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Are you ready for March Madness? It begins today with the first two games of the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.
In today’s first game, Mount St. Mary’s, a Northeast Conference team located in Emmitsburg, MD and not to be confused with St. Mary’s of the West Coast Conference, faces New Orleans.
The Mountaineers went 19-15 and are an automatic qualifier by virtue of being the Northeast Conference champion. Nevertheless, like New Orleans, they are a 16th seed.
The Privateers were both the regular season and tournament champions of the Southland Conference and finished with a 20-11 record.
The winner of this game will head off to the East Region where they will face top-seed Villanova.
Today’s second game features two teams that are more well-known and the winner of this will be the 11 seed in the South. In this one, the Kansas State Wildcats (20-13) will face the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (19-13).
K-State beat Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament Quarterfinals. The Demon Deacons beat Louisville and Miami in ACC play, but lost to Duke and UNC.
This is a game of interest to Bruin fans because, if the winner of this game can also beat Cincinnati, UCLA could face them in their second game of the tournament.
Here’s today’s schedule:
NCAA First Four, Day 1
| Game | Date | Tip Time (PT) | Network | Site | Commentators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Date | Tip Time (PT) | Network | Site | Commentators |
| Mount St. Mary's vs. New Orleans | March 14 | 3:40 PM | truTV | Dayton | Brian Anderson / Clark Kellogg / Lewis Johnson |
| Kansas State Wildcats vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons | March 14 | Approx. 6:10 pm | truTV | Dayton | Brian Anderson / Clark Kellogg / Lewis Johnson |
This is your NCAA First Four, Day 1 Open Thread.
Go Bruins!