Weber State Wildcats
Record: 26-8 (15-3 Big Sky)
Head Coach: Randy Rahe (10th season)
Season Recap: After easing its way through conference play, Weber State knew what had to be done—win the Big Sky tournament to get into the Big Dance. The Wildcats did just that, winning four games, highlighted by a 62-59 nail-biter against Montana to clinch a tournament berth. Weber State isn’t the best offensive team, but is able to lean on junior guard Jeremy Senglin and senior forward Joel Bolomboy for scoring to go along with a stingy defense that only allows 66.9 points per game. Bolomboy is averaging a double-double at 17.2 points and 12.7 rebounds per game, and Senglin leads the team in scoring at 18.2 points per game.
How they make a run: The Wildcats keep up their momentum from the Big Sky tournament and get big performances from Bolomboy and Senglin against second-seeded Xavier to make it into the Round of 32.
How they falter: The Musketeers shut down Senglin and Bolomboy, and a lack of experience against top-tier teams makes it hard for Rahe's club to make in-game adjustments against a more talented Xavier team.
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