NCAA Basketball Tournament 2017: Predictions for Friday's First-Round Schedule

The first round of the 2017 NCAA tournament kicked off Thursday with Notre Dame playing Princeton. 

There are 10 more games scheduled for this evening as well as 16 games that will take place Friday, so needless to say, now might be a good time to start cashing in some personal days. If you've filled out a bracket (or three) this year, you're going to want to keep close tabs on the action, as the first round is always prime for upsets. 

Friday's first-round schedule includes some of the most watchable matchups in this round, including No. 7 seed Michigan vs. No. 10 Oklahoma State and No. 8 Miami vs. No. 9 Michigan State. Perennial powerhouses Kansas (No. 1), North Carolina (No. 1) and Duke (No. 2) will also play their respective games on Friday. 

Let's take a look at the full schedule for the second day of the first round and take a closer look at some of the best games on the slate. 

Games (Round of 64)	Game Site	Time (ET)	Network	Pick
(7) Michigan vs. (10) Oklahoma State	Indianapolis	12:15 p.m.	CBS	Michigan
(3) Baylor vs. (14) New Mexico State	Tulsa	12:40 p.m.	truTV	Baylor
(8) Arkansas vs. (9) Seton Hall	Greenville	1:30 p.m.	TNT	Seton Hall
(3) Oregon vs. (14) Iona	Sacramento	2 p.m.	TBS	Oregon
(2) Louisville vs. (15) Jacksonville State	Indianapolis	2:45 p.m.	CBS	Louisville
(6) SMU vs. (11) USC	Tulsa	3:10 p.m.	truTV	SMU
(1) UNC vs. (16) Texas Southern	Greenville	4 p.m.	TNT	UNC
(6) Creighton vs. (11) Rhode Island	Sacramento	4:30 p.m.	TBS	Creighton
(1) Kansas vs. (16) UC Davis	Tulsa	6:50 p.m.	TNT	Kansas
(7) Dayton vs. (10) Wichita State	Indianapolis	7:10 p.m.	CBS	Dayton
(2) Duke vs. (15) Troy	Greenville	7:20 p.m.	TBS	Duke
(6) Cincinnati vs. (11) Kansas State	Sacramento	7:27 p.m.	truTV	Cincinnati
(8) Miami vs. (9) Michigan State	Tulsa	9:20 p.m.	TNT	MSU
(2) Kentucky vs. (15) Northern Kentucky	Indianapolis	9:40 p.m.	CBS	Kentucky
(7) South Carolina vs. (10) Marquette	Greenville	9:50 p.m.	TBS	S. Carolina
(3) UCLA vs. (14) Kent State	Sacramento	9:57 p.m.	truTV	UCLA

No. 7 Michigan versus No. 10 Oklahoma State

This showdown between a surprise Big Ten conference tourney champion and an offensive efficiency machine could be one of the closest and most exciting games on the schedule Friday. 

Feeling all-in on the Cowboys this year? ESPN Stats & Info has your back. 

But Michigan has been red-hot, and the Wolverines have an air of destiny about them. The Big Ten postseason champs have won 10 of their last 12.

Senior point guard Derrick Walton Jr. could guide his Wolverines teammates deep into the tourney, leading the team with 15.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. 

However, Oklahoma State is dangerously under-seeded. The Cowboys likely ended up with a No. 10 seed due to dropping their first six Big 12 games. But Oklahoma State's strength of schedule was no joke this season, and the Cowboys are averaging 85.6 points per game. 

This matchup likely gave you a case of whiplash when creating your bracket, unless you're a fan of one of the squads. Don't miss this game, which tips off at 12:15 p.m. ET on CBS.

No. 8 Arkansas vs. No. 9 Seton Hall

If you're looking for an upset special on Friday, No. 9 Seton Hall triumphing over No. 8 Arkansas isn't a bad choice.

The Pirates are coming off a heartbreaker of a loss to Villanova, 55-53, in the Big East tournament semifinals.

However, last year reigning national champion Villanova lost to Seton Hall in the Big East tournament final, and look where the Wildcats ended up; needless to say, we can assume motivation could work the same way for the Pirates this season.

Still, the Razorbacks aren't going to just roll over. Arkansas shoots 76.2 percent from the free-throw line, and guard Dusty Hannahs is shooting 90 percent from the free-throw line and 38 percent from three-point range.

The Hogs also have a deep bench, thanks largely to Daryl Macon and his 13.4 points per game. 

Still, the Pirates proved themselves with a difficult nonconference schedule and appear to be the hungrier team. A No. 9 seed upsetting a No. 8 seed isn't shocking by any means, but it's still a relatively safe underdog pick for the Friday slate.

No. 8 Miami vs. No. 9 Michigan State

Here's another matchup in which a No. 9 seed could triumph over a No. 8 seed. 

Neither of these teams is offensive powerhouses, but the Spartans probably have the edge. MSU is averaging 71.7 points per game compared to Miami's 69.4 and is also more accurate than the Hurricanes in field-goal percentage and three-point shooting. 

Both teams are also prone to turnovers, averaging 14.2 (Michigan State) and 12.7 (Miami) per game, which could make this one interesting. 

Neither of these teams is likely to make it out of the second round, as whichever squad wins will have to face No. 1 Kansas. 

But as far as identifying which games on Friday could be close, these two teams are incredibly similar and therefore well-matched.