For much of the country, the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament qualifies as an extended holiday. March Madness presents four jam-packed days of basketball televised from noon to midnight, and diehard basketball fans can’t get enough.
Of course, there is another segment of the sports-watching population that can’t watch every dribble. At a bare minimum, folks must work through the day on Thursday and Friday, and weekends are often the time for running errands.
That’s where we come in.
Though the NCAA Tournament actually “starts” on Tuesday and Wednesday, with four games played in Dayton, the true first round action begins at noon on Thursday. We are here to rank all 32 “first round” match-ups from a watchability standpoint and, along the way, to provide something of a viewing guide for those of you who can’t spend 48 hours in front of the television across a four-day weekend.
Let’s get to the games (in reverse order), taking into account that four spots in the 64-team field remain up for grabs at the time of writing.
(All tip-off times approximate)
#32 – No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 16 Hampton (Thursday, 3:00 pm ET, truTV) – For as much as I enjoy watching Virginia play basketball, they are an acquired taste. The Cavaliers play at a glacial pace, and that won’t help the casual viewer get invested in a game that probably won’t be competitive.
#31 – No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 16 Florida Gulf Coast/Fairleigh Dickinson (Thursday, 7:20 pm ET, TBS) – North Carolina is, at least at times, fun to watch, but this won’t be a closely contested game, no matter who wins the play-in match. The Heels are just inconsistent enough to make you worry, but not in their first contest.
#30 – No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 16 Austin Peay (Thursday, 3:50 pm ET, TNT) – This is probably the biggest mismatch in the field, and the Jayhawks earned the number one overall seed with a lights-out season. Let’s just agree that we can fast-forward through this one.
#29 – No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 16 Holy Cross/Southern (Friday, 7:27 pm ET, truTV) – Oh, look. All four number one seeds are playing the least watchable games on the slate. Until a 16-seed actually pulls off the upset, we have to assume that it won’t happen, and Oregon is a veteran group that will be ready to play against arguably the worst team in the field in either Holy Cross or Southern.
#28 – No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 15 Middle Tennessee State (Friday, 2:30 pm ET, CBS) – Sparty looks like a number one seed to, well, everyone, and I’m treating them like one here. Throw in the fact that Tom Izzo is arguably the best coach in the country when it comes to navigating the tournament, and this should be a blowout. Tune in elsewhere.
#27 – No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 15 UNC-Asheville (Friday, 12:40 pm ET, truTV) – There are whispers circulating that the Wildcats could be susceptible to a major upset, but for me, that is due to some bias against Jay Wright’s past teams. This is a legitimate squad who can play inside and outside effectively. The Bulldogs won’t be able to keep this close.
#26 – No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Cal St. Bakersfield (Friday, 3:50 pm ET, TNT) – Buddy Hield, Buddy Hield, Buddy Hield. The three reasons to watch this basketball game.
#25 – No. 3 Miami (FL) vs. No. 14 Buffalo (Thursday, 6:50 pm ET, TNT) – I haven’t particularly enjoyed watching Miami play basketball this season, even if their style has been highly effectively. On the plus side, Buffalo plays at a feverish pace (one of the 25 fastest teams in the country), so points could be flying.
#24 – No. 5 Indiana vs. No. 12 Chattanooga (Thursday, 7:10 pm ET, CBS) – Chattanooga made their bones on the defensive end this season, keeping the tempo slow and grinding out 29 victories en route to the Southern Conference title. Indiana isn’t fast, but they are prolific offensively. Also, Yogi Farrell is a lot of fun.
#23 – No. 2 Xavier vs. No. 15 Weber State (Friday, 9:15 pm ET, TNT) – This game ranks higher than it probably should, simply because I really enjoy Xavier’s basketball team. The Musketeers will be a trendy pick as an early exit given their mid-major pedigree, but Chris Mack won’t let that happen, and they are incredibly entertaining.
#22 – No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 14 Wisconsin-Green Bay (Friday, 7:20 pm ET, TBS) – I’m all in on Green Bay and I don’t believe in Texas A&M (read: the SEC) at all. Fireworks could be in the cards here if the Phoenix (yes, that is their mascot) can make shots.
#21 – No. 4 California vs. No. 13 Hawaii (Friday, 2:00 pm ET, TBS) – Cal is under-seeded and Hawaii might be over-seeded. On the bright side, the Golden Bears are wildly talented, with a couple of likely first-round picks, and Cal has been just inconsistent enough to keep the upset in play.
#20 – No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 12 South Dakota State (Friday, 4:20 pm ET, TBS) – The Terps are on upset alert here in my opinion. Maryland is a wildly inconsistent basketball team, and with that comes the possibility of a tight game. Also, any tourney diehard knows how 5-12 match-ups go on a yearly basis.
#19 – No. 4 Duke vs. No. 13 UNC-Wilmington (Thursday, 12:15 pm ET, CBS) – This is the first game on the air on Thursday, which raises it a handful of spots in the rankings. Everybody loves to see the opening tip of that first contest, and Duke gets about a half-hour to itself. Oh, the Blue Devils are also capable of laying an egg that would rivet the country.
#18 – No. 8 St. Joseph’s vs. No. 9 Cincinnati (Friday, 9:55 pm ET, truTV) – Cincinnati is good, but they are excruciating to watch. The Bearcats have a top-10 defense on a per-possession basis and they take the air out of the ball offensively. That’s a bad combination, even if this game projects to be tight in the final minutes.
#17 – No. 8 Colorado vs. No. 9 UConn (Thursday, 1:30 pm ET, TNT) – Two defense-first teams playing at a relatively slow pace. UConn does have a track record of tournament fireworks, though, so start channeling the ghosts of Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier now.
#16 – No. 5 Purdue vs. No. 12 Arkansas Little-Rock (Thursday, 4:20 pm ET, TBS) – Arkansas Little-Rock is (very) good and nobody knows it. That is the reason this game is intriguing for me. The Boilermakers are potent inside but questionable guard play could keep things close. Again, 5-12 match-ups aren’t for the faint of heart.
#15 – No. 7 Dayton vs. No. 10 Syracuse (Friday, 12:15 ET, CBS) – Dayton is awesome and, hilariously, the Flyers are carrying Syracuse when it comes to this ranking. The Orange have a very questionable tournament profile, their 2-3 zone is suffocatingly boring and we need a close game here to generate interest.
#14 – No. 7 Iowa vs. No. 10 Temple (Friday, 3:00 pm ET, truTV) – This is a weird one. It’s buried on truTV in the afternoon and, well, Iowa has been dreadful for the better part of two months. Beyond that, Temple was considered to be firmly on the bubble before landing softly as a 10-seed. I would believe just about anything here.
#13 – No. 3 Utah vs. No. 14 Fresno State (Thursday, 7:27 pm ET, truTV) – How is a 25-win team from the Mountain West a 14-seed? I’m so confused. Anyway, Utah relies heavily on future NBA lottery pick Jakob Poeltl, and if the Bulldogs can keep the big man under wraps, this game could be closer than you would think.
#12 – No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 13 Stony Brook (Thursday, 9:30 pm ET, CBS) – Kentucky is probably going to blast Stony Brook in grand fashion, but if they don’t… watch out. Stony Brook is super fun, Jameel Warney is the best player in this tournament that you haven’t heard of, and the Wildcats young team might get a little bit tight if this one stays close.
#11 – No. 7 Oregon State vs. No. 10 VCU (Friday, 1:30 pm ET, TNT) – Gary Payton Jr.! I was shocked to see the Beavers land as a seven seed (the entire Pac-12, save Arizona, is over-seeded) but that lines up what should be an awesome game. VCU really defends with intensity and, for some reason, 7-10 games tend to be better than 8-9’s. I don’t know, either.
#10 – No. 8 Texas Tech vs. No. 9 Butler (Thursday, 12:40 pm ET, truTV) – Do you trust Tubby Smith in the NCAA Tournament? I certainly don’t. On paper, the Red Raiders are better than this year’s Butler team, but we know how these things go with Butler in March. You might want to watch. Also, this is an early Thursday game so the time slot helps.
#9 – No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Michigan/Tulsa (Friday, 9:30 pm ET, CBS) – If Michigan beats Tulsa, this game shoots up a few spots. Watching Notre Dame and Michigan compete in anything is fun, and for good measure, that match-up projects as a tightly contested battle. If Tulsa wins, though, this contest should fall in the rankings. I’m still baffled as to how the Golden Hurricane made the field at all.
#8 – No. 3 West Virginia vs. No. 14 Stephen F. Austin (Friday, 7:10 pm ET, CBS) – Stephen F. Austin is better than your typical 14-seed. They rank in the top 40 at KenPom and West Virginia shouldn’t be happy about this match-up. Viewers, though, should be thrilled. The Mountaineers are great defensively, but their offense can’t be trusted. This could be a grinder for 40 minutes.
#7 – No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Northern Iowa (Friday, 9:45 pm ET, TBS) – Northern Iowa is going to be a trendy upset pick after winning the Missouri Valley title to get here, but that doesn’t mean the masses are wrong. This has the feel of a close game, especially since Texas has been uninspiring at times. Of note, though, is that Shaka Smart is (considerably) better at taking care of business in this type of spot than Rick Barnes ever was in Austin.
#6 – No. 5 Baylor vs. No. 12 Yale (Thursday, 2:30 pm ET, CBS) – An Ivy League team in a 5-12 game? COME ON. Yale is a top-40 team at KenPom, Baylor has a history of playing close first-round games and, again, an Ivy League team is in a 5-12 game. Just trust me on this one.
#5 – No. 4 Iowa State vs. No. 13 Iona (Thursday, 2:00 pm ET, TBS) – They can’t make this over/under high enough. Iowa State has the number three offense in the country so they absolutely will put points on the board, and Iona’s been cooking behind senior guard A.J. English. The Cyclones should hold serve, but it won’t be easy. This one’s going to be fun.
#4 – No. 7 Wisconsin vs. No. 10 Pittsburgh (Friday, 6:50 pm ET, TNT) – I’m a masochist. Wisconsin and Pittsburgh will probably combine for a slog of a game, but I can’t resist. These are two teams that I have historically backed in the tournament, and for all of their tempo-related faults, Wisconsin’s offense is beautiful to watch. You can scream at me when this game finishes 52-51, but at least it’ll be close.
#3 – No. 8 USC vs. No. 9 Providence (Thursday, 9:45 pm ET, TBS) – Providence has two legitimate stars in Kris Dunn (a future top-10 pick) and Ben Bentil that are worth watching by themselves. USC isn’t quite as well known nationally, but the Trojans have a very good offense and they play at a high pace. Sign me up.
#2 – No. 6 Arizona vs. No. 11 Vanderbilt/Wichita State (Thursday, 9:15 pm ET, TNT) – If we knew who Arizona was playing against, this would probably be my number one game. The Wildcats are one of my favorite unsung teams in the field, and they will take on a “real” opponent by nature of their seed. Vandy shouldn’t be in the field given what they did on the court this season, but the ‘Dores have NBA talent and if Wichita gets past them, Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet are always worth the price of admission.
#1 – No. 6 Seton Hall vs. No. 11 Gonzaga (Thursday, 9:55 pm ET, truTV) – Gonzaga being an 11-seed is preposterous. They rank 28th at KenPom and Mark Few has an extremely talented team, even with big man Przemek Karnowski out for the season. Seton Hall is also red hot on the heels of a conference tournament victory, and Isaiah Whitehead will get buckets anytime and anywhere. I frankly can’t believe this is a first round game, but we’ll reap the benefits together.