The best weekend of the year is finally here. After the NCAA Tournament was put on ice last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, things are set to begin on Friday at noon. From there, a four-day race will commence with 64 of the best college basketball teams in the country, all of which are in Indiana right now for a pseudo bubble with their eyes on ending the beloved One Shining Moment montage in a few weeks.
But first, we need to get through Friday and Saturday, two of the most action-packed days in all of sports. Games are going to come fast and furious, and as always, it can be hard to keep track of everything going on. We’re here to help with that, as we identified the nine games over the first two days of the Tournament that you should make sure you carve out time to watch for one reason or another. And if all nine of these turn out to be stinkers, the good news is that there are 23 other games you can watch, and if we know one thing about March Madness, it’s that something incredible is going to happen more often than not.
(All estimated tip times EST)
No. 14 Colgate vs. No. 3 Arkansas (12:45 p.m., truTV)
This game is going to be played at a breakneck pace — the Razorbacks are 17th in the nation in pace, while the Patriot League champion Raiders (which only played 15 games this season) are 25th. Colgate wins games on both ends at the three-point line, as they’re third nationally (40 percent) on field goal percentage behind the charity stripe and tops nationally (26.1 percent) on three-point defense, but it’s hard to see them toppling Moses Moody and co. in their first game against a non-conference foe this season. Still, this could turn into a track meet quickly.
No. 11 Utah State vs. No. 6 Texas Tech (1:45 p.m., TNT)
One of the best matchups of the day. The Red Raiders come into this one No. 23 in KenPom, while the Aggies come in at No. 42. Both of these teams take joy in dogging opponents on defense, with Chris Beard coaching up a nasty Texas Tech side and Neemias Queta anchoring Utah State. Mac McClung will take a lot of shots for the Red Raiders, and the game will be determined by how many of them go in.
No. 13 Liberty vs. No. 4 Oklahoma State (6:25 p.m., TBS)
Watch every game that has Cade Cunningham in it. Liberty will try to slow this game way down and is ruthlessly efficient on offense, but they don’t really force turnovers, and giving Cunningham a slowed down game where he’s not turning the ball over is a recipe for disaster for the opposing team.
No. 10 Rutgers vs. N0. 7 Clemson (9:20 p.m., TBS)
A slower game between two teams with ok offenses and stout defenses. Both are battle-tested after having to navigate tough schedules, and at the very least, it’ll be worth watching because it’s always cool to see teams like Rutgers that never make the tournament get a nod. Keep an eye out for the Tigers’ Aamir Simms, who does everything for them, and the Scarlet Knights’ guard trio of Ron Harper Jr. (feel old?), Jacob Young, and Gio Baker.
No. 12 Winthrop vs. No. 5 Villanova (9:57 p.m., TNT)
The Wildcats have limped to the finish line, both in terms of recent results (they’ve lost two in a row to end the year) and literally (veteran guard Collin Gillespie is out for the year and backcourt mate Justin Moore is coming off of an injury). They’re still a better team, but the Eagles are going to try and speed them up without Gillespie around. It’ll still be an uphill battle, but styles make fights, and Villanova won’t have its metronome on the floor.
No. 14 Eastern Washington vs. No. 3 Kansas (1:15 p.m., TBS)
The Jayhawks should still win this game, but its starting frontcourt duo of Jalen Wilson and David McCormack are out due to COVID protocols. The Eagles play fast and if big man Tanner Groves (16.4 points, 8.1 rebounds per game) can impose himself, it might be worth keeping an eye on this one.
No. 9 St. Bonaventure vs. No. 8 LSU (1:45 p.m., TNT)
The Bonnies more or less play six dudes but are excellent at slowing games way down and relying on standout guard Kyle Lofton to dictate the pace of play. The Tigers get up and down the court effortlessly and can really score — three players, led by former five-star recruit Cameron Thomas, score at least 15 points per game. It is very possible that this ends up being the best game of the opening weekend, although St. Bonaventure could be in some trouble if big man Osun Osunniyi gets into foul trouble, because their frontcourt depth isn’t exactly stellar.
No. 13 Ohio vs. No. 4 Virginia (7:15 p.m., truTV)
COVID and the Cavaliers are in a fight with one another, and hopefully this game can be played. It should be a fun one regardless, as Virginia has once again mastered the art of grinding opponents to dust, while the Bobcats are led by Jason Preston, an absolutely remarkable basketball player who does everything for his team and might have the best story you’ve ever heard for a college athlete.
No. 10 VCU vs. No. 7 Oregon (9:57 p.m., TNT)
The final game of the first round is just a straight up fun game between a perpetually pesky Rams and a Ducks team that has dealt with injuries this season. At the very least, the guard matchup between Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland of VCU and Chris Duarte of Oregon is going to be one of the best of the entire Tournament, let alone the first round of action.