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SALEM, Va. — The Guilford College basketball team expected to be in Salem at the Division III Final Four -- the Quakers just expected it a year ago. After all, it was last season that Guilford had a senior-laden team that featured Ben Strong, a national player of the year. That's when the Quakers were supposed to make their mark. A first-round exit from the NCAA tournament on their home floor derailed those plans.

This season, the Quakers walked through the Old Dominion Athletic Conference schedule with only two losses, tying for the regular-season title, but a first-round exit in the conference tournament left them hoping for an at-large bid to the 60-team tournament. Once that bid came, there was nothing to lose for this team.

When the Quakers take the floor today for their 5 p.m. tip-off, they expect to see a throng of home folks. Just over two hours from home, Guilford is the closest team to Salem, and there should be plenty of Quakers faithful in the house — at least that's the hope of coach Tom Palombo. The Salem Civic Center is the site of the ODAC tournament and is an arena familiar to the Quakers.

If there is a "home-court" advantage for Guilford, it could be offset by the familiarity of the place for tonight's foe, Washington University from St. Louis. The Bears are making their third straight trip to the Division III Final Four in Salem, and last year they were the team cutting down the nets, having knocked off defending champion Amherst.

Washington has four key players back from last season's squad, although point guard Sean Wallis did not play last year because of a broken leg. Also gone is 2008 national player of the year Troy Ruths, but the Bears have managed just fine without him. Aaron Thompson leads the team in minutes played and points per game (18.0). He was the University Athletic Association Conference's player of the year. Senior Tyler Nading handles the post, averaging 13.6 points and 5.7 rebounds, and Wallis pitches in with averages of 10.8 points and 8.1 assists per game. All three were on the UAA conference first team.

Coach Mark Edwards notched the 500th victory of his career in the final pre-tournament game. He preaches the motion offense, running the players until a lane is open for a drive or a pass inside. The Bears are averaging more than 20 assists per game and have shot 67 percent from the field this season.

Washington comes to Salem having survived a bracket that included four top-20 teams. The Bears knocked off third-ranked Wheaton College on its home floor, then beat No. 1 and previously undefeated St. Thomas 79-64 to earn their ticket to the Final Four.

Guilford will send its own big three to face the Bears. Guards Clay Henson and Rhett Bonner will guide the offense, with the intent of feeding the ball to center Tyler Sanborn. A true post player at 6-9, Sanborn has been hard to handle for most teams on the Quakers' schedule this season. He is averaging a solid double-double — 15.6 points and 12.9 rebounds.

Henson and Bonner are scoring threats that Washington is taking seriously. Shooting guard Henson is leading the team with 18.7 points per game, and Bonner averages 16.8.