NCAA tournament viewing guide: What to watch and what to skip on Friday
The opening day of the NCAA tournament produced an overtime classic, a last-second 3-pointer and the abrupt exit of a potential Final Four threat.
Expect plenty more drama on Friday.
Here’s a look at which games on Friday’s slate are must-see and which you can afford to click away from until the final two minutes:
FRIDAY AFTERNOON SESSION
12:15 p.m. — No. 7 Providence vs. No. 10 Texas A&M (CBS)
12:40 p.m. — No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 15 Cal State Fullerton (Tru TV)
1:30 p.m. — No. 4 Wichita State vs. No. 13 Marshall (TNT)
2 p.m. — No. 2 Cincinnati vs. No. 15 Georgia State (TBS)
Must-see: Three of the four games in this window have the potential to be fun. Wichita State will have its hands full with Marshall’s fast-paced, 3-point-happy style of play, but a high-possession game doesn’t favor the underdog. Georgia State pulled a massive first-round upset last time it was in the field, but the Panthers may not be able to keep Cincinnati off the offensive glass. Providence-Texas A&M is an evenly matched clash between the size and strength of the Aggies and the speed and quickness of the Friars. Texas A&M’s turnover woes and lack of outside shooting are a concern.
Must-skip: With a skilled 7-foot center who can score over either shoulder, a point guard who can create off the dribble and an array of shooters around them, Purdue is one of the more difficult teams in the country to defend. The Boilermakers should pick apart a Cal State Fullerton team that is KenPom’s fourth-lowest rated team in the field and was fortunate to avoid the First Four, let alone receive a No. 15 seed. Two of Purdue’s only weaknesses are defending ball screens and surrendering second-chance points. The Titans aren’t well equipped to hurt Purdue in either area.
Most likely potential upset: Marshall over Wichita State. A team that bombs away from behind the arc like Marshall does always has a puncher’s chance to pull an upset.
Player to watch: Kyron Cartwright, G, Providence.
2:45 p.m. — No. 2 North Carolina vs. No. 15 Lipscomb
3:10 p.m. — No. 7 Arkansas vs. No. 10 Butler (Tru TV)
4 p.m. — No. 5 West Virginia vs. No. 12 Murray State (TNT)
4:30 p.m. — No. 7 Nevada vs. No. 10 Texas (TBS)
Must-see: How Murray State’s backcourt of Jonathan Stark and Ja Morant deals with West Virginia’s aggressive pressure defense will determine whether that game has upset potential. Morant could have a tough time with Jevon Carter guarding him on the perimeter and Sagaba Konate lurking at the rim, but Stark’s outside shooting should translate. The two 7-10 games are pretty much toss-ups. Butler’s reliance on 2-point baskets could be a concern against Arkansas given Daniel Gafford’s shot blocking prowess. Nevada-Texas will be a strength-on-strength showdown between the Wolf Pack offense and Longhorns defense.
Must-skip: Lipscomb finished the season on a tear, but its results against power-conference programs doesn’t inspire confidence. The Bisons lost all four games they played by double figures and three of the four by 20 or more. They’ll play at a breakneck pace, which is fine against Atlantic Sun foes but not ideal when you’re at a talent disadvantage. Look for North Carolina to adjust quickly and break this open before halftime just like Duke did the previous day.
Most likely potential upset: Murray State over West Virginia. The Racers are a top 60 KenPom team with a strong backcourt, but West Virginia is a tough, tough team to prepare for as a mid-major.
Player to watch: Jevon Carter, G, West Virginia.
FRIDAY NIGHT SESSION
6:50 p.m. — No. 8 Creighton vs. No. 9 Kansas State (TNT)
7:10 p.m. — No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 Bucknell (CBS)
7:20 pm. — No. 1 Xavier vs. No. 16 Texas Southern (TBS)
7:27 p.m. — No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 13 Charleston (Tru-TV)
Must-see: This is far from the most appealing window of the first round, but Creighton-Kansas State at least projects as a close game. The health of Dean Wade and the Blue Jays’ ability to deal with the mismatches that he produces could go a long way toward producing a winner. Bucknell is a really good mid-major team that just drew a tough matchup. Fading Auburn has dropped four of six and is capable of struggling against Charleston, especially if it is not able to force turnovers and turn them into easy baskets.
Must-skip: Many project Xavier will be the first No. 1 seed to fall in this NCAA tournament. That very well may be the case, but it’s not happening Friday night. No. 1 seeds are 134-0 against No. 16 seeds in the NCAA tournament after Kansas pulled away from Penn on Thursday and Villanova throttled Radford. Xavier should have no trouble extending that streak on Friday against a Texas Southern team that’s 299th defensively and struggles keeping opponents off the glass.
Most likely potential upset: Charleston over Auburn. The Tigers have been vulnerable defensively since Anthony McLemore went down. Can the Cougars take advantage?
Player to watch: Bryce Brown, G, Auburn.
9:20 p.m. — No. 1. Virginia vs. No. 16 UMBC (TNT)
9:40 p.m. — No. 6 TCU vs. No. 11 Syracuse (CBS)
9:50 pm. — No. 8 Missouri vs. No. 9 Florida State (TBS)
9:57 p.m. — No. 5 New Mexico State vs. No. 12 Clemson (Tru-TV)
Must-see: Michael Porter Jr.’s dress rehearsal for this game did not go well. In his first game since undergoing back surgery nearly four months ago, Porter shot 5-for-17 from the field in an SEC quarterfinal loss to Georgia. Whether Porter looks less rusty now will be the dominant storyline of this window. Missouri is capable of beating Florida State without Porter reverting back to his McDonald’s All-American form. The Tigers won’t advance far though without Porter putting up big numbers.
Must-skip: No DeAndre Hunter or not, Virginia shouldn’t have much problem squeezing the life out of UMBC. The Retrievers have the nation’s 222th best offense and haven’t seen anything like the Cavaliers’ brand of defense this season.
Potential upsets: New Mexico State over Clemson. Watch out for an Aggies team that beat Miami and Illinois earlier this season. They’re a dark horse Sweet 16 pick.
Player to watch: Michael Porter Jr., F, Missouri
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Jeff Eisenberg is a college basketball writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
