Written by The SI Staff at SI.com
The first day of Madness is in the books, and surely some brackets are already in pieces, but Friday has plenty of matchups that shouldn’t disappoint. Below is a viewing guide for each of the Day 2’s 16 games.
(All times Eastern).
12:15 p.m., CBS
Midwest Regional: No. 7 Michigan vs. No. 10 Oklahoma State
Michigan comes into the tournament with tremendous momentum, having beaten Purdue and Wisconsin en route to the Big Ten tournament title. And don’t discount the sentimental wave the Wolverines are riding—when flying to D.C. for the tournament, their plane had an accident on the runway, forcing Michigan to wear its practice uniforms against Illinois. Derrick Walton is averaging 20 points and 9.2 rebounds over the last five games, and Michigan is a trendy dark horse. But don’t count out Oklahoma State—the Cowboys shot over 40% from three for the season, and they have the nation’s best adjusted offensive rating, per kenpom.com.
East Regional: No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 New Mexico State
Baylor is led by Johnathan Motley, a 6’10” double-double machine who could be a first-round pick should he declare for the NBA draft. The Bears were a top-10 team for the majority of the year and have a top-15 defense in most advanced metrics. New Mexico St. is probably the best No. 14 seed, for whatever that’s worth, and had a 20-game winning streak during the season. Paul Weir’s team has speedy guards, led by senior Ian Baker, but the Aggies haven’t played anybody close to Baylor’s quality this year—the best team they’ve faced is Colorado St.
1:30 p.m., TNT
South Regional: No. 8 Arkansas vs. No. 9 Seton Hall
This should be a close one; most sports books have Arkansas as just a 1-point favorite. Arkansas has won 9 of 11 and looked impressive in its run to the SEC tournament final. The Razorbacks have a balanced offensive attack, with four players averaging over 11 points per game, and they’ve only lost to two teams who aren’t in the NCAA tournament. Seton Hall closed the season playing some of its best basketball and nearly knocked off Villanova in the Big East tournament semifinal. When the Pirates need a bucket, they turn to Khadeen Carrington, a gritty junior guard who also might be the team’s best perimeter defender.
2 p.m., TBS
Midwest Regional: No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 14 Iona
Oregon won the Pac-12 regular season title and seemed poised to challenge for a No. 1 seed before Chris Boucher tore his ACL in the first half of a win over California. The Ducks still played Arizona tight in the Pac-12 tournament final (eventually falling 83-80), and they can win any game so long as conference player of the year and crunch-time killer Dillon Brooks is suited up. Iona likes to push the tempo by playing four guards, often including Sam Cassell Jr., but the Gaels’ biggest offensive threat is big man Jordan Washington, who averages more than 17 points in just more than 21 minutes per game.
2:45 p.m., CBS
Midwest Regional: No. 2 Louisville vs. No. 15 Jacksonville State
Rick Pitino’s team is characteristically long, athletic and terrific defensively (seventh in adjusted defensive rating). The Cardinals have flown under the radar and didn’t lose to a non-tournament team all year. Sophomore guard Donovan Mitchell can do a bit of everything and could be a first-round pick. Jacksonville State or Jacksonville, Alabama—not Florida—is making its first NCAA tournament appearance in school history. Keep an eye on Jacksonville’s Erik Durham—the senior shot 48.4% from three on nearly 5 attempts per game.
3:10 p.m., truTV
East Regional: No. 6 SMU vs. No. 11 USC
These two teams met way back on Nov. 25, and USC won that contest 78-73 on its home floor. But this is a different SMU team—the Mustangs won 17 of 18 games in the American Athletic Conference and have won 16 straight overall. That, and their fourth-best scoring defense, are the reasons why they’re ranked 11th in the latest AP poll. SMU is led by Duke transfer and AAC player of the year Semi Ojeleye, whose story is a compelling one. USC overcame a 17-point second-half deficit to beat Providence in its First Four game, which should give Andy Enfield’s team some confidence.
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