Can Arizona avoid a March Madness upset (again)? Here's how to watch the NCAA Tournament

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic

March 19, 2024 at 8:00 AM·4 min read

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The NCAA basketball tournament is one of the great TV events in sports, and with the University of Arizona and Grand Canyon University playing in it — and the Final Four held in Glendale — it packs even more. …

Wait, hang on a sec. When is Caitlin Clark playing?

That’s the kind of season it’s been. With the transfer portal and fewer players staying in college all four years, it’s often said that it’s all but impossible to keep up with who’s playing for whom.

True enough, but it doesn’t matter. College basketball, and in particular the tournament, is more about the teams than the players. (This is particularly true if your alma mater makes the tournament, so I will take a moment to shout out James Madison University. Go Dukes! That is all.)

When does Caitlin Clark play?

But if there is one story that has dwarfed all others in college basketball this season, it’s Clark, the University of Iowa superstar who became the leading scorer in history and is without question the best-known college player in the country, male or female. So to answer the question: Clark and the Hawkeyes play at noon Arizona time on Saturday, March 23, against the winner of the Holy Cross-University of Tennessee-Martin game.

There is still plenty of interest in the men’s tournament, which is the one that concludes at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, beginning Saturday, April 6. (Yes, it’s called March Madness, but it ends in April.)

When do the Final Four games begin?

The University of Arizona has a legitimate chance to win the whole thing, although everyone who didn’t go there is going to be rooting against them (more on that later). The University of Connecticut has a chance to repeat as champions. The sports world turns to Arizona again. Which, you know, let’s tidy up the place and whatnot. CBS will have a new play-by-play announcer at the Final Four for the first time in 32 years.

There's a lot going on.

In reality, though, it’s all about the next two weeks, with wall-to-wall games, a hunger for upsets and the opportunity to remember where truTV is located on whatever platform you use. It’s also a popular event for amateur gamblers in office pools. Is now a good time to remind of when I won an office pool in 2005? And forget that I haven’t won one since?

The fun starts on Tuesday, March 19. Well, the tournament starts then, anyway, with play-in games on Tuesday and Wednesday. The tournament proper — the real fun — starts Thursday, March 21 and continues throughout the weekend, then picks up again on March 28.

You can check out the entire schedule, including which announcers are calling what games, on CBS’ handy schedule.

When does the University of Arizona play in the NCAA tournament?

Arizona, a No. 2 seed, plays Long Beach State, a 15, at 11 a.m. Arizona time on Thursday, March 21 on TBS; Brad Kessler and Brendan Haywood call the game.

Last year, you may recall — if you’re an Arizona fan you may never forget — the Wildcats were also a No. 2 seed but were upset in the first round by 15th-seeded Princeton. Come on. Were perfect SAT scores not enough?

That shouldn’t happen, but there’s intrigue afoot: Long Beach State fired its coach, Dan Monson, before the beginning of the Big West tournament. Then the team went out and won the tournament, securing an NCAA bid. How can you not love that? Stick it to the man! Or something. Whatever the case, Arizona should win.

When does Grand Canyon play?

Grand Canyon, meanwhile, is a No. 12 seed and plays No. 5 St. Mary’s at 7:05 p.m. Arizona time on Friday, March 22; Lisa Byington, Steve Smith and Robbie Hummel call the game.

Grand Canyon is kind of a boutique upset pick — Jay Bilas, the ESPN analyst who knows a lot about a lot, picked the Lopes.

And upsets really are the fun of the thing. Most years the Final Four winds up being comprised of schools with established basketball programs. But the first couple of rounds in particular give hope to Davids against Goliaths everywhere. Forget sports, it’s one of the most genuine hope-springs-eternal, anything-can-happen events anywhere.

Until it isn’t. But it sure is fun while it lasts.

Must-see TV: Caitlin Clark's next game might make you feel better