Texas in the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament on Thursday. Minnesota is the 10th seed in the East Region; Texas is No. 7.

The winner will play either Duke or Binghamton on Saturday.

North Dakota State University, the 14th seed in the Midwest Region, will play at the Metrodome on Friday against No. 3 seed Kansas.

The Bison (26-6) qualified for the tournament in their first season of eligibility in Division I. They will likely bring plenty of green-and-gold clad fans on the four-hour drive down Interstate 94 from Fargo, N.D.

The other three games at the Dome will have No. 2 seed Michigan State vs. No. 15 seed Robert Morris, No. 7 seed Boston College vs. No. 10 seed USC and No. 6 seed West Virginia vs. No. 11 seed Dayton. Second-round games will be played in Minneapolis on Sunday.

Game times have not yet been announced.

Louisville, the Big East champion, was named the No. 1 overall seed and will play in the Midwest Region. The other top seeds are Pittsburgh, North Carolina, and Connecticut. Pitt and UConn are Big East teams too.