Story Created:
Mar 15, 2010 at 2:07 AM EST
Story Updated:
Mar 15, 2010 at 11:07 PM EST
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Orange men’s basketball team (28-4) received one of the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship and will play 16th-seeded Vermont (25-9) in the opening round on Friday, March 19 at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, but will play without starting center Arinze Onuaku, who is doubtful.
Onuaku injured his right quad Thursday in the Orange's 91-84 Big East Tournament Quarterfinal loss to Georgetown. After an MRI Friday, Onuaku was expected to return as early as Monday for team practice, but head coach Jim Boeheim announced Sunday that the senior would not practice this week, and would likely miss any games Syracuse plays in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
The Syracuse-Vermont game is a rematch of a 2005 NCAA first-round clash that saw the 13th-seeded Catamounts upset the fourth-seeded Orange, 60-57, in overtime.
The winner will face either No. 8 seed Gonzaga (26-6) or No. 9 seed Florida State (22-9) on Sunday, March 21 in the second round.
Syracuse is making its 33rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its second trip as a No. 1 seed. The only other time the Orange was on the top line was in 1980 when it earned the No. 1 seed in the East Region.
The Orange owns a 50-32 overall NCAA Tournament record. SU has reached the NCAA "Sweet 16" 18 times, the "Elite Eight" seven times, and four Final Fours. Syracuse made championship-game appearances in 1987, 1996 and in 2003, winning the title in the most recent visit.
Vermont earned a spot in the field of 65 by winning the America East Tournament with an 83-70 win over Boston University on Saturday in the conference championship game. Senior Marqus Blakely paced the Catamounts in the title game with 24 points, 18 rebounds and five assists on his way to earning Reggie Lewis Most Outstanding Player honors.
The Catamounts will enter the tournament having won 11 of their last 12 games overall. Their 25 wins are tied for the most in school history.
The start time is Friday at 9:30 p.m.
Check out the entire NCAA Men's Basketball Bracket at: http://madness.nbcsports.com/
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