NCAA Brackets 2014: Updated Schedule and Predictions After Day 1 of 1st Round
The first day of the NCAA tournament is officially in the books, and the initial lesson fans learned was that it is unfair that T.J. Warren got to participate in the First Four games in Dayton.
The North Carolina State star torched Xavier for 25 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists and probably put a scare in the No. 5 seed Saint Louis Billikens in the process.
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Now that the first day of competition is over and the field has been trimmed to 66 teams, it is worth checking out an updated schedule, with broadcast information and times. Remember, every NCAA tournament game can be live streamed at NCAA.com/march-madness-live.
| 3/19 | 6:40 p.m. ET | No. 16 Texas Southern | No. 16 Cal Poly | truTV |
| 3/19 | 9:10 p.m. ET | No. 11 Iowa | No. 11 Tennessee | truTV |
| 3/20 | 30 min. after Colorado vs. Pittsburgh | No. 1 Florida | No. 16 Albany | TBS |
| 3/20 | 1:40 p.m. | No. 8 Colorado | No. 9 Pittsburgh | TBS |
| 3/21 | 7:27 p.m. | No. 5 VCU | No. 12 Stephen F. Austin | truTV |
| 3/21 | 30 min after VCU vs. Stephen F. Austin | No. 4 UCLA | No. 13 Tulsa | truTV |
| 3/21 | 30 min after New Mexico vs. Stanford | No. 2 Kansas | No. 15 Eastern Kentucky | TBS |
| 3/21 | 1:40 p.m. | No. 7 New Mexico | No. 10 Stanford | TBS |
| 3/20 | 30 min after Ohio State vs. Dayton | No. 3 Syracuse | No. 14 Western Michigan | CBS |
| 3/20 | 12:15 p.m. | No. 6 Ohio State | No. 11 Dayton | CBS |
| Date | Time (ET) | Team | Team | TV |
| 3/21 | 30 min after Memphis vs. George Washington | No. 1 Virginia | No. 16 Coastal Carolina | TBS |
| 3/21 | 6:55 p.m. | No. 8 Memphis | No. 9 George Washington | TBS |
| 3/20 | 2:10 p.m. | No. 5 Cincinnati | No. 12 Harvard | TNT |
| 3/20 | 30 min after Cincinnati vs. Harvard | No. 4 Michigan State | No. 13 Delaware | TNT |
| 3/20 | 30 min after Connecticut vs. Saint Joseph's | No. 2 Villanova | No. 15 Milwaukee | TBS |
| 3/20 | 6:55 p.m. | No. 7 Connecticut | No. 10 Saint Joseph's | TBS |
| 3/21 | 30 min after North Carolina vs. Providence | No. 3 Iowa State | No. 14 NC Central | TNT |
| 3/21 | 7:20 p.m. | No. 6 North Carolina | No. 11 Providence | TNT |
| Date | Time (ET) | Team | Team | TV |
| 3/21 | 2:10 | No. 1 Arizona | No. 16 Weber State | TNT |
| 3/21 | 30 min after Arizona vs. Weber State | No. 8 Gonzaga | No. 9 Oklahoma State | TNT |
| 3/20 | 7:27 p.m. | No. 5 Oklahoma | No. 12 North Dakota State | truTV |
| 3/20 | 30 min after Oklahoma vs. North Dakota State | No. 4 San Diego State | No. 13 New Mexico State | truTV |
| 3/20 | 12:40 p.m. | No. 2 Wisconsin | No. 15 American | truTV |
| 3/20 | 30 min after Wisconsin vs. BYU | No. 7 Oregon | No. 10 BYU | truTV |
| 3/21 | 30 min after Baylor vs. Nebraska | No. 3 Creighton | No. 14 Louisiana | truTV |
| 3/21 | 12:40 p.m. | No. 6 Baylor | No. 11 Nebraska | truTV |
| Date | Time (ET) | Team | Team | TV |
| 3/21 | 7:10 p.m. | No. 1 Wichita State | No. 16 Cal Poly/No. 16 Texas Southern | CBS |
| 3/21 | 30 min after Wichita State vs. Cal Poly/Texas Southern | No. 8 Kentucky | No. 9 Kansas State | CBS |
| 3/20 | 7:20 p.m. | No. 5 Saint Louis | No. 12 NC State | TNT |
| 3/20 | 30 min after Saint Louis vs. NC State/Xavier | No. 4 Louisville | No. 13 Manhattan | TNT |
| 3/20 | 7:10 p.m. | No. 2 Michigan | No. 15 Wofford | CBS |
| 3/20 | 30 min after Michigan vs. Wofford | No. 7 Texas | No. 10 Arizona State | CBS |
| 3/21 | 12:15 p.m. | No. 3 Duke | No. 14 Mercer | CBS |
| 3/21 | 30 min after Duke vs. Mercer | No. 6 Massachusetts | No. 11 Iowa/No. 11 Tennessee | CBS |
The good news for college basketball fans is that the Madness is just getting started, as there is another doubleheader of Round 1 action in Dayton scheduled for Wednesday. With that in mind, let’s dig into a couple of predictions for the rest of the first round.
Iowa Regains Its Midseason Form
Had you told Iowa fans back on Jan. 12 that their team would be playing in a First Four game in Dayton, they simply would not have believed you.
After all, the Hawkeyes had just beaten then-No. 3 Ohio State and had visions of a Big Ten title dancing in their heads.
However, that same Iowa team lost six of its final seven games heading into the NCAA tournament and barely made the field. Fortunately for Roy Devyn Marble and company, nothing wipes the slate clean in college basketball better than the Big Dance.
Marble averaged 17.3 points, 3.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds a game this year and spearheaded an offense that ranks fourth in Ken Pomeroy’s pace-adjusted offensive efficiency ratings. When you take into account the stifling defenses Iowa faced in the Big Ten, that number is even more impressive.
Marble is a nightmare matchup for a lot of teams, given his 6’6” frame and ability to hit from the outside or create penetration off the dribble. Tennessee has a player like that of its own in 6’6” Jordan McRae, and Marble let fans know he plans on guarding the Vols leader, according to the The Associated Press (via ESPN.com):
“I think our games resemble each other a little bit. He's asked to carry a lot of the scoring load for that team, and, yes, I will be guarding him.”
While that individual matchup will certainly be interesting, Iowa will knock out Tennessee behind its efficient offense and ability to crash the boards. The Hawkeyes finished seventh in the country in total rebounds per game and will have an advantage down low against the Vols.
Looking forward, Iowa has the talent to upset No. 6 seed Massachusetts in the round of 64 as well.
The Minutemen have impressed all season, but they are not as battle-tested as the Hawkeyes from the Big Ten. Iowa’s slight rebounding edge against Tennessee will still be there against Massachusetts.
What’s more, the Hawkeyes will be able to score at will given their formidable offense and Massachusetts' 43rd-ranked defense, per Pomeroy.
Prediction: Iowa 81, Tennessee 76
Cal Poly Climbs to Five Games Below .500
That’s right, Cal Poly is in the NCAA tournament with a 13-19 record.
The Mustangs finished the regular season at 10-19, earning the No. 7 seed in the Big West Conference tournament in the process, but went on to win three straight and capture the league’s automatic bid to the Big Dance.
On the opposite side will be Texas Southern, which finished 19-14 and won the SWAC championship. Aaric Murray paced the squad with 21.2 points, 7.7 rebounds a night and 2.6 blocks a game and will be a handful for the Mustangs to deal with throughout the contest.
However, Texas Southern has a serious problem stopping the opposition from scoring the basketball.
The Tigers, who are led by former Indiana coach Mike Davis, finished an abysmal 316th in Pomeroy’s defensive rankings. That lack of defense will ultimately cost them a victory in the NCAA tournament, as Cal Poly will advance to the round of 64.
Prediction: Cal Poly 84, Texas Southern 72
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