The proper first round of the NCAA Tournament is here. It’s time to slack off work, hit the bar, and spend the rest of the day watching basketball.
If you’re not sure which games to watch, Ryan has you covered with some of his top picks for today, along with a preview of the ACC teams in the tournament. Full schedule is at the bottom for you to pick your favorite games to watch.
No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Troy | 12:40 p.m. ET | TruTV – The Cornhuskers have never won an NCAA tournament game, but Troy 22 games including wins over Akron and San Diego State. If Nebraska plays tight and Troy starts hot, this could be the biggest upset of the tournament.
No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida | 1:30 p.m. ET | TNT – Louisville’s reliance on 3-pointers make them susceptible to upsets both in their favor and not. If Mikel Brown’s back is less than 100% this is another game on upset watch.
No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 McNeese | 3:15 p.m. ET | TruTV – I am a big believer in Vanderbilt this year. Their point guard Duke Miles really is a lot of fun to watch, but if you still believe in the classic 5-12 upset, McNeese is all the way up to 67th in KenPom.
No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Texas 7:25 p.m. ET | TBS – BYU lost Richie Saunders to injury and have been the 14th best defense in the Big 12 during conference play. Texas lost 5 of 6 entering the tournament, but beat NC State in the play-in and they hold great wins against Vanderbilt and Alabama earlier in the season.
Thursday, March 19
No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU | 12:15 p.m. ET | CBS
No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Troy | 12:40 p.m. ET | TruTV
No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida | 1:30 p.m. ET | TNT
No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 High Point | 1:50 p.m. ET | TBS
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Siena | 2:50 p.m. ET | CBS
No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 McNeese | 3:15 p.m. ET | TruTV
No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 North Dakota State |4:05 pm. ET | TNT
No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Hawaii | 4:25 p.m. ET | TBS
No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 11 VCU | 6:50 p.m. ET | TNT
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 UMBC/Howard | 7:10 p.m. ET | CBS
No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Texas/NC State | 7:25 p.m. ET | TBS
No. 7 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 Texas A&M | 7:35 p.m. ET | TruTV
No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Penn | 9:25 p.m. ET | TNT
No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 St. Louis | 9:45 p.m. ET | CBS
No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State | 10 p.m. ET | TBS
No. 2 Houston vs. No. 15 Idaho | 10:10 p.m. ET | TruTV
Join us in the comments below if you’re watching, it should be a fun day.