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Friday's game/TV schedule
| REGION | GAME | VENUE | TIME | TV | ANNOUNCERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest | (2) Michigan Wolverines vs. (11) Tennessee Volunteers KenPom projected score: Vols 66-65 |
Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, IN |
7:15 | CBS | Jim Nantz, Greg Anthony, Tracy Wolfson |
| East | (3) Iowa State Cyclones vs. (7) Connecticut Huskies KenPom projected score: Huskies 75-74 |
Madison Square Garden New York City, NY |
7:27 | TBS | Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery, Allie LaForce |
| Midwest | (4) Louisville Cardinals vs. (8) Kentucky Wildcats KenPom projected score: Cardinals 73-68 |
Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, IN |
9:45 | CBS | Jim Nantz, Greg Anthony, Tracy Wolfson |
| East | (1) Virginia Cavaliers vs. (4) Michigan State Spartans KenPom projected score: Cavaliers 64-62 |
Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
9:57 | TBS | Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery, Allie LaForce |
All times are p.m. Eastern
The NCAA Tournament returns to Manhattan for the first time since 1961, and Madison Square Garden's first two tourney games should be well worth the wait. First, Iowa State meets UConn, who will surely have a ton of support, in a game that features a ton of star power, even with Georges Niang's absence for the Cyclones. The Huskies' Shabazz Napier and Cyclones' DeAndre Kane will both put on a show, but the supporting casts will likely decide this one. That could be trouble for shorthanded ISU. The second East semi should be a bareknuckle brawl between top seed Virginia and an MSU team many, including myself, feel will eventually advance out of this region. This is one of the more even 1 vs. 4 matchups you'll see in this round -- including yesterday's two games, which were fairly close.
Midwest action opens in Indianapolis, which hosted the regional last season as well, with an intriguing game between Michigan and Tennessee. I'm most interested in seeing how the Wolverines' offense will cope with the Volunteers' physical play, especially with Mitch McGary's absence inside. Plus, UT's capable of making baskets, while Michigan's defense can be lacking at times. Finally, the showdown of the night is the all-Bluegrass Regional Semifinal between Kentucky and Louisville. The Wildcats, who stunned Wichita State on Sunday to get here, will look to defeat the Cardinals for the second time this season. UK won 73-66 at Rupp Arena back on December 28th. Four Cats hit double-figures on the day.
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