March Madness 2012 TV Schedule: Thursday Games You Must Watch

The two NCAA tournament games played on Tuesday and Wednesday night were mere appetizers. The real fun will officially be underway on Thursday.

Thursday is the first full day of the 2012 NCAA tournament, and there will be some heavy hitters in action. You're not going to want to miss them. There are also a couple games that look like upset candidates, and you're not going to want to miss them either.

Unless you're unemployed and/or conveniently ill, you're not going to be able to watch every game. Even if you are unemployed and/or conveniently ill, you're going to need multiple TVs to take in all the action. Alas, March Madness is not an easy thing to keep track of.

Here's what I suggest: Just make sure you watch the games listed below. They're the cream of Thursday's crop.

No. 13 Davidson vs. No. 4 Louisville, 1:40 p.m. ET on TBS

The Wildcats are back in the Big Dance for the first time since the days of Stephen Curry, and they're going to put their dangerous offensive attack to the test against Louisville, the Big East champion.

The Cardinals are up to the task of stopping Davidson's offense. Louisville is one of the top defensive teams in the country, which makes up for its own pedestrian offense. Davidson will quickly find itself in a dogfight.

Louisville's games have a habit of being close late, and this one will be no different. If the Wildcats get lucky enough, they might just pull off the upset. 

No matter who wins, you're not going to want to miss this one. It's going to be intense.

No. 16 UNC-Asheville vs. No. 1 Syracuse, 3:10 p.m. ET on TruTV

You're not going to want to miss this game primarily because it's a chance to see one of the four No. 1 seeds in action. The Orange lost just one game during the regular season, which is impressive given all the drama that was going on off the court.

But it suffices to say this is a huge game for Syracuse. The Orange are going to have to prove that they can win without star center Fab Melo, who has been ruled out of the Big Dance thanks to an eligibility issue.

If Syracuse struggles to find its rhythm without Melo, this is another game that could end up being an upset.

That would be huge. After all, no No. 16 seed has ever upset a No. 1 seed.

No. 12 Harvard vs. No. 5 Vanderbilt, 4:40 p.m. ET on TNT

The Crimson haven't gone dancing since 1946, so this is a chance to see a true rarity in the realm of college basketball. It could be a while before you see Harvard in the NCAA tournament again.

But there's more to this game than the simple novelty of seeing an Ivy League squad in action. This is a legit upset candidate, as the Crimson play outstanding defense and run a balanced offense. On a good day, Harvard has the ability to dominate.

The Crimson face a tough challenge in the Commodores, however. When we last saw them, they were knocking off Kentucky in the final game of the SEC tournament. The only way Vanderbilt is losing to Harvard is if it totally underestimates the Crimson.

That's something that can't be ruled out. This is the closest thing to a trap game you're going to see during tourney time.

No. 16 Western Kentucky vs. No. 1 Kentucky, 6:50 p.m. ET on TBS

Just like the Syracuse game, this is a chance to see a No. 1 seed in action. It just so happens that the Wildcats are recognized as the best of the No. 1 seeds, and a heavy favorite to win the whole thing.

However, the Hilltoppers have some fight in them. They pulled off a big comeback win in the first round against Mississippi Valley State. If Western Kentucky manages to stay close to the Wildcats, they too could be victimized.

If that doesn't pan out, at least you'll get to see some of the best players in the country go to work. Anthony Davis is a monster, and John Calipari has a couple other potential NBA lottery picks at his disposal.

If Western Kentucky actually wins this game, it will be the biggest upset in NCAA tournament history. Believe it.

No. 9 UConn vs. No. 8 Iowa State, 9:20 p.m. ET on TBS

This is the best matchup on Thursday's slate. Hands down.

The Huskies won the NCAA tournament last year, and this year's team has way more talent than its 20-13 regular-season record indicates. When the Huskies get hot, they're as good as any team in the tournament.

The Cyclones are pretty good too. They shoot a ton of threes, and we found out from VCU's run through the tournament last year that any team that gets hot from distance has a chance to go far in the tournament. Iowa State has as good a chance of getting hot from three as any team in the field.

If Iowa State knocks off UConn, it will have peoples' attention. If UConn wins, the rest of the field will fear another hot Huskies run.

Full Thursday and Friday TV schedule

For your printable NCAA bracket, click here.