NCAA Tournament 2015: Bracket Picks and Live Stream for 1st-Round Day 1 Schedule

The first round of the 2015 NCAA tournament kicks off on St. Patrick's Day, and the four teams participating in the Day 1 action will need a little bit of luck to go through into the round of 64.

If there's one thing we've learned about March Madness over the years, it's that anything can happen and no team is safe from elimination. We'll get our first taste of that Tuesday, as Manhattan takes on Hampton for a No. 16 seed and the right to play Kentucky in Round 2, and BYU clashes with Ole Miss for a No. 11 seed and a shot at Xavier.

Just in case you haven't had a chance to complete your brackets, here's a glimpse at your March Madness essentials, followed by the viewing information and predictions for Day 1 of the Big Dance.

All Your Bracket Essentials

• Download the Printable Bracket
• Play the Free Bracket Challenge 

March Madness Day 1 Viewing Info

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	TV
March 17	6:40 p.m.	Hampton vs. Manhattan	truTV
March 17	9:10 p.m.	BYU vs. Ole Miss	truTV

Live Stream: NCAA March Madness Live

Day 1 Predictions

Manhattan vs. Hampton

USA TODAY Sports

Hampton went on a huge MEAC tournament run to earn a berth in the NCAA tournament. The Pirates weren't in good shape down the final stretch of the regular season, losing nine of their last 13 games; however, a brilliant tournament run has the team heading to the Big Dance on a four-game winning streak.

An 82-61 win over Delaware State in the conference tournament final sealed the deal for Hampton, as the team put together a nice display on both ends of the court. Guards Reginald Johnson and Brian Darden led the charge on the offensive end, each coming away with 20 points, and guard Deron Powers put up 16 points of his own in the team's small rotation.

On the defensive end, the Pirates were stout on the perimeter, refusing to give the Hornets many good looks from downtown. This forced Delaware State into 17 turnovers, which proved to be one of the game's biggest difference-makers.

Hornets coach Keith Walker spoke of Hampton's ability to disrupt his game plan during a press conference with The Associated Press, via ESPN.com: "They took us out of the rhythm of what we wanted to do and we just didn't find an answer. The difference was probably in our guard play, our point guard play. They disrupted us."

Hampton will need to keep that trend going if it is to take down a surging Manhattan squad.

The Jaspers upset Iona in the MAAC tournament, winning 79-69 to earn a spot in the Big Dance. A very well-rounded team, Manhattan boasts an athletic and versatile lineup that can win both down low and from the perimeter. That was exactly the case against the Gaels, as four of the team's starters scored double-digit points.

Forwards Ashton Pankey and Emmy Andujar led the way with a combined 39 points and 21 rebounds, each earning a double-double. Forward Shane Richards and guard Donovan Kates lit it up from downtown, combining for 24 points, while guard RaShawn Stores facilitated nicely, finishing with nine points and five assists.

The team played just as well on the defensive end of the court, holding Iona to shoot just 39.0 percent from the floor and hit five of 22 three-pointers. Considering Hampton features a similarly sized starting lineup to the Gaels and has difficulty containing big interior threats, we should expect a similar outcome in Round 1 of the NCAA tournament.

Prediction: Manhattan

BYU vs. Ole Miss

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The day's second contest features two teams that were just edged out of their respective conference tournaments. BYU lost in the WCC final to surging Gonzaga, and Ole Miss was upset by South Carolina early in the SEC's postseason showdown. Both squads will be looking for redemption here.

The Cougars feature one of the nation's most potent offenses, averaging 83.6 points per game. Not only does the team shoot the ball extremely well, but it boasts an unselfish group with great facilitators and ball-handlers. This makes the Cougars very difficult to contain on the offensive end of the court.

Guard Kyle Collinsworth is the player to watch here. Even in a losing effort to Gonzaga, he still managed to put up a game-high 28 points while collecting eight boards and accumulating five assists. This do-it-all player can really ignite the Cougars offense when he gets hot.

Collinsworth is complemented by guard Tyler Haws on the perimeter and 6'10" center Corbin Kaufusi on the interior. While these players lack prowess on the defensive end of the court, their ability to light it up on the offensive end of the court still makes them tough to outscore.

Ole Miss will have its hands full after just squeezing into the tournament after a bad loss to the Gamecocks. The Rebels have plenty of talent in guards Jarvis Summers and Stefan Moody and a good interior presence, but a lack of consistent defense and a down shooting day led to the early SEC tournament exit.

If the Rebels are to take down BYU, they will have to win the battle on the boards, exercise patience on the offensive end of the court and slow the Cougars' high-octane offense down. If the Ole Miss sharpshooters can get hot, gain a lead and take BYU out of its rhythm, the team stands a chance to earn a big Round 1 win.

Although, based on the way Ole Miss has been giving up points of late—it has allowed at least 73 in four of its last five games—chances are the Cougars offense will be too much to handle.

Prediction: BYU