The NCAA Tournament is finally here as the Final Four concluded on Wednesday Night with Xavier pulling off a comeback win over Texas. The first day of the NCAA Tournament sets the tone for the entire tournament as we'll see some incredible upsets, incredible games, and if we're lucky a few buzzer-beaters along the way. On Thursday, we'll see which teams rise to the occasion and which teams watch their dreams crumble before the tournament truly starts.
#8 Louisville Vs #9 Creighton
Bluejays
CardinalsThe tournament kicks off with a great matchup as the Louisville Cardinals face off against the Creighton Bluejays. Louisville was severely under seeded but, the Cardinals should still pick up a win in this game. Louisville has a great guard trio which will power them over Creighton while the game is being played in Lexington which will make this game a Louisville home game.
Prediction: Louisville
#4 Purdue Vs # 13 High Point
Panthers
BoilermakersCasual College Basketball fans will be excited to see that Zach Edey is now in the NBA but, Purdue has replaced him with Trey Kaufman-Renn who's developed into a 20.2 PPG scorer. Alongside Kaufman-Renn is elite guard Braden Smith who'll be looking to lead Purdue on another deep run this March. High Point has one of the Nation's best offenses scoring 82.2 PPG which ranks 19th in the Country.
Prediction: High Point U
#3 Wisconsin Vs #14 Montana
Grizzlies
BadgersThe Wisconsin Badgers face the tough task of heading to Denver after a deep run in the Big 10 Tournament which could be a massive factor in this matchup. Wisconsin does have one of the most electric scorers in John Tonje and another top scorer in John Blackwell. Montana has a well balanced offense but, winning this game is going to be nearly impossible. Montana's leading scorer Money Williams does have the best name in the tournament though.
Prediction: Wisconsin
#1 Houston Vs #16 SIU Edwardsville
Cougars
CougarsThe SIU Edwardsville Cougars get to faceoff against top seeded Houston which is a massive challenge to say the least. Among the #1 seeds, Houston is the one that could get upset due to their focus on defense but, Houston should roll to victory. If SIUE is going to pull off the upset they'll need to limit the damage LJ Cryer does shooting the three and they'll need to have another solid game shooting.
Prediction: Houston
#1 Auburn Vs #16 Alabama State
Hornets
TigersThe Alabama State Hornets already picked up an incredibly dramatic win in the "First Four" and will need to find magic again if they're going to knock off top-seeded Auburn. The Auburn Tigers have been the best team in the Country for most of the season but, have struggled as of late. This game should serve as the perfect get right game for Bruce Pearl's team preparing them for one last dominant stretch run.
Prediction: Auburn
#5 Clemson Vs #12 McNeese
Cowboys
TigersComing into the week this game had an interesting storyline as both Head Coaches were hot coaching candidates but, Will Wade has agreed to a deal with NC State while Brad Brownell signed an extension. Whether Wade's departure or not is a massive factor as McNeese has a legitimate chance to pull off the upset. If McNeese can continue its trend as of late smothering opposing offenses, they'll pull off the upset but, they'll need to play better in the paint.
Prediction: McNeese
#6 BYU Vs #11 VCU
Rams
CougarsThe VCU Rams are one of the most dangerous underdogs in the opening round with one of the best defenses in the Country which spells trouble for a BYU team that has struggled with turnovers. The BYU Cougars have the 30th ranked offense which makes for an incredible matchup style wise.
Prediction: VCU
#8 Georgia Vs #9 Gonzaga
Bulldogs
BulldogsThe Gonzaga Bulldogs will face off against the Georgia Bulldogs in what is on paper one of the best games of the day. The Georgia Bulldogs struggled at times in SEC Play but, when Asa Newell and Silas Demary Jr are clicking they're an incredibly tough out for any other team. Gonzaga is a March staple as they've been in every Sweet 16 dating back to the 2014-15 season.
Prediction: Gonzaga
#2 Tennessee Vs #15 Wofford
Terriers
VolunteersAfter finishing 6th in the SoCon during the Regular Season, the Wofford Terriers went on a Cinderella run to get into March. The bad news for Wofford is that Tennessee's defense is better than any that Wofford has seen while the Volunteers have a ton of firepower. If you're looking for any reason to believe in Wofford, Rick Barnes has a reputation for underperforming in March but, Tennessee should cruise in this game.
Prediction: Tennessee
#10 Arkansas Vs #7 Kansas
Razorbacks
JayhawksIn the first round of the NCAA Tournament we're treated to a matchup between two legends of the sport in John Calipari and Bill Self. Kansas was the top ranked team in the preseason while Arkansas is in year one of the John Calipari era. In this matchup, Arkansas will get star guard Boogie Fland back from injury but, the Razorbacks will be without star big Adou Thiero. The loss of Thiero will give Kansas the advantage in this matchup as Hunter Dickinson will draw an easier matchup.
Prediction: Kansas
#4 Texas A&M Vs #13 Yale
Bulldogs
AggiesAfter upsetting Auburn to open the 2024 NCAA Tournament, the Yale Bulldogs will be looking to pull off another massive upset over Texas A&M. The Bulldogs have three players scoring more than 13 points per game led by John Poulakidas who's scoring 19.2 PPG. Offense won't come easy for Yale in this game as Texas A&M has one of the Nation's best defenses according to KenPom while Wade Taylor and Zhuric Phelps can light up any opponent.
Prediction: Texas A&M
#6 Missouri Vs #11 Drake
Bulldogs
TigersDrake and Missouri are polar opposites in style of play as Missouri likes to play fast while Drake would be happy to hold the ball the entire game. Missouri is dominant shooting the three pointer which Drake's defense will need to take away in this game. Drake is led by guard Bennett Stirtz who's an electrifyig scorer averaging 19.1 points per game.
Prediction: Drake
#7 UCLA Vs #10 Utah State
Aggies
BruinsThe UCLA Bruins had a brutal start to the season but, Mick Cronin called his players out and the Bruins' season turned around. UCLA has been beating teams with defense allowing just 65.7 points per game and while they don't have a clear alpha scorer, they've beaten teams by getting contributions from everyone. Utah State on the other hand has an electric guard duo in Ian Martinez and Mason Falslev who can lead the Aggies to a win over any opponent.
Prediction: Utah State
#2 St John's Vs #15 Omaha
Mavericks
Red StormOne of the biggest stories of the College Basketball season has been the turnaround St John's has made under Rick Pitino. The Red Storm brings a defensive intensity to every game and with a scorer like RJ Luis who's averaging 18.4 PPG they're incredibly tough to beat. Looking to beat St John's defense will be Marquel Sutton who's scoring 19.1 PPG while shooting 48.4% from the field.
Prediction: St John's
#5 Michigan Vs #12 UCSD Tritons
Tritons
WolverinesThe UC San Diego Tritons will be one of the most popular upset picks in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. UC San Diego ranks second in the Country at forcing turnovers which is important against a Michigan team that struggles with turnovers. The issue for the Tritons is that they have just one player that's 6"10 or taller which is a nightmare against a team with two 7 footers as stars.
Prediction: Michigan
#3 Texas Tech Vs #14 UNC Wilmington
Seahawks
Red RaidersThe Texas Tech Red Raiders are a team that's talented enough to make a run to the Final Four but, injuries are a concern. Texas Tech hasn't suffered any massive season ending injuries but, seemingly the entire team has dealt with nagging injuries. UNC Wilmington comes into the tournament red hot with a six game winning streak winning the CAA Tournament. If UNC Wilmington is going to win this game, leading scorer Donovan Newby will need to have a career day to lead the Seahawks.