There is always a bit of sadness in the air as the first weekend of the NCAA tournament comes to a close. Midnight strikes on some of the Cinderellas, favorite players complete their last game, and favorite teams have already been sent home.
Today provides many intriguing games across the slate. At 2:45 in St. Louis, Wichita State takes on Kentucky. Can the Shockers move into the Sweet 16, or will the Wildcats keep all three SEC teams alive into the second weekend and set up a game against Louisville? When No. 11 Tennessee tips against No. 14 Mercer at 6:10 in Raleigh, there will be a double-digit seed punching their ticket to the next weekend.
Stephen F. Austin tips at 7:10 against the UCLA Bruins. Many folks have compared the Lumberjacks to last year's Florida Gulf Coast team. Can they match the run that Dunk City had by knocking off the Bruins?
As always, keep a pack of matches handy to light up your brackets.
| REGION | GAME | VENUE | TIME | TV | ANNOUNCERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South | Stanford Cardinal (10) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (2) | Scottrade Center (St. Louis, MO) | 1215p | CBS | Jim Nantz/Greg Anthony/Tracy Wolfson |
| MidWest | Kentucky Wildcats (8) vs. Wichita State Shockers (1) | Scottrade Center (St. Louis, MO) | 245p | CBS | Jim Nantz/Greg Anthony/Tracy Wolfson |
| East | North Carolina Tar Heels (6) vs. Iowa State Cyclones (3) | AT&T Center (San Antonio, TX) | 515p | CBS | Marv Albert/Steve Kerr/Craigh Sager |
| MidWest | Mercer Bears (14) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (11) | PNC Arena (Raleigh, NC) | 610p | TNT | Kevin Harlan/Len Elmore/Reggie Miller/Rachel Nichols |
| South | Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (12) vs.UCLA Bruins (4) | Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl (San Diego, CA) | 710p | TBS | Andrew Catalon/Mike Gminski/Otis Livingston |
| West | Baylor Bears (6) vs. Creighton Bluejays (3) | AT&T Center (San Antonio, TX) | 745p | truTV | Marv Albert/Steve Kerr/Craigh Sager |
| East | Memphis Tigers (8) vs. Virginia Cavaliers (1) | PNC Arena (Raleigh, NC) | 840p | TNT | Kevin Harlan/Len Elmore/Reggie Miller/Rachel Nichols |
| West | Gonzaga Bulldogs (8) vs. Arizona Wildcats (1) | Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl (San Diego, CA) | 940p | TBS | Andrew Catalon/Mike Gminski/Otis Livingston |