THE GAME
After earning its first-ever trip to the Big Dance, at the NCAA Division I level, the 14th- seeded Eagles of North Carolina Central University face the Big 12 Tournament Champion, the third-seeded Cyclones of Iowa State University for the first time in program history.  NCCU is 0-2 against the Big 12 all-time.

NCCU SPORTS NETWORK
The NCCU Sports Network will call the action live from the AT&T Center in San Antonio beginning with the Denny's of Durham Pregame Show beginning at 9:20 p.m. (CT) as play-by-play voice of the NCCU Sports Network and guest color analyst Ronnie Enoch will broadcast on WNCU 90.7 HD2.  Due to Westwood One's partnership with the NCAA as the National Broadcast Partner, the NCCU Sports Network will not be able to have a live audio stream going online.  Instead, fans can tune in to legendary play-by-play broadcast Brad Sham and former World Champion with Chicago Bulls, WIll Perdue.  Fans can still interact with the broadcasters by following @NCCUAthletics, use the hashtag #NCCUMBB, or send an e-mail to whooks@nccu.edu or nccusn@nccu.edu.

SCOUTING REPORT:  #3 SEED- IOWA STATE
-The third-seeded  and ninth-ranked Cyclones of Iowa State University enter the NCAA winners of four straight contests as the Cyclones swept through the 2014 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball tournament with wins over Kansas State (91-85), Kansas (94-83) and Baylor (74-65).  The Cyclones earned their 16th NCAA Tournament berth in school history and have compiled a 14-15 record all-time in the Big Dance.  During the Big 12 Tournament, ISU shot 51.9 percent from behind-the-arc, connecting on 27-of-52 threes.  

-The Cyclones averaged 86.3 points per game in the Big 12 Tournament, while the stellar Eagle defense surrendered only 51.0 points a game on the way to their first-ever MEAC crown.

-Iowa State enters March Madness as one of the top scoring teams in the nation averaging 82.9 points a game, good enough for sixth, while NCCU is seventh in the country in scoring defense allowing 58.5 points per game.  ISU is 10th in the nation in three-point field goal attempts, while defending the three is NCCU's strength.  The maroon and gray are 11th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage defense as opponents are shooting 29.5 percent from-the-outside against the Eagles.  The Cyclones take great care of the basketball and distribute it equally as well sitting second in the nation in Assist-to-Turnover Ratio at 1.76, No. 1 in the nation in assists per game at 18.5 helpers per contest.

-ISU has a trio of scorers averaging in double figures as 6-6, 220 senior Melvin Ejim tops the squad averaging 18.1 points per contest.  The Big 12 Player of the Year also averages 8.5 boards per game.  The Big 12 Championship's Most Outstanding Player, 6-4 senior DeAndre Kane is second on the team averaging 17.0 points per game while ripping down 6.7 boards and dishing out 5.8 assists.  The final double-figure scorer is 6-7, 240 pound sophomore Georges Niang, as he averaged 16.5 points per contest for the Cyclones.  Freshman point guard Monte Morris is No. 1 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at 5.4.

-In his fourth season at the helm, Fred Hoiberg, Iowa State's favorite son and native of Ames, has compiled a record of 88-46 (.657) during his time and has recorded at least 23-wins in the last three seasons, including the 2013-14 Big 12 Regular Season Championship.  Hoiberg has led the Cylcones to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, putting the program back into the national spotlight.  Hoiberg was hired at ISU on April 28, 2010 as the 19th head men's basketball coach in Iowa State University history.

-NCCU has faced only two teams from the Big 12 since making the leap to the Division I level.  The Eagles nearly shocked the world in LeVelle Moton's second season at the helm falling in overtime to the Oklahoma Sooners.  NCCU is 0-2 vs. Big 12 opponents.  

11/15/10- at Oklahoma- 63-71 W (OT)
2/17/09- at Kansas State- 49-95 L

NCCU IN THE POSTSEASON
With NCCU in its infant years of the NCAA Division I level, this is the first time the Eagles have made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.  This is also the first NCAA Tournament appearance at any level since March 7, 1997 when the maroon and gray dropped a 78-66 decision to St. Augustine's.  The Eagles are 10-5 All-time in postseason play and won the 1989 NCAA Division II National Championship.  

NCCU IN THE MEAC TOURNAMENT
Since rejoining the MEAC, NCCU has yet to get past the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament.  Here are the Eagles results since becoming eligible in the 2011-12 campaign.  In fact, on March 15, 2014, NCCU ended a 64-year conference tournament championship drought.

3/15/14- vs. #3 Morgan State- 71-62 W
3/14/14- vs. #4 Norfolk State- 68-45 W
3/12/14- vs. #8 Howard - 92-46 W
3/13/13- vs. #7 NC A&T- 42-55 L
3/8/12-  vs. #5 B-CU- 59-60 L
3/6/12- vs. #13 UMES- 60-43 W

NCCU VS. MEAC  
 Throughout NCCU's illustrious basketball history, the Eagles have taken on every team in the conference that it helped start back in 1970.  NCCU is 302-264 against MEAC opponents all-time.

Bethune-Cookman- 6-4
Coppin State- 6-3
Delaware State- 18-13
Florida A&M- 9-2
Hampton- 45-31
Howard- 39-26
Md. Eastern Shore- 19-16
Morgan State- 47-40
Norfolk State- 10-27
North Carolina A&T- 69-75
Savannah State- 8-8
SC State- 26-19

#5-SEED CINCINNATI STRUGGLED WITH NCCU     
NCCU opened the regular season with a 74-61 loss to Cincinnati, but anyone that witnessed that first-ever matchup would have seen the Moton's Eagles were up for the challenge.  Despite trailing 40-26 at-the-half, the maroon and gray fought back in the second frame as Ingram gave the Eagle nation a glimpse of what was yet to come scoring 19 points in the second half to finish with a game-high 27 points, but he fouled out with 6:19 to go.  UC held on from there to take the 13-point win.

THE AFTERMATH OF MAKING HISTORY  
NCCU's victory over NC State on Nov. 20 sent shockwaves through the college basketball world as the Eagles earned their first win over a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference, previously amassing a 0-13 record prior to the matchup.  NC State dropped its first-ever matchup against a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to move their record to 29-1, and the ACC lost for just the sixth time against the conference.
 
NCCU NEARLY SHOCKED THE SHOCKERS
Back on Dec. 22, despite traveling woes and not arriving in the Wichita area until 4:45 p.m. (2:15 from tipoff), NCCU gave the now No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region Wichita State, who was ranked #9/11 in the nation at the time.  With 7:08 to go, Alfonzo Houston hit a driving layup to make it 21-19 in favor ot WSU.  The Shockers went on a 15-0 to take a 36-21 lead into the locker room.  Jeremy Ingram's 37 points, which were a career-high at the time, helped the Eagles climb back in it, cutting the deficit to seven with 3:07 left, only to see WSU pull away for the 77-66 win.  Ingram went an astonishing 8-for-12 (66 percent), including 6-for-12 from deep in the second stanza to lead the charge as he ended the day 7-for-13 (58.3 percent).  At the end of the game, the  always classy Wichita State faithful gave the maroon and gray a standing ovation.