With 16 NCAA Tournament games taking place on Friday, there is too much basketball to keep up with. This is a good problem, but deciding which games warrant your attention is a challenge.
Here is a quick rundown of the contests you should prioritize for your viewing pressure.
We are No. 1
The NCAA Tournament is advertised as a wonderful competition where everyone has a chance. However, it always comes down to the top teams, and we rarely see a lower-seeded team make the Final Four. So, with the first full day of action beginning, why not check in on the titans?
South Carolina will take on Tennessee Tech at 4 p.m. ET, and UCLA will play Southern at 10 p.m. ET. Both games will air on ESPN. With the teams being two of the favorites to make a deep run, this is their first chance to show us why they are so highly ranked.
Will Lauren Betts dominate for UCLA? Will this be MiLaysia Fulwiley’s moment to shine for the Gamecocks? NBA star Steph Curry certainly seems to think so, repping a shirt with her face on it.
These games might not be close, but we want to see dominance immediately from the favorites. And who knows, maybe an upset can happen? Perhaps South Carolina or UCLA will get pushed to the brink. You never know, and if that occurs, it would be fun to say you saw it happen.
The classic upset
The No. 5-vs.-No. 12 game is a classic upset to predict in any bracket. The reason is because the No. 5 seed is often an overrated team from a Power Four conference, and the No. 12 seed usually is an underrated, mid-major school.
In the Kansas State-Fairfield matchup, that’s precisely what we have on the schedule. Kansas State finished fourth in the Big 12, while Fairfield won the MAAC. They tip off at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN News.
K-State may not have dominated the Big 12, but Ayoka Lee certainly did. The senior center led the team in points, averaging 15.5 points per game. Having missed the end of the regular season and conference tournament after undergoing a minor foot procedure, she is expected to return for the tournament—and she will be a handful for the Stags to handle. Fairfield has its own top scorer, Meghan Andersen. She averaged 15.1 points per game and played in every Fairfield game this season.
Admittedly, I have K-State beating Fairfield in my bracket, so I don’t have much faith. However, given that it’s a 5-12 game, my interest is piqued and I’ll be tuning in.
An on-paper close contest
Outside of preserving our brackets, we want to watch some good basketball.
The game between No. 8-seed Utah and No. 9-seed Indiana is certainly set up to be just that. Utah has a quality win over Notre Dame, and with Gianna Kneepkens as a certified bucket getter, the Utes will be favored in this one. Still, Indiana could surprise us. During the regular season, they earned wins over other tournament teams in Baylor, Ohio State, Iowa and Oregon.
Hopefully, this can be a competitive game to watch in the early afternoon. This No. 8-vs.-No. 9 matchup will begin at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN 2.
Let’s see if these games to watch turn into the highlights of the night. In any event, be sure to check back for coverage from the first full day of games and throughout the rest of the tournament.
