Thus, it's probably fair to say that when the NCAA Tournament pairings were announced Sunday evening, the Musketeers knew more about the Bulldogs than vice versa.

Consider this quote from Gonzaga center J.P. Batista when asked Sunday night what he knew about XU.

"I don't have much information on Xavier," Batista said. "But I know that they're a tough, hard-nosed team. They're obviously coming off a big game. From now on, there are no easy games."

Can the Musketeers, then, use that lack of familiarity to their advantage when the two teams meet at 7:20 p.m. Thursday in the NCAA Tournament's first round?

"Maybe, that can be an advantage for them," Batista said. "I believe that it is an advantage for them. But it doesn't matter."

Gonzaga  team coach Mark Few also thinks the Bulldogs' unfamiliarity of the Musketeers won't be a big deal. By the time the game is played, Few said, his team will be quite knowledgeable about XU.

"What you see is what you get," Few said Sunday night. "You can't really hide much about anybody. (Monday) at noon, we'll have six or seven tapes here of them. Everyone is showing their hands this type of year. I don't think anybody's holding anything back."

XU junior forward Brandon Cole has seen enough of the Bulldogs to know that they've turned their program into something special.

"I think they've done a fantastic job," Cole said. "Coach Mark Few has really turned that program into a powerhouse. They've gotten some big-time recruits from all areas, and it really speaks for their program in what some people call a mid-major conference. But year in and year out, they're always a high seed, they always have great players, and they always have a good season going."

CHANGING ROLES - Two seasons ago, forwards Justin Cage and Justin Doellman found themselves as freshmen in the starting lineup for a Musketeers squad that was embarking on a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Fast forward a couple years, and Cage and Doellman are in the same place. Well, not exactly. They're still starters for a NCAA-bound XU team, but their roles are much different.

Before, they were role players and weren't counted upon to score for a team that included Lionel Chalmers, Romain Sato and Anthony Myles. Now, they're the leaders who must produce for the Musketeers to win.

"My freshman year, we could really depend on three players that kind of carried us," Cage said. "We could screen or do whatever we were asked. Now, we have to try to lead and put some points on the board. It's changed a lot since our freshman year."

HOME AWAY FROM HOME - Gonzaga should receive some nice support when the tournament begins here Thursday.

John Stockton, the Bulldogs' most famous alumnus, played 19 years for the Utah Jazz, setting the career NBA record for steals and assists while making 10 All-Star teams. In 1996, he was selected as one of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time.

"That's the closest region to our fans," Few said. "We have some real fans in Salt Lake because of the great job John did down there. What a tremendous ambassador he's been for our university."

Spokane, Wash., is about 548 miles northwest of Salt Lake City.