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All times are Eastern. You can stream all games on the NCAA’s March Madness Live. (I’ll have links for each game in these posts, however.)
Schedule at a Glance
First Round Thursday, Daytime
| Tip Time (ET) | Site | Region | Matchup | Channel with March Madness Live Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tip Time (ET) | Site | Region | Matchup | Channel with March Madness Live Link |
| 12:15 p.m. | Des Moines | East | No. 10 Minnesota vs. No. 7 Louisville | CBS |
| 12:40 p.m. | Jacksonville | East | No. 14 Yale vs. No. 3 LSU | TruTV |
| 1:30 p.m. | Salt Lake City | Midwest | No. 12 New Mexico State vs. No. 5 Auburn | TNT |
| 2 p.m. | Hartford | West | No. 13 Vermont vs. No. 4 Florida State | TBS |
| 2:45 p.m.* | Des Moines | East | No. 15. Bradley vs. No. 2 Michigan State | CBS |
| 3:10 p.m.* | Jacksonville | East | No. 11 Belmont vs. No. 6 Maryland | TruTV |
| 4 p.m.* | Salt Lake City | Midwest | No. 13 Northeastern vs. No. 4 Kansas | TNT |
| 4:30 p.m.* | Hartford | West | No. 12 Murray State vs. No. 5 Marquette | TBS |
* = tip time is approximate
Announcers by Site
Des Moines: Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Dan Bonner with Dana Jacobson reporting
Hartford: Carter Blackburn/Debbie Antonelli with John Schiffren reporting
Jacksonville: Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel with Jamie Erdahl reporting
Salt Lake City: Andrew Catalon/Steve Lappas with Lisa Byington reporting
Session 1
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12:15 p.m., Des Moines (East Region) on CBS
No. 10 Minnesota Golden Gophers (21-13, Big Ten at-large) vs.
No. 7 Louisville Cardinals (20-13, ACC at-large)
KenPom predicted score: Louisville 71, Minnesota 66
Watchability rank within window: 1st
It’s Minnesota coach Richard Pitino against the program where his father coached for 16 seasons. Rick Pitino’s final season, 2016-17, marked both Louisville last NCAA appearance and win. As for the Golden Gophers, they’re back for the first time since that same tournament, though their last NCAA win came under Tubby Smith in 2013.
12:40 p.m., Jacksonville (East Region) on TruTV
No. 14 Yale Bulldogs (22-7, Ivy League automatic bid) vs.
No. 3 LSU Tigers (26-6, SEC at-large)
KenPom predicted score: LSU 85, Yale 76
Watchability rank within window: 4th
LSU, making its first NCAA trip since 2015, will be playing its third game without suspended head coach Will Wade. And the first two contests were a mixed bag, an easy home win over Vanderbilt, followed by an SEC Tournament quarterfinal exit at the hands of Florida. The Tigers will be favored to advance, however, against a Yale squad which last qualified in 2016. However, the Bulldogs both defeated Baylor in that season’s round of 64 and pushed Duke hard in the second round.
1:30 p.m., Salt Lake City (Midwest Region) on TNT
No. 12 New Mexico State Aggies (30-4, WAC automatic bid) vs.
No. 5 Auburn Tigers (26-9, SEC automatic bid)
KenPom predicted score: Auburn 75, NMSU 69
Watchability rank within window: 2nd
This could have been a second round matchup in last season’s Midwest region, as New Mexico State met the Clemson, who eliminated Auburn in the round of 32, in 2018’s first round. The Tigers’ first round win over College of Charleston marked their return to the NCAAs after a 15-year absence. As for the Aggies, they’ve qualified for all but two NCAAs in this decade. Unfortunately, they haven’t had much success in that span, as their last tourney win came in 1993.
2 p.m., Hartford (West Region) on TBS
No. 13 Vermont Catamounts (27-6, America East automatic bid) vs.
No. 4 Florida State Seminoles (27-7, ACC at-large)
KenPom predicted score: FSU 72, Vermont 62
Watchability rank within window: 3rd
Florida State is looking to build off last season’s Sweet Sixteen trip, while Vermont returns to the field for the second time in three years. The Catamounts last NCAA victory, however, came in 2012.
Session 2
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All times are approximate.
2:45 p.m., Des Moines (East Region) on CBS
No. 15 Bradley Braves (20-14, Missouri Valley automatic bid) vs.
No. 2 Michigan State Spartans (28-6, Big Ten automatic bid)
KenPom predicted score: MSU 78, Bradley 57
Watchability rank within window: 4th
Of all eight games this afternoon, this is potentially the least-intriguing, even with Michigan State’s recent habit of making early NCAA exits. The Spartans last reached the second weekend in 2015, and suffering a 15-over-2 upset one year later. But that Middle Tennessee team was better than this Bradley squad, which was the No. 5 seed in a down Missouri Valley. The Braves made their last NCAA trip in 2006 — as an at-large in the year of the Valley and mid-major — going all the way to the Sweet Sixteen as a 13.
3:10 p.m., Jacksonville (East Region) on TruTV
No. 11 Belmont Bruins (27-5, OVC at-large, First Four winner) vs.
No. 6 Maryland Terrapins (22-10, Big Ten at-large)
KenPom predicted score: Maryland 76, Belmont 72
Watchability rank within window: 2nd
Tuesday’s win over the Temple was Belmont’s first in eight NCAA appearances and they’ll look to double that total against a Maryland team that returns after a season away. The Terps’ last victory (over Hawai’i) came in 2016’s run to the Sweet Sixteen.
4 p.m., Salt Lake City (Midwest Region) on TNT
No. 13 Northeastern Huskies (23-10, CAA automatic bid) vs.
No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks (25-9, Big 12 at-large)
KenPom predicted score: KU 78, Northeastern 68
Watchability rank within window: 3rd
Northeastern gave Notre Dame a fright in a 3/14 game in 2015, falling by just four to the Fighting Irish in their last NCAA appearance, which was their first in 24 years. The Huskies last won a tournament game in 1984, in the preliminary round! That track record naturally doesn’t compare to a Kansas team that last missed the tourney in 1989 — the result of a postseason ban. The Jayhawks reached the Final Four in 2018 and last failed to win at least on tournament game in 2006.
4:30 p.m., Hartford (West Region) on TBS
No. 12 Murray State Racers (27-4, OVC automatic bid) vs.
No. 5 Marquette Golden Eagles (24-9, Big East at-large)
KenPom predicted score: Marquette 76, Murray State 72
Watchability rank within window: 1st
Odd that both OVC teams would be scheduled in the same window.
With two of the most dynamic players in the country, Murray State’s Ja Morant and Marquette’s Markus Howard, involved, this West region matchup is the most anticipated one of the day. While this is the second NCAA trip in as many years for the Racers, they last won a game in 2012, as a six seed. Oddly enough, Marquette is the team that eliminated Murray State in the round of 32. As for the Golden Eagles, they’re back after a year away, though their last victory came in a 2013 run to the Elite Eight under Buzz Williams.
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