The biggest college basketball tournament is here, bringing plenty of excitement and storylines. Will we see Cinderellas pull upsets, or will the bluebloods keep their grip on the tournament? With the power of a reliable connection always important during a successful tournament run, we’re keeping you connected to the can’t-miss headlines and standout moments from every round.
March Madness has arrived.
The First Four games on Tuesday and Wednesday were just the appetizer for the two best sports days of the year. The men’s tournament begins in earnest with 16 games on Thursday before the first round continues Friday and the women’s tournament first round kicks off.
Here’s the complete schedule for Thursday’s men’s first round. All times are Eastern.
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Thursday afternoon channel guide
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12:15 p.m. — No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU (CBS)
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12:40 p.m. — No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Troy (TruTV)
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1:30 p.m. — No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida (TNT)
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1:50 p.m — No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 High Point (TBS)
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2:50 p.m. — No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Siena (CBS)
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3:15 p.m. — No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 McNeese (TruTV)
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4:05 p.m. — No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 North Dakota State (TNT)
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4:25 p.m. — No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Hawaii (TBS)
Must-see: The first game of the first round should be very competitive. Ohio State is a 2.5-point favorite as the Buckeyes had a strong close to the season to easily move off the bubble and comfortably into the tournament. TCU has wins over Florida and Iowa State and four Horned Frogs average at least 10 points a game.
Nebraska also has a chance to finally get something that has eluded the men’s basketball program forever. The Cornhuskers are 12.5-point favorites in their ninth NCAA tournament appearance. Nebraska’s record in those previous eight tournament appearances: 0-8. No. 4 Nebraska earned its highest NCAA tournament seed since it was a No. 3 in 1991. That season, Nebraska lost 89-84 to Xavier in the first round as a 5.5-point favorite.
Must-skip: Even though it’s on CBS, you shouldn’t have to pay much attention to Duke and Siena. Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer essentially ruled out forward Patrick Ngongba II for Thursday and Caleb Foster will also miss opening weekend, but Duke is a 28.5-point favorite and should breeze past Siena.
The second-biggest spread of the afternoon is the 16.5-point line in Michigan State and North Dakota State. The Spartans are heavy favorites and have won their last seven first-round games.
Most likely potential upset: Keep an eye on the two No. 11 seeds Thursday. Star Louisville guard Mikel Brown sat out the ACC tournament with a back injury and will miss Thursday’s opener, so the Cardinals could be in trouble against the American Conference champions. South Florida averages 88 points per game and leads the country in free throw rate.
No. 12 High Point could also give Wisconsin a scare. The Panthers’ 90 points a game are only behind Alabama and SMU and they also force 11 steals a game.
Player to watch: Duke’s Cameron Boozer is going to be the national player of the year, but Duke should have a very easy time against Siena. That’s why we have to go with Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. The SEC player of the year has been really good all season and incredible in February and March. The freshman dropped 49 in a double-overtime loss to Alabama on Feb. 18 and hasn’t scored fewer than 17 points in a game since.
As Arkansas won the SEC tournament, Acuff had 37 points in a quarterfinal win over Oklahoma, 24 points in a semifinal win over Ole Miss and then 30 points as the Razorbacks clinched the title over Vanderbilt. Overall, Acuff is averaging 18 points per game while shooting 48% from the field and 45% from behind the 3-point line.
Thursday evening channel guide
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6:50 p.m. — No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 11 VCU (TNT)
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7:10 p.m. — No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 Howard (CBS)
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7:25 p.m. — No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Texas (TBS)
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7:35 p.m. — No. 7 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 Texas A&M (TruTV)
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9:25 p.m. — No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Penn (TNT)
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9:45 p.m. — No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Saint Louis (CBS)
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10 p.m. — No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State (TBS)
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10:10 p.m. — No. 2 Houston vs. No. 15 Idaho (TruTV)
Must-see: If you want to see a contrast in styles, Saint Mary’s and Texas A&M will be a fascinating chess match. The Aggies will full-court press at any time and love to push the pace. Saint Mary’s is, uh, pragmatic, and opponents average fewer than 65 points per game. The Gaels also out-rebound the opposition by over 11 rebounds a game. Just 24 teams allow more opponent rebounds per game than Texas A&M.
Remember Indiana State star Robbie Avila? The rec spec-clad Avila is now at Saint Louis and the Billikens have spent time in the AP Top 25 this season. Avila’s scoring is down from his previous two seasons, but he’s posting the best effective field goal percentage of his career and averaging over four assists a game. Georgia is favored by just 1.5 points for a reason.
Must-skip: Howard got its first NCAA tournament win in school history on Tuesday night in the First Four over UMBC. However, it’s hard to see how Michigan’s size doesn’t lead to a blowout on Thursday night. The Wolverines could overpower the Bison very early.
Houston’s suffocating defense should also be bad news for Idaho. The Cougars are 23.5-point favorites and both Houston and Gonzaga should cruise to easy victories and allow you to focus on what could be a fantastic game between the Bulldogs and Billikens.
Most likely potential upset: North Carolina is just a 2.5-point favorite against VCU without star forward Caleb Wilson. He’s out for the year with a broken thumb that he suffered while rehabbing from a hand fracture.
The Rams won a share of the A-10 regular season title before beating Dayton to win the conference tournament title. The Rams have seven players who have played in 33 or 34 games and average at least 20 minutes a game. It’s a deep team with a lot of continuity. That can be a great recipe for an upset.
Player to watch: If you’re an NBA Draft fan, Thursday’s slate will feature plenty of potential lottery picks. As Boozer and Acuff are playing in the early session, potential No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa of BYU will play in prime time. The freshman averages 25.3 points per game and has taken on an even bigger load for the BYU offense after Richie Saunders’ knee injury. Since February began, Dybantsa has taken at least 20 shots in nine of 12 games. The fewest shots he’s taken in that span? 14.
Dybantsa has still been able to be efficient in that span, too. Though he’s just a 34% shooter from the 3-point line, he’s shooting 57% from inside the arc and 51% overall while also averaging nearly seven rebounds and four assists a game.
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