WOAY – West Virginia and Marshall were both drawn in the East region for the 2018 NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
The Mountaineers and Thundering Herd are not only in the same region, they are both in the same quadrant, meaning they would face each other in the second round if they win their respective first-round matchups.
WVU is the #5 seed in the East and will face Murray State Friday in San Diego. This is the Mountaineers’ 29th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and they have made the Sweet 16 in two of the last three tournaments before 2018. Since seeding in the tournament began, this is the fourth time WVU has been given a #5 seed, following 1982, 2011, and 2015.
Marshall is the #13 seed in the East and will face Wichita State Friday in San Diego. This is the Thundering Herd’s first appearance in the tournament since 1987, though that appearance was later vacated. That year, Marshall was the #13 seed in the East and lost to Villanova 76-60. The Thundering Herd will be looking for their first ever NCAA Tournament win. There are multiple links to Southern West Virginia on Marshall’s roster this year: assistant coach Cornelius Jackson (Oak Hill) and players Rondale Watson (Greenbrier East) and Will Fenton (Fayetteville).
The 2018 NCAA Tournament officially begins Tuesday with the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.
