2017 NCAA Tournament First Round — Friday Afternoon Viewing Guide

Not near a TV? You can stream each game on NCAA March Madness Live.

Games In Order Of Likely Watchability (by window)

Oklahoma State vs. Michigan, 12:15 p.m. (CBS)
Seton Hall vs. Arkansas, 1:30 p.m. (TNT)
New Mexico State vs. Baylor, 12:40 p.m. (TruTV)
Iona vs. Oregon, 2 p.m. (TBS)

Rhode Island vs. Creighton, approx. 4:30 p.m. (TBS)
Providence/USC vs. SMU, approx. 3:10 p.m. (TruTV)
Texas Southern vs. North Carolina, approx. 4 p.m. (TNT)
Jacksonville State vs. Louisville, approx. 2:45 p.m. (CBS)

Indianapolis — Midwest Region

CBS will air both games with Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Grant Hill and Bill Raftery (commentary), and Tracy Wolfson (reporting) on the call.

No. 10 Oklahoma State Cowboys (20-12) vs. No. 7 Michigan Wolverines (24-11)*, 12:15 p.m.
No. 15 Jacksonville State Gamecocks (20-14)* vs. No. 2 Louisville Cardinals (24-8), approx. 2:45 p.m.

Game one features two teams fully capable of putting on an offensive show, though I’m curious to see if Michigan can keep up its great play from last weekend in the Big Ten Tournament. In the second, former Western Kentucky coach Ray Harper will look to knock off Rick Pitino’s Louisville squad, though I wouldn’t expect an upset.

Tulsa — East Region

TruTV will air both games with Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller and Dan Bonner, and Dana Jacobson on the call.

No. 14 New Mexico State Aggies (28-5)* vs. No. 3 Baylor Bears (25-7), 12:40 p.m.
No. 11 USC Trojans (25-9) vs. No. 6 SMU Mustangs (30-4)*, approx. 3:10 p.m.

Baylor last won an NCAA game in 2014, and the Bears will look to avoid being a 14-over-3 upset victim for the second time in three years. In the second game, SMU will look for a better result than the 60-59 loss it experienced at the hands of UCLA in its last NCAA contest — in 2015’s round of 64. However, the Mustangs will encounter LA’s other Pac-12 team, one that defeated the Ponies 78-73 at the Galen Center back on November 25th.

Greenville — South Region

TNT will air both games with Brian Anderson, Chris Webber, and Lewis Johnson on the call.

No. 9 Seton Hall Pirates (21-11) vs. No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks (25-9), 1:30 p.m.
No. 16 Texas Southern Tigers (23-11)* vs. No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels (27-7), approx. 4 p.m.

With wins, Arkansas and North Carolina will meet in the round of 32 for the second time in three years. Expect the Tar Heels to roll over a Texas Southern squad that’s better than a 16, but not a likely to make history, while the Razorbacks will be challenged by a Seton Hall squad that’s played well of late — winning five in a row before falling to Villanova in the Big East semifinals.

Sacramento — Midwest Region

TBS will air both games with Spero Dedes, Steve Smith and Len Elmore, and Ros Gold-Onwude on the call.

No. 14 Iona Gaels (22-12)* vs. No. 3 Oregon Ducks (29-5), 2 p.m.
No. 11 Rhode Island Rams (24-9)* vs. No. 6 Creighton Bluejays (25-9), approx. 4:30 p.m.

Oregon is still learning to play without the injured Chris Boucher, and a first round game against an Iona squad that’s allergic to defense might give them more time to work the kinks out. Later, Rhode Island will look to build on its three great games at the Atlantic 10 Tournament against a Creighton team that’s struggled without the injured/unavailable Mo Watson, even with a Big East championship game appearance.

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