GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The University of Providence men's basketball team will begin their postseason quest on Saturday. They will play Bethel (Ind.), who defeated Texas A&M – Texarkana 73-69 Friday night.

"This time of year is awesome," head coach Steve Keller said. "It's an exciting time. Hopefully we can get out there and compete and get a win."

This year is the first year that all NAIA basketball teams are playing in the same tournament; in previous years, there were two divisions with two separate tournaments. This year the tournament features 48 teams, with 16, three-team "pods" scattered throughout the country. Each pod's #3 seed will take on the #2 seed on Friday, with the winner advancing to play the #1 seed on Saturday. The winner of that game will advance to the Sweet 16, which will take place the following week in Kansas City, Mo.
The Argos (17-2, 15-2), who have been ranked in the Top 10 for the majority of the season, received the #1 seed during the selection show. Texas A&M Texarkana (11-3, 5-2) was awarded the #2 seed while Bethel (20-10, 10-7) was awarded the #3 seed. 

The tournament has given the Argos more time off between games than they are used to. When the Argos take the floor on Saturday, it'll have been 11 days since winning the Frontier Conference Championship Game over Carroll.

"We just try to go about an hour and get in and out," Keller said. "We get up a bunch of shots. The biggest thing is trying to stay healthy and rested. We're just trying to fine tune things. We try not to get anybody hurt and get out there and play. That's the hard part, sitting around for a week and not playing. We're focused and we'll be ready."

The championship game, in which the Argos defeated the Fighting Saints 77-57, has given the team confidence that they can make a deep run in the tournament.

 "I think the team is pretty confident," Keller said. "We know if we play like we do in the championship game we're capable of beating anybody in the country. That's what we're going to try and do."

The coaching staff agrees.

"If we can beat Carroll the way we did in the championship and we can play at that level, then we got a chance. Z is the only one who's been out there before. He has played at a higher level this week in practice than he has all year. They get excited to get out there at the national level and they play better. It's going to be fun."

The Argos will tip off at 7 p.m. on Saturday in Omaha.