Zags Draw Tough Oklahoma State in First Round of Tournament

Gonzaga is headed to the NCAA tournament. Again.

The perennial mid-major standout is making its 16th straight tournament appearance. This season the Bulldogs (28-6) visit San Diego to face Oklahoma State (21-12) on Friday.

The eighth-seeded Zags have advanced to the tournament's round of 16 five times, and they've made it to the Elite Eight once. But they've never been to the Final Four.

Gonzaga defeated BYU 75-64 to win the West Coast Conference tournament.

Ninth-seeded Oklahoma State, which won national championships in 1945 and 1946, is making its 26th overall tournament appearance and second in a row as an at-large selection.

The Cowboys have bounced back since losing star guard Marcus Smart to a three-game suspension for shoving a fan at Texas Tech. Oklahoma State lost 77-70 in overtime to No. 10 Kansas in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament.