NCAA Tournament Schedule 2015: When, Where to Watch 1st- and 2nd-Round Games

The start of March is like a tease for college basketball's most devoted fans. Waiting for March Madness is similar to holding out hope that Santa Claus will show up on Christmas Eve.

Relax, college hoops fans: Christmas is finally here. Tuesday night marks the official start of the NCAA tournament.

Oh, brackets will be broken, tears will be shed and Cinderella will dance with hopes of never losing a glass slipper.

Who will be this year's team of destiny? Is there a Mercer, Florida Gulf Coast or George Mason in the bracket? How about a program like UConn that has history but still shocked everyone last year on a run to a championship?

In anticipation of the first and second rounds kicking off this week, the schedule can be found below along with a few sleepers to watch.

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Date	Round	TV
March 17-18	First Round (Dayton, Ohio)	TruTV
March 19 & 21	Second and Third Round (Jacksonville, Florida; Louisville, Kentucky; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Portland, Oregon)	CBS, TBS, TNT
March 20 & 22	Second and Third Round (Charlotte, North Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; Omaha, Nebraska; Seattle, Washington)	CBS, TBS, TNT

All games will be shown on March Madness Live.

Sleepers to Watch

First Four Program: BYU

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Every year, a different program rises to the top to shock the entire country. Whether it's a No. 12 seed that knocks off a No. 5 seed in the first round or a No. 8 or 9 seed that makes a run through the No. 1 seed, each year has at least one phenomenal story.

In 2015, one team to watch will actually be getting its run started early.

BYU has been one of the most prolific offensive teams in the country all year and will put that to the test against Ole Miss on Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio. One of the biggest reasons for the offensive efficiency from the Cougars is their pace of play.

"Their pace of play is unlike anything we've seen this season," said Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy, via Jay Drew of The Salt Lake Tribune. "They're truly committed to playing fast."

Tyler Haws and Kyle Collinsworth are the clear leaders for BYU with a combined 35.9 points, 13.1 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game. In Drew's report, he also noted that Anson Winder will look to play.

Along with Chase Fischer, that gives the Cougars four prolific guards who can score against any team.

Getting past a desperate Ole Miss team will be a difficult task, but the Cougars offense should be enough. Ranking second in the country in points per game (83.6), BYU will need Haws and Collinsworth to be on to make a late run with teams like Xavier, Baylor and Arizona potentially on tap.

Lock For the 2nd Round: N.C. State

Sure, 64 teams are already into the second round, but that's what it's called. Given the fact that BYU could be upset on Tuesday night—which doesn't seem likely—it's safe to choose another team that's already a lock.

Though N.C. State comes in as a No. 8 seed, the Wolfpack can still put together a Cinderella-like run in the tourney. The Wolfpack will need to get through a tough LSU team led by Johnny Jones, a former assistant for N.C. State head coach Mark Gottfried.

It's also a battle for sharpshooter Ralston Turner against his former team. The Tigers don't have any of Turner's former teammates suiting up, so it's business as usual for the senior.

"Pretty ironic," Turner said, per Chip Alexander of The News & Observer. "I’m excited to go to the tournament. That’s really all that matters. We’re getting an opportunity to play in the tournament and that’s one of our goals this year."

The Wolfpack have plenty of ties to the SEC with Turner and Trevor Lacey, a transfer from Alabama.

Lacey's leadership has been a key for the Wolfpack even though he had a down game against Duke in the ACC tournament. Prior to that outing, Lacey had double-digit points in 16 straight contests.

When Lacey finishes with 20 or more points, N.C. State is 7-1 this year. Limiting the junior guard will be important for any team looking to stop the Wolfpack, as Myron Medcalf of ESPN points out:

Lacey's importance can't be overstated, but it's Anthony "Cat" Barber who is the real question mark. He's cleared for Thursday night after suffering a neck injury against Duke. How he performs against LSU and Villanova will determine whether or not the Pack make a second Sweet 16 appearance under The Gottfather.

If N.C. State can knock off LSU and earn some confidence, a run to the Elite Eight shouldn't be out of the question.

With a chance to make it all the way to Indianapolis, the Wolfpack simply have to avoid any letdown from big wins—unlike their earlier performances this season.

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