Temple faces Michigan State

The Owls are the 12th seed in the South region. The Spartans (25-8), the fifth seed, are coming off a 65-63 loss to eventual Big Ten champion Wisconsin in Saturday's semifinals.

The Owls (21-12) earned the Atlantic 10's automatic bid with a 69-64 win over Saint Joseph's on Saturday in Atlantic City and continued the program's rise back to prominence under second-year coach Fran Dunphy.

Temple, which takes a seven-game winning streak into the NCAAs, had been selected to finish ninth in the A-10 preseason poll.

"It's been a great season so far, but now this is a new one and our focus turns to Michigan State," Dunphy said after the selections were announced.

Dunphy, who has connections throughout the Big 5 as a former LaSalle player and Penn coach, said he was happy to see three Big 5 teams make the field of 65.

"I think it's great that three Philadelphia teams got in," Dunphy said. "I think it shows the level of basketball here in Philadelphia and the Big 5. I was very excited for Jay [Wright] and Phil [Martelli]."

Junior Dionte Christmas, who had 22 points in the final, was named the Most Outstanding Player and senior Mark Tyndale earning a spot on the all-tournament team.

"It's such a great feeling, words cannot describe," Tyndale said after Saturday's win. "When I got here I just wanted to get to the tournament and that's what I did my senior year. It's better than not going there at all. It's going to be great to hear our name called on Selection Sunday."