FILE: Oregon State head coach Scott Rueck looks on as the Oregon State bench reacts behind him during an NCAA college basketball game against Stanford on Feb. 29, 2024, in Corvallis, Ore. Stanford won 67-63.
Amanda Loman / AP
The start of spring means more daylight, cherry blossoms and breaks from school. And for sports fans, it’s time to fill out brackets for the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments that start this week.
Three teams from Oregon — the University of Oregon men and the Oregon State and University of Portland women — are set to take part in the madness.
Here’s what you need to know about their opening games:
NO. 3 SEED OREGON STATE BEAVERS — Women
Opponent: No. 14 seed Eastern Washington
TV: ESPNU
Schedule: Oregon State is hosting first and second round games at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis on Friday and Sunday.
First Round, Game 1: 5 p.m. PT Friday, Oregon State vs. Eastern Washington
First Round, Game 2: 7:30 p.m. PT Friday, Nebraska vs. Texas A&M
The start time for the second round game between the winners will be set after Friday’s game.
Click here for tickets to all three games.
Keys to the matchup: The Beavers will enter the tournament with a 24-7 record after finishing fourth in the Pac-12 with a 12-6 record in conference play. OSU advanced to the Pac-12 tournament semifinals, but lost to the No. 2 seed Stanford, 66-57. The team’s success runs through sophomore forward Reagan Beers, who leads the Beavers with 17.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. The Beavers are known for their lockdown defense under coach Scott Rueck. Oregon State has allowed 58.7 points per game over the course of his tenure and has held opponents under 65 points in 70% of its games.
The Eastern Washington Eagles claimed the Big Sky regular and tournament titles this season, going 16-2 in conference and 29-5 overall record. They defeated No. 2-seed Northern Arizona (73-64) in the tournament finals to clinch the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament this past week. EWU set program records for overall and conference wins, and has an active 13-game win streak.
Graduate student Jamie Loera was named the Big Sky MVP and defensive MVP, adding first team all-conference and all-defensive team honors. Originally from Moses Lake, Washington, Loera added Big Sky Tournament MVP to her acclaims last week.
Oregon center N'Faly Dante celebrates as Oregon defeats Colorado in an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Pac-12 tournament, March 16, 2024, in Las Vegas.
John Locher / AP
NO. 11 SEED OREGON DUCKS — Men
Opponent: No. 6 seed South Carolina
TV: TNT
Schedule: The first-round game is being played in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at 1 p.m. Thursday. If the Ducks win, they would play the winner of Creighton vs. Akron on Saturday.
Keys to the matchup: The Ducks are fresh off a dramatic run to the Pac-12 tournament championship that wrapped up Saturday in Las Vegas. The Ducks beat Colorado, 75-68, to cap a run of three wins in three nights at T-Mobile Arena. A roller-coaster of a season marked by injuries and inconsistent defense ended with Oregon holding UCLA, then Arizona and finally Colorado all under 70 points in Las Vegas, getting the Ducks back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years.
The Ducks, led by coach Dana Altman in his 14th year with the school, head into the tournament with a record of 23-11.
Oregon senior center N’Faly Dante was named the Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player, hitting 10 out of 10 of his shots in the championship game. On the season he’s averaging 16.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
The South Carolina Gamecocks (26-7) are coming off a loss to eventual Southeastern Conference tournament champion Auburn last weekend.
Ta’Lon Cooper is averaging 9.9 points and 4.3 assists for the Gamecocks. Collin Murray-Boyles is averaging 16.8 points over the last 10 games. Defensively, the Gamecocks have allowed opponents 71.4 points per game on the season.
The Gamecocks’ head coach, Lamont Paris, announced last week that he and the university had agreed to a new contract extension that keeps him at the Columbia, South Carolina, school through the 2029-2030 season.
FILE: Portland forward Lucy Cochrane, center, looks to shoot against Gonzaga guard Brynna Maxwell (22) and Gonzaga forward Maud Huijbens during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the finals of the West Coast Conference women's tournament, March 7, 2023, in Las Vegas.
David Becker / AP
NO. 13 SEED PORTLAND PILOTS — Women
Opponent: No. 4 seed Kansas State
TV: ESPNews
Schedule: To start the tournament, the Pilots take on the Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kansas, at 1:30 p.m. PT Friday. If Portland wins, they would play the winner of Colorado vs. Drake in the second round on Sunday.
Keys to the matchup: The Pilots held onto the title of West Coast Conference champions for the second year in row after a clutch 67-66 win against Gonzaga in Las Vegas on March 12. That victory secured their spot in this year’s NCAA Tournament, marking the team’s seventh March Madness appearance.
In the WCC Championship, four Pilots scored in double figures, led by Kennedy Dickie with 16 points. The 6-foot tall forward was named the WCC Tournament MVP.
The Pilots are coached by Michael Meek, who’s been with the team since March 2019. Portland heads into the NCAA Tournament with a record of 21-12.
Friday’s game will be the first meeting ever of the Portland and Kansas State women’s basketball teams. According to Kansas State athletics, the last time the Wildcats faced a member of the West Coast Conference was in December 2007 against Loyola Marymount, which ended in a 70-47 Wildcats win.
This year is the Kansas State women’s 18th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and the fifth under head coach Jeff Mittie. This is Mittie’s 10th season coaching the Wildcats, with a 164-127 record with the team. The Wildcats are 25-7 this season.
The main powerhouse on the court for Kansas State is 6-foot 6-inch tall senior center Ayoka Lee. She has averaged 20.1 points a game and was just named a 2024 Third Team All-American by The Sporting News.