March Madness 2015 Schedule: Known TV Info, Round-by-Round Dates

The 2015 NCAA tournament is almost here. March Madness is always one of the marquee events on the American sports calendar, and the presence of a dominant team like Kentucky, which is 31-0 heading into the SEC tournament, adds to the intrigue.

Right now, the remaining conference tournaments are taking place. Obviously, they mean something different depending on the team and league. Some squads are fighting for a berth in the Big Dance, while others are simply trying to improve their seeding.

By Sunday night, the bracket will be set and the prognostication will begin in earnest. For now, let's check out all of the important schedule information for this year's NCAA tournament along with some entertaining teams worth watching as they attempt to make deep runs.

2015 March Madness Schedule

Date(s)	Event	Channel(s)
March 15	Selection Sunday	CBS
March 17-18	First Four	TruTV
March 19-20	Round of 64	CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV
March 21-22	Round of 32	CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV
March 26-27	Sweet 16	CBS, TBS
March 28-29	Elite Eight	CBS, TBS
April 4	Final Four	TBS
April 6	National Title Game	CBS

Teams To Watch

Kentucky

Even if the Wildcats end up losing their first game of the season during the SEC tournament, which is unlikely, they will still enter the Big Dance as the clear favorite. No other team in the nation can match their combination of talent and depth.

While Kentucky has become known for its success with one-and-done rising stars, this year's team is actually a good mix of elite freshman and returning players. Head coach John Calipari explained how pleased he's been with how the squad came together, as noted by Nicole Auerbach of USA Today.

"It's a unique group," Calipari said. "The strength is in the pack more than any team I've ever coached, and everyone's stepped up at different points—and I'll be honest with you, everybody's also stepped back at different points. And when they stepped back, someone else stepped up."

Put it all together and you have a team that plays suffocating defense and attacks the rim to create easy looks on offense. There have been some close calls throughout the season, but the Wildcats have a knack for picking up their defensive level late.

The Wildcats will have to suffer a horrendous off night somewhere along the way for them to lose. If they do enter the Big Dance undefeated, the pressure will continue to mount with each passing round. The extra weight of making that type of history can't be discounted. But they are the team to beat.

Iowa State

David Purdy/Getty Images

Those who love to witness an offensive shootout should be tuned in to every Iowa State game. The Cyclones love to push the pace, creating as many possessions as possible and putting the heat on opponents to keep up.

What's particularly interesting is how they have basically cut the mid-range game out of their system. Alex Halsted of Scout passed along the numbers that showcase how the vast majority of the team's points come from other areas:

So the approach is either get into the post for high-percentage looks or take your chances from beyond the arc. By getting into the paint, there's also a good opportunity to force fouls. What you won't see is a lot of pull-up jumpers.

It's a style of play they have used really effectively throughout the season. While Georges Niang leads the charge, a total of six players average in double figures. Getting defensive stops in crunch time is a concern, but the Cyclones' games should be fun to watch.

San Diego State

USA TODAY Sports

If you're more of a defensive maven, San Diego State is the team for you. The Aztecs prefer to play at a slower tempo and play good team basketball. That's why they rank inside the top five in points allowed at less than 55 per game.

Similar to Iowa State, the style of play really challenges an opponent—just in the opposite manner. It often forces them to become overaggressive, and that plays right into the Aztecs' hands. Jordan Majewski of Staring At The Floorboards had a good analogy for it last month:

San Diego State isn't nearly as effective on the offensive end. That means getting off to quick starts is absolutely essential in the tournament. It's not a team that can fall behind 10-0 out of the gate and changes its approach to fight back.

Longtime coach Steve Fisher has done a great job of building the program and finding players who fit the right mold. If leading scorers Winston Shepard and Aqeel Quinn find a groove to go along with the defense, the Aztecs will be an extremely tough out.