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NCAA Scores 2022: March Madness Bracket, Schedule After First Four Results
The play-in games are complete. Let the real madness begin.
The round-of-64 matchups for the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament are all set following the results of the First Four games.
On Tuesday, No. 16 Texas Southern knocked off No. 16 Texas A&M CC by a score of 76-67. Then, No. 12 Indiana dealt a blow to the Mountain West contingent, beating No. 12 Wyoming 66-58. Junior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis poured in 29 points for the Hoosiers.
Wednesday's action saw No. 16 Wright State's Tanner Holden make a star turn of his own. He tallied 37 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Raiders past No. 16 Bryant 93-82, spoiling the latter program's first-ever NCAA tournament appearance. In the final play-in game, No. 11 Notre Dame outlasted No. 11 Rutgers 89-87 in a double-overtime thriller.
With those games complete, you can find the full bracket and updated schedule for March Madness on NCAA.com. There's still time to fill out a bracket and make your own picks before the first round begins on Thursday.
Coming up, we'll take a closer look at the schedule for the first two days of the tournament, including some games and storylines to keep an eye on in the early stages.
Thursday's Round of 64 Schedule
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Thursday's Schedule (all times Eastern)
No. 6 Colorado State vs. No. 11 Michigan, 12:15 p.m., CBS
No. 4 Providence vs. No. 13 South Dakota State, 12:40 p.m., truTV
No. 8 Boise State vs. No. 9 Memphis, 1:45 p.m., TNT
No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 16 Norfolk State, 2 p.m., TBS
No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 14 Longwood, 2:45 p.m., CBS
No. 5 Iowa vs. No. 12 Richmond, 3:10 p.m., truTV
No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 16 Georgia, 4:15 p.m., TNT
No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 9 Marquette, 4:30 p.m., TBS
No. 5 UConn vs. No. 12 New Mexico State, 6:50 p.m., TNT
No. 2 Kentucky vs. No 15 Saint Peter's, 7:10 p.m., CBS
No. 5 Saint Mary's (CA) vs. No. 12 Indiana, 7:20 p.m., TBS
No. 8 San Diego State vs. No. 9 Creighton, 7:27 p.m., truTV
No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Vermont, 9:20 p.m., TNT
No. 7 Murray State vs. No. 10 San Francisco, 9:40 p.m., CBS
No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 13 Akron, 9:50 p.m., TBS
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 16 Texas Southern, 9:57 p.m., truTV
Thursday's Games, Storylines to Watch
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Thursday's slate has three of the No. 1 seeds getting their tournaments started. Gonzaga, the top overall seed, will be looking to win the program's first national championship. The Bulldogs came close last year, but lost to Baylor 86-70 in the championship game. Can Drew Timme, Chet Holmgren and the rest of the talented Zags squad finally get it done? It all starts with a first-round matchup against No. 16 Georgia State.
Meanwhile, the Baylor Bears will be looking to become the first back-to-back champions since Florida pulled off the feat in 2006-07. The other No. 1 seed in play on Thursday is Kansas, a tournament mainstay looking for its first national title since 2008. The Jayhawks are led by senior guard Ochai Agbaji, a first-team AP All-American averaging 19.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
While Jayhawks fans can pretty much pencil in their team in the tournament bracket before the season begins, the same can't be said for fans of No. 14 Longwood. The Lancers are making their first appearance in the Big Dance, courtesy of their win over Winthrop in the Big South tournament championship.
Unfortunately, the Lancers may not be around for long, as they drew No. 3 Tennessee in the first round. The Volunteers are coming off a win over Texas A&M in the SEC tournament championship. They feature one of the league's best defenses, ranking third in the nation in KenPom.com's adjust defensive efficiency. A run to the Final Four isn't out of the question for this talented squad.
If you're looking for a trendy upset pick, check out No. 13 South Dakota State against No. 4 Providence. The Jackrabbits have won 21 straight games, while the Friars are coming off an 85-58 loss to Creighton in the Big East tournament. That margin doesn't bode well, as Creighton is a No. 9 seed this year.
While they aren't a double-digit seed, Murray State could play the role of bracket buster this year. The No. 7 Racers are 30-2, with an early loss to East Tennessee State and a loss to No. 2 Auburn. That's it for the "L" column this season.
If Murray State beats No. 10 San Francisco on Day 1, it could provide an early test to No. 2 Kentucky in the round of 32. The Wildcats are built around Oscar Tshiebwe (17 PPG, 15.2 RPG), who Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller calls the best player in this year's tournament. He's one to watch anytime he steps on the court, and his first showing is against No. 15 Saint Peter's.
Finally, we have to keep an eye on No. 4 UCLA against No. 13 Akron on Thursday. The Bruins made a surprise run to the Final Four last year, and the team's core of Johnny Juzang, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jules Bernard Tyger Campbell and Cody Riley is intact for the 2022 edition. Not many programs enjoy that kind of continuity, and their experience could propel the Bruins to another deep tournament run.
Friday's Round of 64 Schedule
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Friday's Schedule (all times Eastern)
No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Loyola-Chicago, 12:15 p.m., CBS
No. 2 Auburn vs. No. 15 Jacksonville State, 12:40 p.m., truTV
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 Montana State, 1:45 p.m., TNT
No. 3 Purdue vs. No. 14 Yale, 2 p.m., TBS
No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 15 Delaware, 2:45 p.m., CBS
No. 7 USC vs. No. 10 Miami (FL), 3:10 p.m., truTV
No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 11 Notre Dame, 4:15 p.m., TNT
No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Virginia Tech, 4:30 p.m., TBS
No. 4 Illinois vs. No. 13 Chattanooga, 6:50 p.m., TNT
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Cal State Fullerton, 7:10 p.m., CBS
No. 6 LSU vs. No. 11 Iowa State, 7:20 p.m., TBS
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 16 Wright State, 7:27 p.m., truTV
No. 5 Houston vs. No. 12 UAB, 9:20 p.m., TNT
No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Davidson, 9:40 p.m., CBS
No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 14 Colgate, 9:50 p.m., TBS
No. 8 Seton Hall vs. No. 9 TCU, 9:57 p.m., truTV
Friday's Games, Storylines to Watch
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The powerhouses to watch closely on Friday are No. 2 Duke against No. 15 Cal State Fullerton and No. 2 Auburn against No. 15 Jacksonville State. Don't worry too much about No. 1 Arizona against No. 16 Wright State. The Wildcats beat UCLA 84-76 to win the Pac-12 tournament title and have as good a chance as any team to reach the Final Four in New Orleans.
As for the Blue Devils, many will be wondering just how far they can go in head coach Mike Krzyzewski's final season. Coach K has won five national championships, and a sixth is possible with the likes of Paolo Banchero (17 PPG, 7.8 RPG) on the squad. Some might be hoping that Cal State Fullerton, winners of the Big West tournament, can pull off a shock upset, but don't count on it. Coach K potentially running into head coach Tom Izzo and No. 7 Michigan State in the second round is something to watch out for, however.
Auburn will probably take care of Jacksonville State on Friday, but it's not a given considering how their season has gone. The Tigers (27-5) went 16-0 at home, 8-3 on the road and 3-2 on neutral sites. They've lost four times since Feb. 8, a series of late stumbles that don't inspire confidence. Many will be look for signs of shakiness when they take the court in Greenville, South Carolina, on Friday.
Do you like upsets? Of course you do. One of the matchups to watch on Day 2 is No. 12 UAB against No. 5 Houston. Sports Illustrated's Kevin Sweeney likes UAB to topple the Cougars:
"This is my best best among the always-popular 12-over-5 upsets this year. Houston is 1–4 against top-50 KenPom foes. UAB is in the top 50 in KenPom. The Blazers have the best guard on the floor in this game in Jordan 'Jelly' Walker and enough athleticism to not be overwhelmed by the Cougars' physicality."
At the same time, some might be picking Houston to win a few games based on those same advanced metrics. Houston ranked fifth in the nation in KenPom's efficiency rankings, trailing only the four No. 1 seeds. If you prefer traditional stats, then this is a true strength versus strength contest. Houston's defense is fourth in Division I, allowing just 58.9 points per game. The Blazers boast one of the best offenses at 80.7 points per game, good for eighth in the country.
Another matchup to keep an eye on is No. 11 Virginia Tech against No. 6 Texas. The Hokies seem primed for an upset, with 13 wins in their last 15 games, including an 82-67 triumph over Duke in the ACC tournament championship.
If you're getting up early to watch the games, Friday starts off with a team that has endeared itself to neutral fans across the country.
No. 10 Loyola-Chicago is in the tournament for the third time since 2018. The Ramblers shocked the nation by reaching the Final Four in 2018 as an eleventh seed. Last year, they reached the Sweet Sixteen as an eighth seed. They've rewarded those brave enough to choose them in their brackets, and they also have a delightful No. 1 fan in Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the 102-year-old team chaplain. She is happy to see her boys back in the Big Dance.
"I'm excited to come here because of the NCAA having chosen (Pittsburgh) to be the spot of the games," Sister Jean said per USA Today's Nancy Amour. "This is something our team has been talking about all year long—long before the season began. When we won the conference (title), we were so happy because we had the past week to be thinking about it."
Remaining Schedule
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Second Round
Saturday, March 19: Eight games, 12 p.m. ET start
Sunday, March 20: Eight games, 12 p.m. ET start
Sweet 16
Thursday, March 24: Four games, 7 p.m. ET start
Friday, March 25: Four games, 7 p.m. ET start
Elite Eight
Saturday, March 26: Two games, 6 p.m. ET start
Sunday, March 26: Two games, 2 p.m. ET start
Final Four
Saturday, April 2: Two games, 6 p.m. ET start (Caesars Superdome, New Orleans)
Championship Game
Monday, April 4: 9 p.m. ET (Caesars Superdome, New Orleans)
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