From news services

Gonzaga didn’t have to wait long Sunday to find out where it was headed and who it will face in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

And if the Zags win Thursday, they could face an old friend Saturday.

The West Region was the first bracket revealed on CBS’ tournament selection show, and Gonzaga was the first team listed.

The Zags (26-3) earned the program’s second straight, and second-ever, No. 1 overall seed, and will play 16th-seeded Georgia State (18-10) in the first round of the tournament Thursday (1:15 p.m., TNT) at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore.

That winner will play the winner of the 10:45 a.m. game between No. 8 Boise State (27-7) and No. 9 Memphis (21-10).

Boise State, of course, is coached by former longtime Gonzaga assistant Leon Rice.

“It’s tough, because you want to root for them every game, but at this point, it’s the NCAA tournament, so it’s about who are you going to play next, and getting the win,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said.

Gonzaga is making its 23rd consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 24th in program history. The 23 straight berths to the tournament field ranks as the third-longest current streak in the nation (Kansas 32 and Michigan State 24). The Zags are 39-23 all-time in the 23 previous NCAA Tournament appearances with 11 trips to the Sweet 16, five trips to the Elite Eight, two Final Fours and two appearances in the national championship game.

The Zags receive a 1-seed for the fifth time in program history, and fourth in the last five tournaments. Gonzaga was also projected as a 1-seed in the 2020 NCAA Tournament, before it was canceled. GU is the first program to receive back-to-back No. 1 overall seeds since Duke in 1999, 2000 and 2001.

The Bulldogs and Georgia State have met only once before, a 90-65 GU victory on Nov. 25, 1994. It was the season-opener in 1994-95 for the Zags.

Gonzaga women a No. 9 seed, headed to Louisville: As part of the Wichita Region, Gonzaga (26-6) will play No. 8 seed Nebraska (24-8) on Friday in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Louisville, Ky.

Tipoff and TV info had yet to be announced Sunday evening.

Gonzaga is in the tournament for the fifth straight time, and 13th in program history.

"It is exciting," Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier said. "We have never been a nine seed. I think it shows some respect for our body of work along with who we played and how we played them. Hopefully we will be able to go out and be successful."

This is the second-ever meeting between Gonzaga and Nebraska, with Nebraska winning their only meeting, 87-40, in Lincoln in 1996.

The Gonzaga-Nebraska winner will play either No. 1 seed Louisville or No. 16 Albany on Sunday.

Melody Kempton, a senior from Post Falls, is second in the conference in field-goal percentage at 54 percent. The mark is ranked first in program history for Gonzaga women's basketball.

By not being assigned to the Spokane Region, Gonzaga would not be able to play in the regional at the Spokane Arena on March 25 and 27 if it wins two games in Louisville.

WSU women in NCAAs for second straight year: The Cougars (19-10) are the No. 8 seed in the Bridgeport Region, and will play No. 9 seed Kansas State (19-12) in the first round Saturday at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C.

Times and broadcast information had not been announced Sunday evening.

Kansas State is led by junior Ayoka Lee, who is averaging 22.4 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Lee, a 6-6 center, set an NCAA single-game scoring record earlier this season by scoring 61 points against Oklahoma on Jan. 23.

WSU will be seeking its first NCAA Tournament win, as the Cougars are 0-2 all-time in the Big Dance. Last season, Washington State was a No. 9 seed in the Mercado Region and fell to No. 8-seeded South Florida, 57-53, in the first round in Austin, Texas. WSU was an 11-seed in the Midwest Region in 1991, and fell to No. 6-seed Northwestern, 82-62, in Evanston, Ill.

The Cougars return all five starters from last season's NCAA Tournament game, including Bella Murekatete, a junior from Genesis Prep Academy in Post Falls. Murekatete, the Co-Most Improved Player of the Year in the Pac-12, averages 10.6 points per game.

The winner of Saturday's first-round matchup will advance to take on the winner of No. 1-seed NC State (29-3) and either No. 16 seeded-Longwood or No. 16-seed Mount St. Mary's on Monday, March 21.

WSU men in postseason for first time since 2011: The Cougars (19-14) are one of four 4 seeds in the National Invitation Tournament, and will play host to Santa Clara (21-11) on Tuesday (8 p.m., ESPNU) at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman.

Led by Klay Thompson, the Cougars advanced to the NIT finals before losing to Wichita State. WSU has played in the NIT five times, going 7-5.

WSU and Santa Clara last played in 2019 in coach Kyle Smith’s first season at WSU, with the Broncos coming out on top, 70-62, in Santa Clara.

Playing at campus sites, the first round takes place March 15-16, with the second round March 19-20, the third round March 22-23. Teams that survive the opening rounds will head to New York, with the semi-finals and final at Madison Square Garden on March 29 and 31.

Boise State misses celebrating bid with fans: Due to their flight being delayed, the Broncos were still in the Las Vegas airport when the pairings were announced. The team was hoping to arrive back in Boise in time to join its fans at a gathering at ExtraMile Arena.

Boise State, the 2022 Mountain West Champion, will be making its eighth tournament appearance all-time and third under 12th-year head coach Leon Rice.

The No. 8 seed is the highest for Boise State since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

This is the sixth time Boise State has earned an automatic qualifier bid and first as a Mountain West member. The Broncos have set the program record for wins in a season (27) and have won 24 of their last 27 games.

Boise State has played in the NCAA Tournament seven times, winning the Big Sky Tournament in 1976, 1988, 1993 and 1994, the Western Athletic Conference Tournament in 2008 and earning at-large berths in 2013 and 2015. The Broncos are 0-7 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

They’ve played in the NCAAs twice under Rice, the last time in 2015.