March Madness 2015 Schedule: Bracket, Round-by-Round Dates, TV Info and More

The 2015 NCAA college basketball field is finally in place, and there is no question that fans across the nation and the world are ready to engage in some March Madness.

There will be no shortage of exciting action in the coming weeks, and it starts with the play-in games. The schedule has been set for those contests all the way through to the Final Four and national championship game, so those who are following the tournament closely can make plans to catch every game.

With Selection Sunday now a thing of the past, here is a full breakdown of the entire NCAA college basketball tournament bracket and schedule.

All Your Bracket Essentials

• Download the Printable Bracket
• Play the Free Bracket Challenge 

Key Tournament Information

Dates: March 17 through April 6

Channels: CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV

Live Stream: March Madness Live

Bracket and Schedule

Breaking Down Top Teams

Kentucky

The Kentucky Wildcats were favored to go all the way and win the national championship prior to the 2014-15 season, and that certainly hasn't changed now that the NCAA tournament will soon commence.

Kentucky has been a dominant force, and it holds victories over quality opponents such as Kansas, North Carolina and Louisville. ESPN's Jay Williams is of the mind that the Wildcats are part of a very small group of teams with a legitimate chance to win the national title:

The Wildcats top that list, and the biggest reasons for that are their depth and their defense. Kentucky can go 10 men deep in terms of quality players, and essentially everyone on the roster is ready and willing to defend with ferocity.

According to SportsCenter on Twitter, Kentucky was among the stingiest defensive teams of the past 35 years during the regular season:

Freshman Karl-Anthony Towns is a huge part of that as he averages nearly seven rebounds and over two blocks per game. In addition to that, head coach John Calipari marvels at his offensive game, per Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com:

"

He's not even the same player that he was at the beginning of the year. Not only is he a great post presence, but he can really pass. If you foul him, he can make free throws. So now all of a sudden you're in a little bit of a jam. If you're the opposing team, do you foul him? If you foul this kid he makes his free throws and if you don't foul him, he's going to score.

"

The Wildcats have an embarrassment of riches, and they have the luxury of continuing to excel on the floor even when giving some of their top players a rest.

This Kentucky team could ultimately prove to be the greatest squad in the history of college basketball, and stopping it from winning the national championship may prove to be an impossible task.

Duke

Duke is a perennial power, but the 2014-15 edition of the Blue Devils may be the best in recent memory due to the spectacular play of a freshman trio.

It starts with center and potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft Jahlil Okafor. The skilled big man is averaging nearly 18 points and nine rebounds per game, and he made history by being named the ACC Player of the Year as a freshman, according to SportsCenter on Twitter:

Okafor hasn't done it all on his own, though. He is aided by both Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones, as well as senior sharpshooter Quinn Cook. Jones has been especially strong down the stretch at the point guard position, and he has thrived as a distributor with nearly six assists per contest.

As Rothstein points out, Jones has been an absolutely massive factor in the Blue Devils' ascent to the top of college basketball:

With such a great combination of inside-out play, Duke has everything it needs to be a true factor in March Madness. It may not have quite the same depth as Kentucky, but it has the firepower to beat the Wildcats in a one-game situation.

The Blue Devils are also playing their best basketball late in the season, and teams with momentum tend to fare that much better during March Madness.

Villanova

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

There has been plenty of hype surrounding teams such as Kentucky, Duke and even Wisconsin this season, but Villanova has somehow managed to fly under the radar despite its spectacular play.

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the Wildcats play in a Big East conference that is a shell of its former self. Also, the fact that the team has bad losses to Seton Hall and Georgetown doesn't help matters. In terms of an overall body of work, though, it is tough to discredit what Nova has accomplished.

The Wildcats have six players who averaged at least nine points per game during the regular season, and they boast eight guys who play significant minutes on a game-by-game basis, which is something that most teams can't say.

They are especially dangerous due to their ability to sink shots from beyond the arc. According to Rothstein, they thrive based on their ability to play team basketball above all else:

With guards Darrun Hilliard II and Ryan Arcidiacono leading the way, the Wildcats are definite dark-horse contenders to win it all despite being a high-seeded team.

Villanova received a favorable seed for a reason, and it will be interesting to see if it is able to back it up in the tourney.

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