NCAA Tournament 2018: Bracket Picks and Live Stream for 1st-Round Day 1 Schedule

One of the wildest days on the sporting calendar comes on Thursday, when the NCAA tournament's opening round commences with roughly 12 hours of men's college basketball.

Oklahoma and Rhode Island kick off the first of 16 games at 12:15 p.m. ET. The action will only intensify throughout the day, as four TV channels will simultaneously broadcast March Madness matchups. If Duke is blowing out Iona, viewers can divert their attention to popular No. 11 seed Loyola-Chicago

In addition to an interactive and printable bracket, let's take a look at Thursday's full first-round schedule before highlighting two noteworthy contests on the packed slate.

No. 10 Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Rhode Island: 12:15 p.m. ET on CBS (Predicted Winner: Rhode Island)

No. 14 Wright State vs. No. 3 Tennessee: 12:45 p.m. ET on truTV (Prediction: Tennessee)

No. 13 UNCG vs. No. 4 Gonzaga: 1:30 p.m. ET on TNT (Prediction: Gonzaga)

No. 16 Penn vs. No. 1 Kansas: 2 p.m. ET on TBS (Prediction: Kansas)

No. 15 Iona vs. No. 2 Duke: 2:45 p.m. ET on CBS (Prediction: Duke)

No. 11 Loyola-Chicago vs. No. 6 Miami: 3:10 p.m. ET on truTV (Prediction: Loyola)

No. 12 South Dakota State vs. No. 5 Ohio State: 4 p.m. ET on TNT (Prediction: Ohio State)

No. 9 NC State vs. No. 8 Seton Hall: 4:30 p.m. ET on TBS (Prediction: NC State)

No. 16 LIU-Brooklyn/Radford vs. No. 1 Villanova: 6:50 p.m. ET on TNT (Prediction: Villanova)

No. 12 Davidson vs. No. 5 Kentucky: 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS (Prediction: Kentucky)

No. 11 San Diego State vs. No. 6 Houston: 7:20 p.m. ET on TBS (Prediction: Houston)

No. 14 Stephen F. Austin vs. No. 3 Texas Tech: 7:27 p.m. ET on truTV (Prediction: Texas Tech)

No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 8 Virginia Tech: 9:20 p.m. ET on TNT (Prediction: Virginia Tech)

No. 13 Buffalo vs. No. 4 Arizona: 9:40 p.m. ET on CBS (Prediction: Arizona)

No. 14 Montana vs. No. 3 Michigan: 9:50 p.m. ET on TBS (Prediction: Michigan)

No. 11 St. Bonaventure/UCLA vs. No. 6 Florida: 9:57 p.m. ET on truTV (Prediction: UCLA)

Live Stream: March Madness Live

Oklahoma vs. Rhode Island

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Oklahoma's erratic season spurred heated debate prior to Selection Sunday. Since the selection committee shunned the flawed concept of momentum, the question is now whether the Sooners can flip the switch.

Their full case file still contains plenty to like. Per KenPom.com, only North Carolina endured a tougher schedule this season. The Sooners nevertheless scored 85.2 points per game—Division I's fourth-highest clip—behind Trae Young's nation-high 27.4.

While the squad is a force when the freshman sensation is rolling, it's not built to withstand his slumps.

Oklahoma has lost 11 of its last 15 games. It's no coincidence that Young has toiled to a 37.9 field-goal percentage over that stretch while shooting 33.1 percent from three-point range.

He did not draw an ideal opponent to snap out of his funk. The Rams, who rank No. 38 in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency, have contained opponents to that same three-point percentage while allowing the fifth-fewest total deep makes (168). 

They are also well equipped to derail Oklahoma's uptempo attack. Young's offense, which averages 13.4 turnovers per game, must improve its ball security against a unit that siphons 15.9 balls per bout.

Rhode Island can also counter Young with depth. Senior Jared Terrell leads the charge with 17.2 points per game, but all five of its regular starters offer at least a nine-point scoring average. Per the Oklahoman's Ryan Aber, Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger praised his upcoming opponent's balanced foundation.

"They're rangy. They're athletic," Kruger said. "They've got a lot of really good scorers. They do a great job defensively. They're a very good team. But anyone seeded seven in the tournament is gonna be really good."

Having lost four of their final eight games, the Rams aren't entering the NCAA tournament on fire either. Yet they should carve up Oklahoma's frail defense and advance barring a transcendent performance from Young.

Davidson vs. Kentucky

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Sometimes the bracket can force a sleeper into an extended slumber.

Instead of garnering attention as a savvy No. 11 seed to win at least one matchup, Saint Mary's and Notre Dame are NIT favorites. Davidson secured a March Madness invitation by winning the Atlantic 10 tournament, but far fewer onlookers will support the squad following an unfavorable placement.

As a reward for winning eight of their final nine games, the Wildcats will encounter another soaring conference champion with the same overly used mascot. After upsetting Tennessee for the SEC title, Kentucky has emerged victorious in seven of its past eight contests. It's the only team seeded No. 5 or worse with a top-25 rating in KenPom's adjusted offense and defense.

The Ringer's Mark Titus wrote that Davidson "would be everyone's 12-over-5 upset special if the Atlantic 10 champion were playing any No. 5 seed other than Kentucky." Allowing a 29.9 opposing three-point percentage, Kentucky can instead stymie Davidson's greatest strength.

Kentucky, meanwhile, faces an unenviable path back to the Elite Eight. Should it survive a tough opening assignment, the SEC champs may then encounter Deandre Ayton's Arizona and KenPom's No. 1-ranked Virginia.

Per KSTV, head coach John Calipari expressed his disapproval of the difficult draw:

In seven NCAA tournament appearances under Calipari, Kentucky has never lost in the first round. The prestigious school can't overlook the dangerous Davidson, but it should escape Thursday with a hard-fought win.