DENVER – The Elite Eight has arrived.
 
We started with a Sweet 16 of the best teams in MSU Denver men's basketball history, and now we've worked through eight first-round games and are set to start the quarterfinals. The first round ended Monday, as the No. 6 seed from 2003-04 defeated the No. 11 seed from 2006-07 with 60.6 percent of the vote.
 
Our first matchup is somewhat cross-generational, as the top-seeded 1999-2000 national championship team faces the No. 8 seed, the 2011-12 regional champions. The 1999-2000 title team advanced to our second round by generating 85.7 percent of the votes to defeat the 1990-91 team in its opener, while the 2011-12 team edged the 2002-03 team with 56.7 percent of the votes in another first-round game.
 
Who do you like? Vote for your winner today.
 
Voting will be conducted on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and will run from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.
 
The winner will be announced on social media on Wednesday. You can also read about it Wednesday on RoadrunnersAthletics.com, along with the preview of Wednesday's game between our Cinderella story, the 13th-seeded regional qualifiers from 2014-15 and the No. 5 seed, the 2013-14 national semifinalists from one season before.
 
TODAY'S PREVIEW
#1 seed 1999-2000 (33-4, national champions) vs. #8 seed 2011-12 (25-7, regional champions)
 
THE STARTERS
1999-2000 (33-4)                    Ht.       Yr.        Pts       Reb      Ast
F—Lee Barlow                       6-9       Sr.        14.6     5.5      2.2                 
F—Michael Alcock                  6-6       Sr.        4.6      4.9      2.1
C—Kane Oakley                     6-8       Jr.        7.8      4.2      0.8
G—John Bynum                     6-3       Sr.        12.8     4.3      1.9
G—DeMarcos Anzures              6-0       Sr.        18.3     2.3      2.8
Off the bench: Rashawn Fulcher (6-3, Jr., 8.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg), Shane Ah Matt (5-11, So., 6.2 ppg), Jason Johnson (6-10, Sr., 13.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg).
 
2011-2012 (25-7)                    Ht.       Yr.       Pts     Reb    Ast
F—Jonathan Morse                6-8     Jr.       13.0     9.3      0.7                 
F—Reggie Evans                   6-4      Sr.       18.6     7.0      2.2
C—Nicholas Kay                   6-8      Fr.        6.5      5.6     1.0
G—Demetrius Miller               6-1      Jr.        11.9     2.0      2.2
G—Brandon Jefferson            5-9      So.      12.8     2.9      2.0
Off the bench: Paul Brotherson (6-6, Sr., 6.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Tyler Cooper (6-3, Jr., 2.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg).
 
THE DETAILS
1999-2000: After reaching the national championship game to cap the 1998-99 season, the Roadrunners opened the 1999-2000 season ranked No. 1 in the country. They lost their first two games against ranked teams, then went 33-2 the rest of the way and earned the program's first national title in Mike Dunlap's third season as head coach. The Roadrunners were led by All-Americans DeMarcos Anzures, who is still the program's all-time leading scorer, and Lee Barlow, who was the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's Player of the Year.
After losing those first two games by a combined total of four points, MSU Denver went on a 13-game winning streak to get back on track. After a loss at Chadron State, another seven-game winning streak ensued before a big loss against Fort Hays State (Kan.) on Feb. 12. The Roadrunners didn't lose another game. MSU Denver was riding an 11-game winning streak when it got to the title game for a rematch with Kentucky Wesleyan. The Roadrunners led comfortably most of the way and won 97-79. Beyond Anzures (18.3 points per game) and Barlow (14.6), the championship team featured guard John Bynum at 12.8 points per game while shooting 54.8 percent from the field. Rashawn Fulcher added 8.4 points off the bench, while Kane Oakley averaged 7.8 points.

2011-12: The 2011-12 team was 25-7 overall and 17-5 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, yet didn't win the league title and lost at home (in overtime) in the first round of the RMAC Tournament. Undaunted, the 12^th-ranked Roadrunners bounced back to win three straight regional tournament games, knocking off Division II's top-ranked team, league rival Colorado School of Mines, on its home floor 73-64 to advance to the Elite Eight. The Roadrunners won their first 12 games of the season and were 17-1 before losing four of five games from Jan. 27 through Feb. 10. After being upset by Colorado Mesa 67-63 in overtime in the RMAC Tournament first round, the Roadrunners rolled through the South Central Regional, capped by the win over then-No. 1 Colorado School of Mines in the final on the Orediggers' home court. MSU Denver then had an eight-point lead with 4:49 left in the national quarterfinal game against No. 22 Montevallo (Ala.) but couldn't hold on and suffered a 67-65 defeat. Reggie Evans led the team in scoring at 18.6 per game, while Jonathan Morse added 13.0 points and a team-best 9.3 rebounds. Brandon Jefferson (12.8) and Demetrius Miller (11.9) also scored in double figures for Derrick Clark's second Roadrunners team. Jefferson is MSU Denver's No. 3 all-time leading scorer with 1,935 points, while freshman starter Nicholas Kay finished fifth with 1,766, Evans is seventh with 1,627 and Morse eighth with 1,565. Morse is also the program's all-time leader in rebounds (1,029), while Kay is fourth (863).
 
You've got your scouting report, now pick your winner and vote!
 
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
 
FIRST ROUND/SWEET 16
Thursday, March 19: #1 1999-2000 def. #16 1990-91, 85.7-14.3
Friday, March 20: #8 2011-12 def. #9 2002-03, 56.7-43.3
Monday, March 23: #13 2014-15 def. #4 1998-99, 59.0-41.0
Tuesday, March 24: #5 2013-14 def. #12 2008-09, 71.6-28.4
Wednesday, March 25: #2 2001-02 def. #15 2000-01, 77.6-22.4
Thursday, March 26: #7 2004-05 def. #10 1989-90, 62.5-37.5
Friday, March 27: #3 2012-13 def. #14 1997-98, 82.3-17.7
Monday, March 30: #6 2003-04 def. #11 2006-07, 60.6-39.4
 
QUARTERFINALS/ELITE 8
Tuesday, March 31: #1 1999-2000 vs. #8 2011-12
Wednesday, April 1: #13 2014-15 vs. #5 2013-14
Thursday, April 2: #2 2001-02 vs. #7 2004-05
Friday, April 3: #3 2012-13 vs. #6 2003-04
 
SEMIFINALS/FINAL 4
Monday, April 6: March 31 winner vs. April 1 winner
Tuesday, April 7: April 2 winner vs. April 3 winner
 
CHAMPIONSHIP
Wednesday, April 8: April 6 winner vs. April 7 winner
 
TOURNAMENT SEEDINGS:

1. 1999-2000 National Champions (33-4 overall/17-2 RMAC/RMAC regular-season and tourney champs). Coached by Mike Dunlap.
2. 2001-02 National Champions (29-6 overall/16-3 RMAC). Dunlap.
3. 2012-13 National Runners-Up (32-3/20-2/RMAC regular-season and tourney champs). Coached by Derrick Clark.
4. 1998-99 National Runners-Up (28-6/15-4/RMAC division and tourney champs). Dunlap.
5. 2013-14 National semifinalists (32-2/22-0/RMAC regular season and tourney champs). Clark.
6. 2003-04 National semifinalists (32-3/19-0/RMAC regular season and tourney champs). Dunlap.
7. 2004-05 Regional champions (29-4/16-3/RMAC regular season and tourney champs). Dunlap.
8. 2011-12 Regional champions (25-7/17-5). Clark.
9. 2002-03 Regional finalists (28-5/16-3/RMAC tourney champs/lost in 2 OT in regional final). Dunlap.
10. 1989-90 Regional finalists (28-4/8-2 GNAC/GNAC regular season champs). Coached by Bob Hull.
11. 2006-07 Regional semifinalists (28-4/17-2 RMAC/RMAC regular season and tourney champs). Coached by Brannon Hays.
12. 2008-09 Regional qualifiers, No. 3 seed (27-4/18-1/RMAC regular season and tourney champs). Hays.
13. 2014-15 Regional qualifiers, No. 2 seed (26-6/19-3/RMAC regular season champs). Clark.
14. 1997-98 Regional qualifiers, No. 4 seed (25-5/16-3/RMAC regular season champs). Dunlap.
15. 2000-01 Regional qualifiers, No. 4 seed (23-7/14-5/RMAC tourney champs). Dunlap.
16. 1990-91 Regional third place, No. 3 seed (23-8/8-2 CAC/CAC regular season champs). Hull.