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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

La Salle ready for Kansas St.

Both teams see success in rare four-guard lineups

Marc Narducci Philadelphia Inquirer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – La Salle (22-9) opened the NCAA tournament Wednesday with an 80-71 win over Boise State at the University of Dayton.

Both Boise State and La Salle frequently put four guards on the court, and each talked about how rare that is.

Now it’s happening again as the 13th-seeded Explorers meet No. 4 seed Kansas State (27-7) in a West Regional matchup at 12:10 p.m. today at the Sprint Center.

The Wildcats changed to a four-guard set 25 games ago. Since the switch, Kansas State is 20-5 and shooting 37.7 from beyond the arc.

One thing that was clear during Thursday’s news conference at the Sprint Center was how impressed Kansas State was after watching La Salle beat Boise State.

“They are so crafty and so talented and beat you off the dribble, and if you can’t stop that, you are in for a long night,” said Kansas State point guard Angel Rodriguez, who averages 11.7 points.