March Madness 2013 TV Schedule: Most Intriguing Second-Round Matchups to Watch

If you’ve been saving up sick days, now may be the time to phone your boss and cash in on the time away from work. The NCAA tournament is under way, and you won’t want to miss any of the action.

Turner Sports and CBS will be televising the tournament across four channels, meaning finding the perfect game to watch won’t be a problem. We’ll be highlighting some second-round matchups that will be must-watch affairs, and you can find the television schedule in its entirety at SportsMediaWatch.com.

Top tournament seeds typically cruise through the initial rounds of action without much resistance, but we’ll break down a matchup between a No. 2 seed and a No. 15 seed that should yield some fireworks in the second round.

A pair of No. 6 seeds will also be on upset alert in the round of 64, and we’ll explain why you should tune in.

Also be sure to follow all the action with Bleacher Report's live updated bracket and fill out one of your own for free with the printable PDF version. 

(6) Arizona vs. (11) Belmont: Thursday, March 21, at 7:20 p.m. ET on TNT

Ohio Valley Conference champion Belmont will be at a disadvantage against the bigger, more experienced Arizona Wildcats, but don’t sleep on the Bruins. With conference player of the year Ian Clark and a bevy of talented three-point shooters, Belmont has a chance to make this an extremely close ballgame.

The Bruins are No. 15 in the nation in scoring average (77.2 PPG) and boast the No. 4 field-goal efficiency at 49.4 percent from the field. With a 37.6 percent mark from behind the arc, the Bruins also have the ability to pile on a lot of points in a short period of time.

Arizona ranks 274th in the country in defending the three-pointer, and Belmont has a decided advantage in the long-range shooting game. If the Wildcats can’t force Belmont’s offense inside the arc, this game could get away from them in a hurry.

Arizona has plenty of balance at the offensive end, though, meaning this second-round showdown should light up the scoreboard. If you’re looking for lots of scoring and a close finish, this will be one of the premier matchups to watch on the second day of action.

(6) UCLA vs. (11) Minnesota: Friday, March 22, at 9:57 p.m. ET on TruTV

This is one of the more popular upset picks in the second round, but it’s also a game everyone should be watching. With budding stars representing both squads, there will be no shortage of action when they square off Friday night.

UCLA was awarded the No. 6 seed in the East Region, but inexperience will play a major role in how the Bruins fare in the tournament. Freshman forward Shabazz Muhammad has been outstanding this season, though his lack of tournament experience and the absence of another big-time scorer on UCLA’s roster could spell an early exit in the Big Dance.

Minnesota experienced some bumps in a brutal Big Ten schedule, but big wins over Wisconsin and Indiana proved the Golden Gophers have enough talent to upend the best teams in the country.  

Any game with upset potential is a contest worth watching, especially one featuring so much talent. Expect this one to come down to the wire.

(2) Ohio State vs. (15) Iona: Friday, March 22, at 7:15 p.m. ET on CBS

The Buckeyes have experimented with some small sets throughout the season, and they may have to resort to more of the same against an Iona team that loves to run the floor and shoot the three-ball.

The Gaels feature the No. 2 scoring offense in the nation (80.7 PPG), led by a trio of excellent three-point shooters. Senior guard Lamont Jones averaged 23 points per game during the regular season, and Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft will have a difficult matchup when the teams square off. Craft is an excellent defender, though, and he’ll be the key to slowing Iona at the point of attack.

Buckeyes’ forward Deshaun Thomas is the team’s best scorer and most dominant player on the floor in most contests. He’s provided most of Ohio State’s offense this season, but the Buckeyes will need a more balanced offensive attack to keep pace with the Gaels.

Upsets of No. 2 seeds in the second round are rare, but Iona has a chance to make a splash in the round of 64 this year. Between an explosive offense, a future NBA talent and the possibility of a big upset, you won’t want to miss this game on Friday evening.

Link to Printable PDF

Link to Live Bracket

Follow all the exciting NCAA Tournament action with March Madness Live