6 VAnderbilt 3 Washington State

Region: East, No. 6 seed

Coach: Kevin Stallings

Record: 21-11

Leading scorer: SF Derrick Byars, 16.7

Leading rebounder: PF Ross Neltner, 5.7

Keys to victory: 1. Find open shots. The Cougars are going to do everything in their power to close out on the Commodores’ outside shooting threats, so Vanderbilt will have to pass the ball well to create open looks. Against George Washington, it had 15 assists on 15 first-half baskets. Similar ball movement will make life easier for Vanderbilt.

2. Force turnovers. The Commodores have struggled this season when going up against teams that have protected the basketball on offense. Few teams in the nation have done that better than WSU, so it’ll be up to Vanderbilt to force the issue and disrupt the Cougars offense.

3. Rebound on defense. Vanderbilt must collect missed Cougars shots so it can get down the floor and get into its motion offense.

Region: East, No. 3 seed

Coach: Tony Bennett

Record: 26-7

Leading scorer: G Derrick Low, 13.5

Leading rebounder: G Kyle Weaver, 5.6

Keys to victory: 1. Figure out Vanderbilt early. It took the Cougars nearly the entire first half Thursday to lock in against Oral Roberts in the first round before taking over. Taking that long again today to find its stride may mean too little, too late for Washington State. The Cougars must figure out a way to defend the Commodores in the opening minutes, keeping the game within their grasp.

2. Score points in the paint. WSU has been hit or miss against perimeter-oriented teams inside. But when it has received production from its big men – like Aron Baynes’ 25 points against USC on March 3 – it has fared well. More of the same today would be a boost.

3. Defend Derrick Byars. Although Vanderbilt has multiple 3-point threats, stopping the SEC’s player of the year will be a top priority for WSU.