NCAA Scores 2018: March Madness Bracket, Schedule After First Four Results

The NCAA tournament gets underway in earnest Thursday after the completion of the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio.

In Wednesday's opener, Texas Southern pounded North Carolina Central by a 64-46 score as Demontrae Jefferson scored 25 points to lead the Tigers to their first NCAA tournament victory.

Texas Southern has had a remarkable turnaround this season. The Tigers started the year by losing their first 13 games while playing a brutal schedule, but they have turned things around and the victory over North Carolina Central was the team's eighth in a row. 

Texas Southern will face Xavier Friday in Nashville.

In the nightcap of the Dayton doubleheader, Syracuse got the best of Arizona State 59-56, and the Orange will face TCU in Detroit Friday. Freshman forward Oshae Brissett had 23 points and 12 rebounds to lead the victors.

Villanova, the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region, will play its first game Thursday against 16th-seeded Radford. The two teams will meet in Pittsburgh, and the game will tip off at 6:50 p.m. ET

Head coach Jay Wright's team won the national championship two years ago, and it should have an excellent chance in this year's tournament.

The Wildcats are led by USA Today player of the year Jalen Brunson, who is averaging 19..4 points per game and connecting on 53.1 percent of his shots from the field. Mikal Bridges is providing excellent support for Brunson, as he is contributing 18.0 points and shooting 52.1 percent from the field.

In addition to those two, senior guard Donte DiVincenzo is a big-time factor with his 13.1 scoring average. DiVincenzo has proved he is not afraid to take the big shot when the game is on the line.

Villanova has won five games in a row and is coming off a Big East conference tournament triumph. 

Radford defeated LIU-Brooklyn in a First Four game Tuesday night to earn the right to play Villanova. Ed Polite Jr. is averaging 13.5 points to lead the Highlanders, while Carlik Jones is scoring 11.8 points per night.

An upset by Radford does not seem within the realm of possibility because Villlanova is too deep and talented. However, if Radford can throw some doubt in the Wildcats by keeping it close in the first 10 minutes, the game may be closer than the experts think.

Tom Gannam/Associated Press/Associated Press

Villanova is favored by 23.5 points, according to OddsShark.

Eleventh-seeded Loyola-Chicago will try to make its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1985 a successful one when they take on the Miami Hurricanes in Dallas at 3:10 p.m. ET.

The Ramblers earned their spot in the tournament by winning the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title as well as the conference tournament.

Head coach Porter Moser has put together a hard-nosed defensive team that allows just 62.2 points per game, and that ranks fifth in the nation. 

Guard Clayton Custer leads Loyola with an average of 13.4 points per game, and he is shooting 52.3 percent from the field. Teammate Donte Ingram is contributing 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per night.

The Ramblers come into the game having won 10 games in a row. 

Miami is hoping that Lonnie Walker IV, Dewan Huell and Bruce Brown Jr. can get the job done. Walker is averaging 11.5 points per game, while Huell and Brown are just a fraction behind at 11.4 points per night.

The Hurricanes lost to North Carolina in the ACC Tournament and have dropped four of their last eight games.