Gonzaga, Morrison set for S.L.

A sweet 16th.

With a field featuring Gonzaga star Adam Morrison and ACC tournament finalist Boston College, the latest installment of March Madness at the University of Utah has the potential to be a good one.

Besides playing host to some of college basketball's elite, this week's games at the Huntsman Center are laced with plenty of local ties.

Tourney bracket Requires Adobe Acrobat.

Former Utah coach Kerry Rupp and ex-Jazz forward Larry Krystkowiak are among the familiar faces coming to town for first- and second-round play.

Rupp returns to Salt Lake City as an Indiana assistant coach, while Krystkowiak is coming back as head coach at Montana. They're part of a mix that includes champions from five western-based conferences — adding a definite regional flavor to a gathering that sold out weeks ago.

Thursday's first-round games feature Indiana against Mountain West Conference champion San Diego State; West Coast Conference kingpin Gonzaga and unheralded Xavier; WAC titlist Nevada faces Big Sky leader Montana; and Boston College vs. Big West champ Pacific.

Winners will play again on Saturday before advancing to regional sites.

"I do like the fact that we are going to familiar territory — Salt Lake City — where we've played very well and won this year," said SDSU coach Steve Fisher. "It is not going to be a strange environment for our kids and I think that is an advantage to us."

Utah has hosted 75 NCAA tournament games, including the 1979 Final Four pitting Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, over 15 occasions since 1968.

Athletics director Chris Hill, a member of the tournament selection committee, said ticket sales for year's games in Salt Lake City sold out quickly.